Well, after 72 matches played we now know who will make up the last 32 teams at the 2026 World Cup.
But before we look forward, we should look back at a group stage that had it all. Managerial sackings, stunning goals, major upsets, and the biggest stars stepping into the spotlight.
Picking a team of the group stage meant that numerous players who would be worthy of a spot here miss out – we’re looking at you, Erling Haaland.
That being said, following our golden rule from the first World Cup Team of the Week in that we have limited ourselves to selecting just one player per nation, here is Daily Mail Sport’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Team of the Group Stage.
Lionel Messi (left) leads the race for the World Cup Golden Boot following the group stages
FORMATION (4-3-3)
GK: Vozinha (Cape Verde)
Hands down the most fun story of the tournament so far. Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper would never have expected to be in a conversation such as this one before the opening group game against Spain, but here we are.
Vozinha, who has become a social media sensation since producing the performance of his career to shut out Spain, finishes the group stage with two clean sheets from three games and he has been an enormous part of why Cape Verde are into the round of 32.
His clean sheet against Saudi Arabia won’t get anywhere near as much attention as the one against Spain but what it did was gain him entry into a rather exclusive club.
Vozinha became just the third goalkeeper in World Cup history to keep a clean sheet in two-plus matches after turning 40, joining Peter Shilton (three) and Dino Zoff (two).
RB: Daniel Munoz (Colombia)
Despite being a shock omission from the start in the final game against Portugal, it would be wrong to overlook Colombia’s Daniel Munoz.
The Crystal Palace man was immense in the first two games of the group, standing up as their best player and scoring key goals in both to guarantee progression to the knockout stage before the final game.
In a game as tight as the DR Congo one, too, his boundless energy and directness was the difference and his deflected strike was enough to send Colombia through.
He almost played a key role to win it late on versus Portugal, too, making his initial omission all the more perplexing.
Shoutout to Netherlands’ Denzel Dumfries here, who was a firm candidate for the right back spot.
Daniel Munoz has been the star of the show for a Colombia side that look a dangerous outfit
CB: Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands)
In one of the very toughest groups, the Netherlands deserve huge credit for going unbeaten against Japan, Sweden and Tunisia.
While Ronald Koeman’s side were not water-tight at the back, both Virgil van Dijk and Jan Paul van Hecke emerged from the group stage with real credit in the bank and the Liverpool captain has just edged it here.
His leadership is a big part of why he is getting the nod here, helping to calm the Dutch down when games got frantic.
Plus, a goal and an assist as a centre back arrived as the cherry on top.
CB: Pau Cubarsi (Spain)
Played in every minute across three group games in which Spain haven’t conceded a single goal, and only gave up three shots on target.
Yes, people will point to the level of opposition, but Pau Cubarsi is such a pleasure to watch if ball-playing centre backs are one of your footballing favourites.
Across three group games he misplaced just five passes from a total of 294 attempts.
His centre back partner Aymeric Laporte was another contender here but in the end it was watching Cubarsi passing through the lines and trying to create chances that swung it.
Superstar in the making.
Pau Cubarsi has impressed for Spain in a side that is yet to concede a goal at this tournament
LB: Antonee Robinson (USA)
The co-hosts have produced some of the most eye-catching football of the tournament so far and deserve to have representation in this side.
While the stats sheet may not show up in Antonee Robinson’s favour, he’s been such a threat for Mauricio Pochettino’s side and the Fulham man has lit it up on the eye test in the opening phase of this competition.
In the Premier League he has shown a constant willingness to get up and down the pitch and with a coach like Pochettino, he’s close to a perfect full-back.
With players like Robinson, Pochettino has a group that won’t play scared and will look to put opponents on their backfoot. A huge feather in their USMNT cap.
CM: Jude Bellingham (England)
Far and away England’s best player in all three matches and two Player of the Match awards from a possible three only further underscores that.
