The Last Dance of Legends and the Rise of New Stars: Who Will Shine at the 2026 World Cup

Less than two weeks remain until the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

As reported by BAKU.WS, the national teams participating in the tournament have already announced their squads.

As is tradition, the greatest stars of world football have found themselves in the spotlight of fans' attention.

Cristiano Ronaldo

The 40-year-old Portuguese striker will appear at the World Cup for the sixth time. With the national team, he won the European Championship title and twice won the Nations League. At World Cups, Ronaldo has scored a total of 8 goals. Portugal is once again considered one of the main favorites of the tournament.

Kylian Mbappé

The 27-year-old French forward is already among the highest-scoring players in World Cup history. In just 14 matches, he has scored 12 goals. To approach Miroslav Klose's record of 16 goals, Mbappé needs to score 5 more. Last season, the striker netted 42 goals for his Madrid club and is considered one of the most dangerous players at the upcoming World Cup.

Lionel Messi

The 38-year-old Argentine legend will also take part in his sixth World Cup. Messi holds the record for the most matches played in World Cup history. In 2022, he became world champion with Argentina and was named the best player of the tournament. With 13 goals at World Cups, Messi is also capable of approaching Klose's record.

Erling Haaland

The leader of the Norwegian national team will appear at the World Cup for the first time in his career. In the qualifying cycle, Haaland became the top scorer, netting 16 goals in 8 matches. Although Norway is not among the favorites, Haaland is expected to compete for the top spots in the Golden Boot race.

Neymar

The star of the Brazilian national team is the all-time top scorer in the history of the national team. However, due to an injury sustained in May, there is a risk of missing the opening matches of the World Cup. Nevertheless, fans are hoping to see him on the pitch in the knockout stage.

Lamine Yamal

The 18-year-old rising star of the Spanish national team is preparing for his first World Cup. He has already made history as the youngest winner of the European Championship. Despite injury problems, Yamal is considered one of the most intriguing young players of the tournament.

Ousmane Dembélé

The Frenchman, who has achieved great success in recent years both at club level and with the national team, has a curious statistic: in two World Cups, he has still not scored a single goal. At the 2026 World Cup, Dembélé will try to break this unfortunate streak.

It should be noted that the 2026 World Cup will be one of the last for such legends as Ronaldo and Messi, and at the same time a grand stage for the new generation led by Yamal. That is precisely why the upcoming tournament is already being called one of the most exciting World Cups in recent years.

Orkhan Huseyn