The World Cup 2026 is now well underway - and it looks like all the big names have come to play!
Here in Scotland, it was John McGinn who was the hero as the national team sealed their first win at the tournament since 1990 with a 1-0 victory against Haiti last weekend, though the majority of headlines have been taken by goal-scoring superstars Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane, who have all started the tournament by scoring two or more goals.
But will they be the men who end the tournament as the standout performers? With matchday one now done and dusted, we look at which players have been ranked the highest after their nation’s opening game - and we’ll be making sure we update with each passing round!
Here are the top 10 players that have performed the brightest at the World Cup, so far - according to popular statistics website FotMob.
1. Lionel Messi - Argentina
What else can be said about this man? Arguably the best footballer to have ever lived, he bagged a hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 opening game win against Algeria and has already registered a near perfect 9.66 average rating. Unbelieveable. | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
2. Erling Haaland - Norway
Announced his arrival at the World Cup with a quickfire double in the 4-1 win over Iraq. The Manchester City striker is one of the world's most lethal frontmen, and has started in strong form. His performance at the tournament so far has an average rating of 9.17 | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
3. Kylian Mbappe - France
Exploded into life for France against Senegal after a quiet first-half display. Scored twice in the 3-1 win and really looked to part for the pre-tournament favourites. His performance at the tournament so far has an average rating of 9.02 | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
4. Harry Kane - England
The Three Lions captain inspired his side's opening game 4-2 win over Croatia, bagging two goals in the first-half. He also had the most touches in the opposition's box (9) and the most shots at goal (7) during the game. His performance at the tournament so far has an average rating of 9.01. | Getty Images