FOX Sports dropped their ranking of the top 100 players at the 2026 World Cup, and it's already causing chaos. Lamine Yamal is #1. Messi is #16. Ronaldo is #40. Phil Foden — who didn't even make England's squad — somehow made the list.

The Top 10: A Changing of the Guard

Rank	Player	Country
1	Lamine Yamal	🇪🇸 Spain
2	Kylian Mbappé	🇫🇷 France
3	Harry Kane	🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England
4	Ousmane Dembélé	🇫🇷 France
5	Michael Olise	🇫🇷 France
6	Erling Haaland	🇳🇴 Norway
7	Vinícius Jr.	🇧🇷 Brazil
8	Achraf Hakimi	🇲🇦 Morocco
9	Vitinha	🇵🇹 Portugal
10	Pedri	🇪🇸 Spain

An 18-year-old at #1. Three French players in the top five. No Messi. No Ronaldo. No Modrić. This isn't just a ranking — it's a statement that the old guard's era is over.

FOX Sports World Cup 2026 top 100 players ranking

Messi at #16 and Ronaldo at #40 — FOX knows controversy drives clicks.

The Messi and Ronaldo Problem

Lionel Messi: #16. Behind Álvarez, Bruno Fernandes, and Raphinha.
Cristiano Ronaldo: #40. Behind Cole Palmer (who didn't even make the squad), Leroy Sané, and Jérémy Doku.

Look, is Messi still the best player in the world at 38? Probably not. But #16 feels like rage-bait. Ronaldo at #40 — behind Palmer, who Tuchel cut from the actual squad — is even harder to justify.

The "Wait, They're Not Actually Playing?" Section

Player	Rank	Problem
Phil Foden	91	Not in England's squad. Tuchel cut him.
Fermín López	60	Injured. Won't play.
João Pedro	68	Not in Brazil's squad. Ancelotti left him out.
Jeremie Frimpong	83	Not in Netherlands' squad.
Kaoru Mitoma	94	Injured. Out of the tournament.

Five ranked players won't even step on the pitch. That suggests Fox compiled this before the final squad announcements.

Top 20 National Representation (FOX)

Spain: 3 (Yamal, Pedri, Rodri)
France: 4 (Mbappé, Dembélé, Olise, Tchouaméni)
England: 3 (Kane, Bellingham, Rice)
Portugal: 2 (Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes)

The Actual Story: Europe's Elite Are Running Away With This

South America has Argentina with Messi, Álvarez, and Lautaro — plus Brazil's Vinícius and Raphinha. Africa gets Hakimi (Morocco). Asia? Son Heung-min at #81 is the highest-ranked Asian player.

The Bottom Line

Fox's list is part data, part vibes, part engagement farming. But the underlying trend — an 18-year-old and a 27-year-old at the top, with the legends fading down the list — isn't wrong.

Rank them however you want. The pitch decides.

Key Takeaways

The Top 10: A Changing of the Guard

The Messi and Ronaldo Problem

The "Wait, They're Not Actually Playing?" Section

Top 20 National Representation (FOX)

The Actual Story: Europe's Elite Are Running Away With This

The Bottom Line

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is FOX's #1 player at World Cup 2026?

Where did Messi and Ronaldo rank in FOX's World Cup top 100?

Which players on FOX's list won't play at the World Cup?

Is FOX's World Cup player ranking reliable?

messi world cup ranking

FOX Just Ranked the World Cup's 100 Best Players. Messi at #16? Ronaldo at #40?