England have looked devoid of ideas in large spells of this group stage and while there is significant room for improvement for Thomas Tuchel and Co, seeing Jude Bellingham in this kind of form is a really positive sign.
The way he took over the second half against Croatia, as well as how his goal and assist against Panama was the match-winning contribution Tuchel was crying out for, spoke of a player that is flexing his superstar potential at a time England need him the most.
Seems crazy now to think that before the tournament there was genuine debate about whether he should be in England’s starting XI.
Jude Bellingham has managed to step up to the plate for an England side that are hit and miss
CM: Johan Manzambi (Switzerland)
Switzerland’s World Cup campaign was heading perilously towards some real problems after an opening draw against Qatar had the Swiss media talking up issues in the dressing room.
They were being held by Bosnia & Herzegovina too until the introduction off the bench of Freiburg’s Johan Manzambi, and Switzerland just went from strength to strength thereafter.
The 20-year-old scored twice against Bosnia & Herzegovina before producing a match-winning and group-winning goal and assist to beat Canada 2-1 in Vancouver.
Manzambi has announced himself as one of the breakout stars of a tournament that he initially looked set to be on the periphery of. Talk about taking your opportunity with both hands.
CM: Ismael Saibari (Morocco)
The Bayern Munich-bound Moroccan has stepped up when his country needed him most, scoring in all three group games to fire Morocco into the next stage.
There have been some great attacking performances from midfielders at this tournament but Saibari has been as good as any of them.
Netting his third goal of the tournament in the most recent win over Haiti saw the pioneering Saibari become the first African player ever to score in each of his team’s three group matches at a World Cup.
Saibari also became the first African player to score three goals in a single World Cup since Asamoah Gyan for Ghana all the way back in 2010.
Ismael Saibari is expected to complete his move to Bayern Munich once Morocco are knocked out of the World Cup
RW: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
The greatest to ever do it.
Opened this tournament with a hat-trick to down Algeria, then went and added two more to beat Austria in the second game. With Argentina through, he started the final game against Jordan on the bench.
Messi looks so fit and fresh it would be fair to suggest that the switch to Major League Soccer a few years ago has, in no small part, played a factor in just how fresh he looks right now on the biggest stage.
It continues to be entertaining when people point out that Messi can go through spells in a game standing still, or walking to his next spot.
But at 39 his football IQ remains unrivalled and his body has certainly not given up on him yet. With five goals to his name, he is currently the frontrunner for the World Cup Golden Boot.
ST: Kylian Mbappe (France)
For all the magic of Messi, Kylian Mbappe showed in the group stages that this has the potential to be his tournament and his alone.
The French striker has more goals and assists combined that any other player at the tournament so far and is playing with a quality that makes it worth the price of admission game in, game out.
Whether he is scoring himself, as he did with braces against Senegal and Iraq, or turning provider as he did with his pair of assists for Ousmane Dembele against Norway, Mbappe looks unstoppable right now.
Stands alone as the most individually feared player left in this competition due to his speed, his shooting power, and supreme confidence.
Kylian Mbappe (right) has everything ahead of him to make this the ‘Kylian Mbappe World Cup’
LW: Vinicius Jnr (Brazil)
Brazil feel like a side that still has plenty to give but when it comes to Vinicius Jnr, Carlo Ancelotti has a player that already looks at the peak of his powers.
The Real Madrid man has produced in every single game so far, scoring a stunning – and decisive – equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Morocco, added a goal and assist in the 3-0 win over Haiti, and scored a brace in the 3-0 win over Scotland. In total he has been responsible for 71 per cent of Brazil’s goal involvements in North America.
‘Vinicius Jr is our star at this World Cup,’ Neymar said. ‘He’s deciding games, he’s doing great.’
Vinicius has the ability to back up his swagger and arrogance and it makes him box office viewing whenever he takes to the pitch.
Someone like Vinicius is made for the bright lights of the knockout stages of a World Cup.
