2026 World Cup: Who are the top five African players from the opening round?

20.06.26 FT World Cup

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Ivory Coast

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Several African players made a name for themselves during the opening day of the World Cup group stage.

The top honor goes to Ivorian sensation Amad Diallo, who scored the winning goal in the Elephants’ narrow victory over Ecuador in Group E.

World Cup 2026: The official and complete group stage schedule

With a rating of 8.5/10, the Manchester United star tops the African players’ rankings after matchday one at the 2026 World Cup.

Here is the full ranking, based on statistics compiled by the specialist site Sofascore.

Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast)

The former Atalanta Bergamo player sits 17th overall in the tournament’s best players ranking, led by Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who scored a perfect 10/10 after his stellar display against Algeria.

Against Ecuador, the Abidjan native played just 34 minutes, but still managed to score, complete six dribbles, and deliver a key pass.

At 23, Amad Diallo has 20 caps for the Elephants, tallying 7 goals and 3 assists.

Benjamin Asare (Ghana)

The Black Stars’ goalkeeper claims 24th place in the 2026 World Cup player rankings with a rating of 8.2/10.

He shone against Panama, making three decisive saves in the second half after replacing injured teammate Lawrence Ati Zigi.

In 12 international appearances, the Hearts of Oak shot-stopper has conceded 9 goals and kept 6 clean sheets.

Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast)

The dynamic Ivorian winger is also the second-highest-rated African player at the World Cup, earning a score of 8.2/10.

The Abidjan-born attacker delivered five key passes and completed four dribbles against Ecuador.

He has scored three goals in 12 matches for the Elephants across all competitions.

Emam Ashour (Egypt)

The Pharaohs’ powerhouse earned a 7.9/10 rating for his outstanding performance against Belgium.

In addition to his goal, he was a tireless force, winning 8 of his 12 duels against the Red Devils.

The Al Ahly midfielder has featured in 30 internationals for Egypt, recording one goal and five assists.

Ismael Saibari (Morocco)

Bayern Munich’s future signing sits 45th in the World Cup’s best players ranking with a score of 7.8/10.

Deployed as a center forward, he caused plenty of headaches for Brazil, even scoring a spectacular goal past Alisson Becker.

With the Atlas Lions, he has played 31 matches, netting 10 goals and providing one assist.

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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