2026 World Cup: two Africans among the global elite

07.07.26 FT World Cup

Argentina

3

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Egypt

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Two African players have made it onto the exclusive list of top-rated players at the World Cup, according to the specialist site sofascore.

Ghana’s Lawrence Ati Zigi received a stellar rating of 8.45, while Tunisian star Hazem Mastouri earned an impressive 7.9.

The Black Star made headlines with a standout performance against Colombia in the round of 16.

Meanwhile, the Carthage Eagle shone on the third and final day of the group stage, scoring a memorable header against the Netherlands.

Here’s the top 20 highest-rated players of the tournament:

1- Lionel Messi (Argentina): 8.54

2- Lawrence Ati Zigi (Ghana): 8.45

3- Kylian Mbappé (France): 8.40

4- Erling Haaland (Norway): 8.25

5- Mateo Chávez (Mexico): 8.10

6- Vinícius Júnior (Brazil): 8.0

7- Hazem Mastouri (Tunisia): 7.9

8- Thelo Aasgaard (Norway): 7.9

9- Giovani Lo Celso (Argentina): 7.9

10- Orlando Gill (Paraguay): 7.88

11- Vozinha (Cape Verde): 7.88

12- Jude Bellingham (England): 7.86

13- Ousmane Dembélé (France): 7.84

14- Elijah Just (New Zealand): 7.83

15- Leandro Trossard (Belgium): 7.78

16- Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast): 7.78

17- Julián Quiñones (Mexico): 7.72

18- Rodri (Spain): 7.72

19- Stephen Eustaquio (Canada): 7.70

20- Lewis Ferguson (Scotland): 7.67

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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