World Cup 2026 All-Tournament XI
After every World Cup, FIFA’s Technical Study Group selects the All-Tournament XI — the best eleven players from the entire competition. It is the ultimate individual collective honour in football. In 2026, with 48 teams and the most talented generation in decades, who makes the dream team?
How the All-Tournament XI Is Selected
FIFA’s Technical Study Group
The FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG) is a panel of former elite players, coaches, and technical directors assembled specifically for each World Cup. They observe every single match, compile performance data, and debate the XI in the days following the final. The TSG considers every position and formation independently — the XI does not need to reflect a single tactical system. Their aim is to identify the eleven players who most consistently performed at the highest level across the most meaningful matches.
What Criteria Are Used
The TSG weights: (1) performance across multiple matches, not just one standout game; (2) contribution to team results — a player whose brilliance directly drove knockout wins rates higher than one who thrived in easy group stage games; (3) technical quality — touches, passing accuracy, creative output, defensive actions; (4) moments of individual brilliance — goals, assists, saves, key tackles in decisive moments; (5) consistency across the tournament’s full arc, from group stage through knockout rounds.
What It Means for a Player’s Career
Being named in the World Cup All-Tournament XI is a permanent career milestone. It directly influences transfer market valuations — Enzo Fernandez’s 2022 All-Tournament selection triggered Chelsea’s £107 million move within weeks. For young players especially, the XI confirms their arrival as a global superstar. Agents and clubs monitor the TSG’s announcement as closely as any award night, knowing it will reshape the summer’s transfer landscape almost immediately.
2022 All-Tournament XI: The Benchmark
The 2022 FIFA World Cup All-Star Squad (officially the “Team of the Tournament”) was selected at Qatar 2022 and featured a near-perfect reflection of the tournament’s best performers:
GK & Defence
- GK: Emiliano Martinez (Argentina)
- RB: Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)
- CB: Romero (Argentina)
- CB: Upamecano (France)
- LB: Theo Hernandez (France)
Midfield & Attack
- MF: Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco)
- MF: Enzo Fernandez (Argentina)
- MF: Luka Modric (Croatia)
- FW: Kylian Mbappe (France)
- FW: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- FW: Antoine Griezmann (France)
Notable: seven of the eleven came from just two nations — Argentina and France, the two finalists. Morocco, who reached the semi-finals, contributed two players despite being 14th-ranked entering the tournament. No defending champion (France 2018) has ever placed as many players in the XI since Brazil in 1970 — the two-finalist bias is built into the structure.
2026 Predictions: Who Could Make the XI
Attack: Mbappe, Yamal, Bellingham?
Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid will enter 2026 as the world’s most expensive player and the frontrunner for the Golden Ball. If France reach the final, Mbappe’s XI inclusion is automatic. Lamine Yamal, at just 18, could be the tournament revelation — his direct dribbling and big-game presence suggest a player ready to dominate a World Cup stage. Jude Bellingham, combining goalscoring and creative output, is England’s best chance at an All-XI representative since Gerrard in 2006.
Midfield: Modric’s Last Dance, Pedri’s Time
Luka Modric will be 40 at World Cup 2026 — almost certainly his final tournament. If Croatia qualify and compete, Modric’s farewell World Cup appearance is a romantic narrative the TSG will feel some pull toward, but only if the performances justify it. More likely, Pedri and Gavi — Spain’s midfield future — dominate the midfield conversation. Florian Wirtz for Germany could be the midfield standout of the tournament if Germany go deep.
Defence: Saliba, Davies, Hakimi
William Saliba (France), Alphonso Davies (Canada, home tournament), and Achraf Hakimi (Morocco, 2022 incumbent) are the most likely defensive All-XI candidates. For a surprise: if the USA reach the knockout rounds, a standout performance from their defence could force a CONCACAF player into the reckoning — something that would have seemed unthinkable before 2026’s expanded format.
Goalkeeper: The Shootout Factor
With 48 teams and more knockout rounds, the expanded 2026 format creates more penalty shootout moments than any previous World Cup. The keeper who saves two penalties in one shootout — as Emi Martinez did in 2022 — becomes an automatic All-XI candidate. Emi Martinez defending his Golden Glove, Maignan leading France, or Ederson commanding Brazil’s backline are the primary Golden Glove and All-XI contenders between the posts.
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