World Cup 2026: The best XI of the opening matchday revealed!

The group stage of the 2026 World Cup has already produced its first heroes. In fact, the outstanding performances of several players from across the globe have been recognized by SofaScore, which has released its best XI for this opening matchday.

After a first round packed with surprises, individual brilliance, and top-tier performances, SofaScore has announced its team of the best players from the tournament’s kickoff. Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi, who scored a hat-trick against Algeria, makes the cut with a perfect rating of 10/10.

Read also: World Cup 2026 / Algeria: The three major changes considered by Petkovic against Jordan

Goalkeeper: Vozinha (Cape Verde) – 9.7/10.

Defenders: Richie Laryea (Canada) – 8.1/10, Nico Schlotterbeck (Germany) – 8.4/10, Diney (Cape Verde) – 8.5/10, Ramin Rezaeian (Iran) – 9.2/10.

Midfielders: Yasin Ayari (Sweden) – 8.7/10, Hwang In-beom (South Korea) – 8.8/10, Pedri (Spain) – 9.0/10.

Forwards: Emilio Just (New Zealand) – 9.0/10, Folarin Balogun (United States) – 9.0/10, Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 10/10.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

Related teams and leagues

World Cup