World Cup 2026, 100 days to go: 100 staff choose the players they're most excited to watch

With exactly 100 days until the first ball is kicked at World Cup 2026, The Athletic canvassed 100 of its own staffers—editors, writers, producers, designers—to name the one player they are most eager to see this summer. The only ground rule: no copying. Duplicates were discouraged, yet the magnetic pull of certain stars proved irresistible.

Lionel Messi, entering what many expect to be his last global appearance at 39, topped multiple ballots, joined by Brazil’s 18-year-old prodigy Endrick, who also collected more than one vote. Between those generational bookends, the selections read like a travelogue through football’s past, present and future.

Rising talents dominate the list. Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, fresh from 26 goal involvements in 23 Bundesliga matches, will carry French hopes, while Norway’s Erling Haaland finally gets a crack at a major senior tournament. England’s Morgan Gibbs-White and Newcastle’s Dan Burn—both late-bloomers—were celebrated for transformative club seasons, as was Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo, whose Premier League breakout has eclipsed his bit-part role in 2022.

First-time finalists supply some of the romance. Uzbekistan’s 22-year-old defensive leader Abdukodir Khusanov, Cape Verde’s evergreen captain Ryan Mendes and Curacao’s all-time top scorer Jürgen Dijkstra will each introduce their nations to the sport’s biggest stage. Similarly, Canada’s Jonathan David and the United States’ Malik Tillman are viewed as the faces who could turn home-soil support into historic runs.

Veteran endurance stories proved equally compelling. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, already the only man to score at five World Cups, eyes a record sixth and a maiden knockout-stage goal. Croatia’s Luka Modrić, still pulling strings at 40, and Hearts’ 43-year-old goalkeeper Craig Gordon were picked as much for longevity as for enduring craft.

Several selections celebrated redemption arcs. Mexico’s Raúl Jiménez reclaimed talisman status after a life-threatening skull fracture, while Haiti’s Duckens Nazon—who once played in the Homeless World Cup—could become his country’s first World Cup scorer in 52 years. Morocco’s Ayoub El Kaabi, stung by a Panenka miss in the AFCON final, was chosen as a man motivated by recent heartbreak.

Even the benchwarmers charmed voters. France’s Rayan Cherki and Brazil’s Neymar—if fit—were picked for their ability to electrify from the sidelines, while Japan’s Ritsu Doan, architect of shock wins over Germany and Spain in 2022, was lauded for pure entertainment value.

From 5-foot-9 Portuguese ball-winner João Neves—tipped as the next N’Golo Kanté—to 6-foot-3 Portland Timbers defender Keesan Surman, who will duel Mohamed Salah and Belgium’s galaxy of talent, the eclectic roll-call captures why the tournament matters: narratives big and small, local and global, familiar and brand-new, all converging on North American pitches in 100 days’ time.

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