Breakout Stars of the 2026 World Cup: Goal & Defense | OneFootball

Since the tournament’s inception in 1930, we’ve seen hundreds of footballers who have utilized the FIFA World Cup to catapult themselves to stardom. Some, like Franck Ribéry in 2006, Alexis Sánchez in 2010 and Keylor Navas in 2014, have gone on to enjoy legendary careers. Others, like Oleg Salenko in 1994, Junichi Inamoto in 2002, and Hirving Lozano in 2018, have fallen short of expectations.

Breakout Stars of 2026

It remains to be seen how the 2026 batch will end up faring, but one thing’s for sure: there are several players who exploded onto the scene in North America this summer.

With the 23rd edition of the tournament now in the rearview mirror, we’re taking a look at the top breakout stars from this World Cup, starting with the goalkeepers and defenders.

GK: Orlando Gill

Even after we eliminate well-known goalkeepers like Diogo Costa, Unai Simón and Yassine Bounou from the equation, there’s still quite a few unknown shot-stoppers like Vozinha, Lionel Mpasi, Ronwen Williams, Zion Suzuki and Mostafa Shoubir who have delivered breakthrough tournaments. However, we’re going to give this one to Orlando Gill.

It hasn’t been an easy ride for Gill, who had to sell his Paraguay jersey from the 2019 South American U-20 Championship along with his other football equipment to help cover medical expenses after his son was born prematurely and required intensive care. Whilst he traded the Paraguayan San Lorenzo for the Argentine version in 2024, he didn’t debut for the Albirroja until 2025.

Tough Start; Strong Finish

After conceding four goals to the United States, many called for him to be dropped for veteran goalkeeper Roberto “Gatito” Fernández. Instead, he held his place and kept 10-man Paraguay in the game against Türkiye, showcasing his brilliant reactions and punching dangerous crosses out of harm’s way en route to a 1-0 win, before delivering a well-positioned display in a 0-0 draw vs. Australia.

Despite being scapegoated by legendary Paraguay goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert, Gill delivered his best-ever performance in the Round of 32. After saving two penalties in a thrilling shootout win vs. Germany, he delivered another Man of the Match display in a 1-0 defeat to France.

All things considered, Gill conceded just one goal — a penalty from Kylian Mbappé — from 5.74 xG in his last four matches, enough to see him as the seventh-best goalkeeper of the tournament per FIFA. And after six months of not getting paid by San Lorenzo, he’ll be finally rolling in the dough this autumn.

RB: Pedro Porro

This was not a great World Cup for right backs, with the likes of Nahuel Molina, Reece James and Jules Koundé falling well below of their standards. However, one right back who delivered a world-class campaign from start to finish was Pedro Porro.

After narrowly avoiding relegation with Tottenham Hotspur, Porro looked set for a backup role in North America, with Marcos Llorente starting over him against Cape Verde and Uruguay. However, Luis de la Fuente brought him back into the fold vs. Austria, and his trust was quickly justified in Los Angeles.

Porro proved instrumental for a Spain side that conceded just one goal across the tournament, forming a superb synergy alongside Lamine Yamal on the right flank. In fact, he ended up outscoring Yamal, doubling the scoring against Austria, before holding his own against Portugal with his cool and composed possession play as well as his resilient defending with 5 tackles (4 won) and 6 clearances.

Shone in Knockouts

After locking down Jérémy Doku and co. en route to a narrow win vs. Belgium, Porro looked set for a tall task vs. France. As a player who has been typecast as a wingback, Porro quickly eliminated those doubts and nullified Kylian Mbappé and Bradley Barcola, balancing his aggressive front-foot tackling with sensible positioning. He didn’t just hold France’s explosive left side entirely at bay, but he also popped up with a decisive second goal to secure their win.

It was more of the same in the final, as Porro helped Spain dictate the tempo and play out from the back under pressure. He provided the perfect mechanical balance for Yamal on the right wing, timing his overlapping bursts perfectly to stretch the opposition’s defensive block horizontally, and underlapping into the half-spaces whenever Yamal held the width. At 26 years of age, Porro has truly emerged as the heir to Dani Carvajal’s throne.

CB: Alex Freeman

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will ultimately go down as a missed opportunity for the United States Men’s National Team. It wasn’t just that they failed to reach their first quarterfinal since 2002, but the fact that every one of their players were in their prime. That is, all but a few players like Chris Brady, Joe Scally, Ricardo Pepi, and Alex Freeman.

