The World Cup 2026 is getting intense as we reach the last-16 stage of the tournament - and so too are your Fantasy Football leagues!
Are you sitting pretty at the top of your family and friends league? Or are you in desperate need of points as the tournament reaches it’s latter stages? Whatever you need, the last-16 stage is here, and we’re here to help you!
Earlier in the tournament, we provided you with all of our top tips and bargain buys for your forward line, midfield, defence and even in the nets, and we’ll be keeping you up to date with the best players to transfer into your team as the tournament progresses.
No matter what sort of surgery you need to make to your World Cup 2026 Fantasy Football squad, you are now allowed to make four free transfers leading right up to this deadline. So you can make significant changes to your squad without taking point hits. Have you decided who to transfer in yet, or do you need a bit of help? Don’t worry, we’ve got you.
Don’t forget, the deadline to make these changes is 6pm Saturday, July 4 before the clash between Canada and Morocco and remember any goalkeeper, defender, or midfielder in your team will only lose their clean sheet after conceding two goals as a special World Cup Fantasy Football bonus.
Here are 8 players we recommend you to transfer in your fantasy team for the last-16, from the must-have options to the bargain buys.
5. Granit Xhaka - Switzerland - 6.2m
The Swiss enter the last-16 clash against Colombia with a strong chance of progress, and their captain is likely to be central to any success they have. The Sunderland midfielder takes the corner for his side, while he's also often deployed as as the team's primary free-kick and penalty taker. He won't break the bank, and has a strong chance of adding much needed points at this stage. | Getty Images
6. Anthony Gordon - England - 7m
After a slow start to the tournament, the Barcelona winger came off the bench to produce two assists for England, and is likely to be restored to the starting XI for the clash with Mexico. He's already tallied 14 points across the tournament, and will be viewed as the man to provide captain Harry Kane with the ammunition in their last-16 clash with Mexico. | Getty Images
7. Dayot Upamecano - France - 5.3m
The Bayern Munich centre-back has played more minutes than any other defender in the France squad at the tournament, and is the team's leading point scoring in that position. Expected to beat Paraguay in the last-16, you can back him to win you clean sheet points and almost guaranteed points are important at this stage of the competition. | Getty Images
8. Lionel Messi - Argentina - 10m
The most obvious of picks, but if you don't have the Argentinian magician in your side, you need to change the immediately. The top point scorer in Fantasy World Cup (50), he's bagged seven goals at the tournament already, and will be expected to notch again when the defending champions face Egypt in the last-16. Can't decide between him and Harry Kane? The England striker is 0.5m more expensive, so go with Messi. | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images