There are just two matches left at the 2026 World Cup, which has been a feast of stars and storylines with very few players missing out on moments in the sun.

It’s true that the youngest — Lamine Yamal — has not had as much of a scoresheet impact as expected and that the playing time one of the oldest — Cristiano Ronaldo — was one of the most scrutinized aspects of the tournament, but both Yamal and Ronaldo delivered big-time plays along the way.

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All of the above plus some stunning turns between the posts make picking a Best XI an oh-so-challenging task. With all respect to the very good Unai Simon and celebrated Emiliano Martinez, the best goalkeeper performances came from underdogs who pushed their teams into the knockout rounds.

And with all the goalscorers and playmakers delivering the goods, how do you whittle down the attackers to a half-dozen or so. Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Erling Haaland were all part of a Golden Boot race that is alive heading into the third-place match and final.

So with a precious couple of down days between the semifinals and the last two matches of this World Cup, let’s have a go at the Best XI… and maybe another XI for a XXII.

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2026 World Cup Best XI: Who makes the Team of the Tournament?

Goalkeeper, as mentioned, is a difficult one. Simon has been the best of the bunch when it comes to the final four, though Jordan Pickford showed well in England’s run. But it feels like this spot should be reserved for an underdog. Paraguay’s Orlando Gill was spectacular after their opening flop against the USMNT, and Vozinha is one of the stories of the tournament, but Switzerland deserves its place in one of these teams as Gregor Kobel was phenomenal.

While Yamal may not be Spain’s story of their final run, their fullbacks and midfield have been ever-present. Pedro Porro has caught the attention of the tournament and opposite flank counterpart Marc Cucurella just take their places over Achraf Hakimi in a tournament where the defensive stars have most often come from the center back group.

Enzo Fernandez’s heroics all over the pitch give him a place next to Golden Shoe possibility Rodri, while a bit of recency bias gives Jude Bellingham a place instead of Harry Kane in an XI that needs to include Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Erling Haaland.

2026 World Cup Second Best XI: Who just misses out?

Here’s where Gill slides into the occasion behind a back three of semifinalists Marc Guehi, Pau Cubarsi, and Cristian Romero.

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Aurelien Tchouameni provides the guard atop that trio, and we’ll ask Youri Tielemans and Martin Odegaard to take the game to four playmakers: new Bayern Munich man Isamael Saibari of Morocco and reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele out wide while Kane pushes forward and Mikel Oyarzabal runs underneath the big Englishman.