Lionel Messi’s magical feet, Cristiano Ronaldo’s acrobatic finishes, Lamine Yamal’s exploits on the wing and Kylian Mbappe’s sensational speed.The wait is almost over to witness it all, as the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on Thursday, June 11.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listFrom the legends of the game to emerging stars, Al Jazeera picks out the top 10 players to watch at the tournament:Lionel Messi (Argentina) Argentina’s Lionel Messi guided them to their third world title in Qatar 2022 [Gustavo Garello/AP]Four years ago, Messi fulfilled a childhood dream when he lifted the elusive World Cup, the missing piece in his vast collection of trophies.Now, aged 38, the star forward returns for a joint-record sixth appearance at the finals, as Argentina look to successfully defend the title won in Qatar.The heartbeat of Argentinian football, Messi’s involvement at this edition could be limited, as age and fitness dictate his role in their title defence.Lamine Yamal (Spain) Spain’s Lamine Yamal heads to the World Cup two years after helping Spain win Euro 2024 [Justin Setterfield/Getty Images]Yamal may be only 18 years old, but the winger, easily the best of his generation, shows maturity far beyond his years.After playing a key role in guiding Spain to the Euro 2024 title, Yamal heads to his maiden World Cup, with fans and critics eager to see which new tricks he will pull out of his hat.If Yamal continues his flair and goal-scoring exploits, he could become the youngest player to win the Golden Boot for the tournament’s highest scorer. Advertisement Kylian Mbappe (France) After narrowly missing out on the 2022 World Cup, Kylian Mbappe will be aiming to repeat the success he had with France in 2018 [Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images]The 2022 World Cup was bittersweet for Mbappe, who narrowly missed out on the title despite scoring a sensational hat-trick in the final, which was eventually decided on penalties.Y …
