A trio of Spaniards, a surprise in goal: Who’s in the 2026 World Cup all-star XI?

A second star on the crest and three players named to the 2026 World Cup’s team of the tournament. Spain dominated this summer’s event, propelling all 26 members of La Roja’s squad, head coach Luis de la Fuente, and his staff to the pinnacle of world soccer.

Spain controlled the World Cup from start to finish, and that dominance was reflected in FIFA’s all-star XI. Pedro Porro, Marc Cucurella, and Rodri earned the backing of fans around the globe, who voted them into the dream team.

Just as several Spanish players were selected following Spain’s World Cup triumph 16 years ago, history has repeated itself. Porro, Cucurella, and Rodri have etched their names into World Cup lore in 2026, following in the footsteps of Sergio Ramos, Carles Puyol, Joan Capdevila, Sergio Busquets, and David Villa, who achieved the honor after South Africa 2010.

Who else made the 2026 World Cup’s team of the tournament?

The biggest surprise was the selection of Vozinha as the 2026 tournament’s top goalkeeper. The Cape Verde shot-stopper received nearly 40% of the vote, finishing ahead of Spain’s Unai Simón, who won the Golden Glove award.

FIFA, together with sponsor Aramco, once again left the decision in the hands of supporters worldwide, inviting fans to select the tournament’s best XI by casting their vote on the governing body’s official website. The result was an all-star lineup packed with some of the biggest names in the game.

This is the final 2026 World Cup’s team of the tournament, following the close of worldwide fan voting: Vozinha (Cape Verde); Pedro Porro (Spain), Lisandro Martínez (Argentina), Dayot Upamecano (France), Marc Cucurella (Spain); Rodri (Spain), Michael Olise (France), Jude Bellingham (England); Kylian Mbappé (France), Erling Haaland (Norway), and Lionel Messi (Argentina).

Kane kept out of World Cup’s all-star XI

One notable omission is England captain Harry Kane, despite being among the players who received the most votes. It is also striking that semifinalist France has the same number of players in the team as world champion Spain. Up front, however, there was little debate. Mbappé, Haaland, and Messi each captured more than 20% of the vote, with Mbappé receiving the highest share of all.

The selections announced by FIFA had already raised eyebrows because of the absence of Pau Cubarsí and Aymeric Laporte. Even so, Cucurella and Porro were the two defenders who received the most votes from fans. In midfield, there was even less controversy: Bellingham lined up alongside World Cup assist leader Michael Olise and tournament MVP Rodri.

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