The 10 essential stars of the Relay World Cup

BarcelonaFrom the young Lamine Yamal and Pedri González, main hopes of the Spanish team, to legendary veterans like Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Luka Modrić, still references for Argentina, Portugal, and Croatia, respectively. Few World Cups in history have had such a wide spectrum in terms of the age of the stars who will be part of it. The World Cup starting this June 11 will be the longest to date (48 teams), and also one of the most fiercely contested. Will the albiceleste" repeat the ecstasy of 2022? Will France be as superior as its starting lineup suggests? Will Brazil once again be a feared opponent by everyone? What will be the surprise team? All these predictions will depend on the role of the ten essential footballers in a tournament that will shake the planet for five exciting weeks.

Lamine Yamal Nasraoui

Spain

There is no footballer in the world with the magnetism of Lamine Yamal. A shining star for Barça at just 18 years old, he will turn 19 just six days before the World Cup final, a tournament he dreams of playing in. The forward from Rocafonda, in Mataró, who in the 2022 World Cup celebrated Spain's elimination in the round of 16 against Morocco, the country of origin of his paternal family, now arrives at the tournament as the main hope for Luis de la Fuente's team, the reigning European champions. Now recovered from the muscle injury that kept him out of the final stretch of the season with Barça, Lamine Yamal will play his first World Championship with all eyes on him, a sustained level of excellence (24 goals and 18 assists in 45 appearances this season) and unusual maturity for such a young player.

Leo Messi

Argentina

This World Cup will be the staging of the greatest generational shift that the history of football has experienced. The United States, Mexico, and Canada will witness the last championship of the player who has been defined as the best footballer of all time: Leo Messi. Having just turned 39, the Argentine star will defend the title won in 2022 in Qatar, the cherry on top of his brilliant career, with an albiceleste squad that features eight new players compared to four years ago. Sheltered in a minor tournament like Major League Soccer, the former Barcelona player has extended his career with spectacular numbers (90 goals and 51 assists in 104 matches with Inter Miami). He has accessed to play his sixth World Cup not to be able to talk about it, but to be decisive on the pitch. He doesn't know how to do it any other way.

Harry Kane

England

Among the veterans in full form in this championship, Harry Kane (32 years old) stands out from the rest. There is no striker on the planet with more virtues. As capable of threatening the opponent's area with his imposing physique as of organizing attacks thanks to a privileged vision of the game, the Bayern Munich forward will be the undisputed leader of an English team that will bear the mark of the German Thomas Tuchel after almost a decade with Gareth Southgate on the bench. Kane is the all-time top scorer for The Three Lions (78 goals) and also the top scorer this season in the four European leagues. He has scored 61 goals in 51 official matches, an incredible feat that, until now, in contemporary football had only been within reach of the best versions of Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Robert Lewandowski.

Pedri González

Spain

Despite his young age (23 years), Pedro González López, Pedri, will play his fourth major tournament with the Spanish senior national team. The Canary Islander is a regular in La Roja's call-ups since Ronald Koeman handed him the reins of Barça when he was still a teenager. Muscle injuries are the only aspect to correct for a complete midfielder who plays like a veteran since his debut and who gathers the best attributes of legends he has looked up to. He moves his teammates with the mastery of Xavi Hernández, approaches the area with the determination and class of Andrés Iniesta, and tackles and presses with the knowledge of Sergio Busquets. Pedri, who arrives at the World Cup with 42 appearances and 12 assists this season, makes his presence felt when he is on the field, but especially when he is not. And only great footballers can say that.

Erling Haaland

Norway

Playing for a non-top team has meant that Erling Haaland is playing his first World Cup at almost 26 years old. The tournament arrives at a strategic moment in the career of the Manchester City striker, who faces a future without Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium from this summer. Despite a slight dip in his performance in the last two seasons, he finished the last Premier League as top scorer (27 goals in 35 games) and remains one of the most decisive forwards in the world. He shoots with both feet, intimidates defenders with almost two meters of height, and is a threat in space thanks to tremendous power in open play. Escorted by two good players like Alexander Sørloth and Martin Ødegaard, Haaland aims to make Norway, drawn in a very tough group with France and Senegal, one of the revelations of the championship.