Freeman had broken onto the scene in the 2025 Gold Cup as part of a makeshift USMNT team, and he did well enough to retain his place under Mauricio Pochettino and even earn a midseason transfer from Orlando City to Villarreal. Operating as a hybrid between a right back and a right-sided center back, Freeman displayed impressive high-level athleticism and positional flexibility to lock down opposing transition attacks.

Attention-grabbing performances

As the reigning MLS Young Player of the Year, he picked up where he left off by setting the tone for a superb start, as the USMNT demolished Paraguay 4-1 in Los Angeles thanks to an assist from Freeman. The 21-year-old continued to make himself apparent in the final third, scoring a flying diving header vs. Australia to secure their spot in the knockout round.

Going up against Bosnia & Herzegovina in the Round of 32, Freeman was required to be at his best and clean things up in order to allow Sergiño Dest to bomb forward on the right flank. With the US being forced to retreat after Folarin Balogun’s red card, Freeman rose to the occasion with four defensive contributions, four out of six ground duels won, and three recoveries.

Just like every other in a USMNT jersey, he got absolutely annihilated in Seattle against a Belgium side that, for the first time since 2018, decided to wake up and play a world-class match of football. But unlike others like Christian Pulisic and Giovanni Reyna whose value has nosedived this tournament, Freeman’s stock has only gone up, and he looks set to play a leading role in the next World Cup cycle.

CB: Nathan Ngoy

It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish, and nobody knows that better than Nathan Ngoy. One of the sole incognitos on this Belgium side, Ngoy had made just two appearances prior to June and passed his first test with a solid display in the heart of defense alongside Brandon Mechele in a 1-1 draw vs. Egypt.

However, his second match in Los Angeles proved less convincing, as Ngoy mis-hit his back pass and enabled Mehdi Taremi to get the wrong side of him. Despite being far away enough from the goal to be able to sprint and make up the distance, he panicked and dragged him down, with 10-man Belgium drawing 0-0 to Iran.

After missing the New Zealand win and spending the entirety of the Senegal game on the bench, Ngoy was drafted into the starting XI in the Round of 16 against the USA. Having nullified Balogun in each of the previous two Ligue 1 meetings this season, Ngoy continued this trend with a sensational display at the back, making 8 defensive contributions, 5 clearances, and 4 recoveries.

Never gave up

It was more of the same against the eventual champions Spain, with Ngoy helping Belgium ride the storm out and nearly force extra time. He completed 14 defensive contributions, 9 clearances, 3 recoveries, and won 2 out of 3 ground duels, showcasing an impressive sense of reactions and never backing down from a physical battle.

This was the end of the road for manager Rudi Garcia as well as likely a plethora of veterans like Kevin de Bruyne, Axel Witsel, and Hans Vanaken. But as far as Ngoy is concerned, he’s only just getting started, and at 23, he looks set to continue his domineering displays for the Diables Rouges in the years to come.

LB: Djed Spence

Pedro Porro isn’t the only Tottenham fullback who went from escaping relegation to finishing on the podium in the USA. A fringe player going into the competition, Djed Spence edged Lewis Hall, Luke Shaw and Trent Alexander-Arnold to a squad spot before gradually making his way up Thomas Tuchel’s pecking order.

Spence’s ability to play on both flanks proved essential as England lost Valentino Livramento and Reece James to injuries, with Spence going from the bench vs. Croatia to the starting XI vs. Ghana and providing their most electrifying outlet with his superb pace and panache, before dropping to the bench vs. Panama and Mexico.

Having started on the right against DR Congo, Spence then replaced Nico O’Reilly on the left and helped England turn the tide in Miami with a turbocharged display vs. Norway. He added much-needed speed and verticality while also keeping things tight at the back with 7 defensive contributions, 1 shot on target, and 3 out of 4 ground duels won, as England eked out a narrow extra time win.

Whilst he wasn’t able to return England to their first World Cup final in six decades, he nevertheless started their last two matches on the left and helped the achieve the bronze medal. Whether he was timing his last-ditch tackle on Giuliano Simeone to perfection, or buccaneering forward in transition, Spence undoubtedly raised his value in the England camp.

It remains to be seen where he’ll be playing in 2026/27, with Tottenham recently completing a deal for Andrew Robertson on a free transfer. Spence’s breakout campaign has drawn interest from the likes of Inter and Manchester United, and there’s reason to believe that he might very well bank a transfer to a team playing in the UEFA Champions League this season.