2026 World Cup: Messi, Dembélé... group stage best XI revealed

The group stage of the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, wrapped up in the early hours of Sunday. This opening round was packed with drama and surprises, including the early exits of Uruguay, South Korea, and the Czech Republic.

After the group stage concluded, the football statistics specialists at SofaScore unveiled their best XI of the first round. Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi claims a prominent spot after dazzling in Argentina's colors.

The Albiceleste captain was one of the driving forces behind his team's group stage campaign, directly contributing to six goals. His outstanding performances have put him among the highest-rated players of the tournament so far.

Lionel Messi tops the ideal eleven of the first round

The group stage best XI features the following players:

• Goalkeeper:

  Vozinha (Cape Verde)

• Defenders:

  Aymeric Laporte (Spain)

  Jan Paul van Hecke (Netherlands)

  Pau Cubarsí (Spain)

• Midfielders:

  Rodri (Spain)

  Vinícius Júnior (Brazil)

  Jude Bellingham (England)

  Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)

  Ousmane Dembélé (France)

• Forwards:

  Lionel Messi (Argentina)

  Erling Haaland (Norway)

World Cup 2026 / Argentina - Jordan: Messi seals a flawless run (3-1)

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

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