The 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage is in the books. We know which nations succeeded and failed in their quest to reach the knockouts and keep their dreams of winning alive — but which clubs are also enjoying great representation?
World Cup 2026
After the first round of fixtures, we ranked Europe’s top teams by how well their players were performing on the global stage. Now, ahead of the round of 32, we’re doing it again.
It’s a bit of fun, serving as a tracker for which clubs’ fans still have plenty to cheer for — even if their country isn’t quite hitting the notes expected.
Sunderland deserve a quick shoutout before we get cracking, as no Premier League team has more goals at this tournament (six), but Napoli have dropped out of the ranking since last time, and you won’t have to scroll far to see who has replaced them.
Match Details
Note: Players are contracted to their current clubs until June 30, so impending free agents or expiring loanees still count toward the team they played for in the 2025-26 season. For example: Bernardo Silva still counts for Manchester City despite officially signing for Real Madrid, and Nicolas Jackson counts for Bayern Munich, not Chelsea, as his loan is not yet finished.
Standout star: Moisés Caicedo, Ecuador
Chelsea are a little lucky to retain their spot in the top 10. They benefit from Marc Cucurella’s strong performances for Spain until July 1, when he officially joins Real Madrid. When he’s gone, and with England fullback Reece James injured again, there’s every chance they lack the juice to keep up.
Tournament Impact
But for now they stick, and there are other strong performances to point to: Enzo Fernández has been good for Argentina, Pedro Neto keeps starting for a stacked Portugal attack, and Caicedo is playing a huge role in Ecuador’s midfield engine room — he’s winning tackles, passing positively and even taking set pieces.
Standout star: Felix Nmecha, Germany
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