Three days after the conclusion of the World Cup, FIFA announced the tournament’s Best XI. Selected through fan voting, the squad features the highest representation from Spain and France, with three players each.
Two players from runners-up Argentina made the list, alongside one player each from England, Norway, and Cape Verde. Notably, no Brazilian players or Spain’s Lamine Yamal were included in the lineup.
Lined up in a 4-3-3 formation, the team features Cape Verde’s Vozinha in goal. Representing the African nation in their debut World Cup, he became one of the tournament’s standout surprises with a series of brilliant saves. Vozinha also secured the highest percentage of votes—39.6%—among all the players selected for the squad.
The defensive line comprises Spain’s Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro, Argentina’s Lisandro Martínez, and France’s Dayot Upamecano. Cucurella, who did not miss a single minute of action throughout the tournament, provided two assists. Spain conceded only one goal and kept seven clean sheets en route to winning the World Cup.
Vozinha, who received the most votes, earned a spot in the World Cup Best XI – Reuters
The midfield features Spain’s Rodri, France’s Michael Olise, and England’s Jude Bellingham. Rodri was the heartbeat of world champions Spain’s midfield and also won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. Olise provided seven assists for France, who reached the semi-finals, while Bellingham scored seven goals for England.
The attack features Argentina’s Lionel Messi, France’s Kylian Mbappé, and Norway’s Erling Haaland. Mbappé, who won the Golden Boot with 10 goals, also contributed four assists during the tournament. In addition to winning the Golden Boot for the second consecutive World Cup, Mbappé has now become the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history. This French star secured the second-highest share of votes at 29.6%.
Meanwhile, Messi played a pivotal role in guiding Argentina to the final, even at the age of 39, recording 8 goals and 4 assists throughout the tournament. And although Norway’s World Cup journey ended in the quarter-finals, Haaland managed to score seven goals during that run.
FIFA World Cup Best XI
Goalkeeper: Vozinha (Cape Verde)
Defenders: Pedro Porro (Spain), Dayot Upamecano (France), Lisandro Martínez (Argentina), Marc Cucurella (Spain)
Midfielders: Rodri (Spain), Michael Olise (France), Jude Bellingham (England)
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Argentina), Erling Haaland (Norway), Kylian Mbappé (France)