Kylian Mbappé

France

Two finals (one of which won) in two World Cup participations. This is the record that Kylian Mbappé (27 years old) shares with Ousmane Dembélé and Lucas Hernández, also survivors of the World Cup-winning France team in 2018 in Russia. But the Madrid forward also adds the status of top scorer in the 2022 World Cup thanks to the hat-trick he scored in the historic final against Messi's Argentina, which was won on penalties. It can therefore be concluded that Mbappé has been the most decisive footballer in the last two editions, the benchmark of a team that will also be a candidate for victory in 2026. The French attacker, who has seen PSG win two Champions Leagues without him, will arrive at the tournament eager to prove himself after another blank season at Madrid in which he has been more in the news for controversies than for his goals (25, top scorer in the League).

Florian Wirtz

Germany

Another star seeking a certain redemption is Florian Wirtz (23). His transfer last summer from Leverkusen to Liverpool generated 150 million, the highest figure paid to date for a footballer in the Premier League. However, this talented attacking midfielder has capped a rather discreet first season at Anfield. Despite his seven goals and nine assists, the team he plays for has finished 25 points behind the league champion (Arsenal) and was swept out of the Champions League by PSG and the FA Cup by City. Wirtz is the most decisive player in a German national team that presents itself at the World Cup with the obligation to improve on its dismal performance in the Qatar edition. With Manuel Neuer (40 years old) urgently recalled for the goalkeeping position and without a proven goalscorer, Julian Nagelsmann's side will cross the Atlantic disguised in sheep's clothing. That alone already makes them an even more formidable opponent.

Vinícius Júnior

Brazil

Another one arriving at the championship eager to shut mouths is Vinícius (25), who has ended another disappointing season whistled at the Bernabéu. The controversial Real Madrid winger will be under the orders of the coach who has understood him best, Carlo Ancelotti, to re-establish the Brazilian national team among the best on the planet. The canarinha not only hasn't won a World Cup since 2002, but has only played one semifinal in the last five editions. Besides Vinícius, the five-time world champion will have stars in their prime like Barça's Raphinha and a top-tier central defensive pairing (Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhães) to try and get closer to glory and stop being fodder for memory for the Argentinians. The lyrics of the Brazil, tell me how it feels, continue to make sense twelve years after its debut.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal

After the Scottish goalkeeper Craig Gordon (43 years old), Cristiano Ronaldo (41) will be the oldest participant in the tournament. The Portuguese star, who continues to play and score goals (129 in 148 matches) for Saudi Al-Nassr, will reach six editions. Only he and Messi can boast of having been World Cup participants for two decades, with the added bonus that neither of them is competing in the event to stroll, but rather to compete at the highest level. In Cristiano's case, he will be the new starter of a powerful Portuguese team led by a Catalan (Robert Martínez) and featuring top-tier footballers like Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, or Rafael Leão. From the same generation as CR7 is Luka Modrić, who after a notable season at Milan (35 matches, 2 goals) will once again be the cornerstone of the always competitive Croatia at almost 41 years old.

Luis Díaz

Colombia

In an increasingly Eurocentric football, the World Cups become ideal platforms for fans from talent-exporting countries like Colombia to cheer for their players. The example of the coffee-growing team is clear: only one of the 26 selected players plays in the country's league. Among the other 25 team members, Luis Díaz stands out, who in just one season has justified Bayern Munich signing him for 70 million just last summer. In the Bundesliga, the winger from Barrancas has scored 15 goals and provided 17 assists, and in the Champions League, he scored a beautiful goal in a historic semi-final against PSG. A few months before turning 30, Díaz will be one of the stars of the championship despite being part of a team that will hardly go far in the knockout stages.