France's Kylian Mbappé, left, and Argentina's Lionel Messi are World Cup champions who possess mesmerizing skill.FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images
Twenty years ago, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were probably the two most recognized athletes on earth. Ten years ago, they definitely were. Now, though they’ve both eased off into the minor leagues, they still are.
The two are part of a genre of sports celebrity unmatched in history, amplified by their never-spoken-about rivalry, and polished to perfect clarity by their completely opposite personalities. You never want to say never, but will there ever be a pair like this again? Never.
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You’d say this World Cup was the end for Messi, 38, and Ronaldo, 41, but who knows? If their teams in Argentina and Portugal could attach robot legs to a head in a jar, these two would play forever.
However, for the first time in decades, there is the possibility that some other star could emerge ascendant from this tournament. It could be someone fairly established. It could be someone brand new, like both Messi and Ronaldo were when they debuted at Germany 2006.
Here are a few possibilities to watch.
Erling Haaland scores at a relentless rate for Norway and his Premier League club, Manchester City.NTB/Reuters
Erling Haaland, Norway
Haaland, the 25-year-old son of a former pro, has been on the world’s radar since he was in grade school. He is the rare player who overdelivered on his tween promise. He’s got a few things going for him – he scores goals, he’s physically striking and he speaks so rarely that he’s unlikely to be on the record saying anything stupid.
Unfortunately, he plays for football minnow Norway. If Haaland ever wants to get to the Messi/Ronaldo level, he’s going to have to do it on his own. Just Fontaine once scored 13 goals in a single World Cup. Could Haaland do something similar in four or five matches? It’s possible. Of all the players here, he is the most like Ronaldo.
Kylian Mbappé, France
For years now, everybody has wanted the 27-year-old Real Madrid star, captain of the French national team, to be the successor to Messi and Ronaldo, but he is stuck somewhere between the two. Not quite out there like Ronaldo, but not shy and lovable like Messi. The fact that he keeps grumbling his way out of pro clubs doesn’t help.
However, another final like the one he had in 2022 – three goals and a shootout penalty in a come-from-behind loss – and Mbappé’s case for being one of the greatest World Cup participants ever, as well as the game’s pre-eminent star, will be stronger. Even more so if France wins.
Vinícius Júnior, Brazil
Brazil’s team has a special responsibility at every World Cup. First, they should win. Second, they should present a player who will change the game. They’ve been remarkably consistent at the second thing – Pelé, the other Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Neymar – but less so recently at the first.
Vinícius is their most established current star. Alongside Mbappé, the 25-year-old is the engine that powers Real Madrid. If he restores his nation to the top rank of World Cup powers, his celebrity might outstrip his more famous French teammate.
Jude Bellingham, right, seen celebrating an England win at Euro 2024 with Trent Alexander-Arnold, is a world-class dribbler and playmaker.Darko Vojinovic/The Associated Press
Jude Bellingham, England
The most German player England have ever fielded. A metronomic midfield force with movie-star looks and an on-field affect so flat you could play pool on it. Unfortunately for Bellingham, he is one of those players who is so dependable that everyone has already started to take him for granted. There’s just so little flash to him.
However, he’s still very young – 22. Were he to lead England to a win in North America, he’s David Beckham, but less needy and more reliable.
Lamine Yamal, Spain
Yamal is the most electric presence on this list. At 16, he showed up at the 2024 European championship and assumed control of the eventual winners, Spain.
The next couple of years were a bit of a mixed bag as Yamal, 18, adapted to sudden-onset international celebrity. But a great World Cup with everybody’s pre-tournament favourites puts him right back on top of the charts. Of all the players here, he is the most like Messi.
Lennart Karl, Germany
Most top footballing nations bring stars to the World Cup. The Germans have a knack for bringing the World Cup to its stars. Players like Miroslav Klose – the top goal scorer in World Cup history – have made this tournament their playground.
Germany’s current next big thing is Karl. The 18-year-old is just finishing his rookie season at Bayern Munich. Germany hasn’t advanced out of the World Cup group stage in 12 years – an unimaginable drought for them. If Karl can score, sky’s the limit for his reputation.
Endrick, Brazil's next budding superstar, is making his World Cup debut in North America.Ricardo Moraes/Reuters
Endrick, Brazil
No World Cup is complete without a new Brazilian with a great mononym. Endrick, 19, is no Hulk or Fred in the name category, but he’s got more potential than either of those players.
What makes Endrick intriguing is his choppy road to the top. At one point, he lived in an orphanage. At 16, he agreed to sign with Real Madrid. Six months ago, Madrid shipped him off to Lyon in France, where he thrived. He comes into the World Cup on a tear. After getting a bit of a scare, wouldn’t it be just like a teenager to surprise you with how much they’ve changed?
Pau Cubarsí, Spain
Italy used to be the world’s foremost producer of leg-breaking, box-to-box defenders. Now it’s Spain. Cubarsí is the latest to come off the Barcelona line – 6 feet tall, body of a 19-year-old, brain of a 40-year-old.
In recent years, it’s become en vogue to praise defensive types as the real stars of the game. One of Cubarsí’s teammates, midfielder Rodri, was a couple of votes from being FIFA Player of the Year a couple of seasons ago. Cubarsí has the physical charisma to turn that trend into a fashion. His biggest obstacle is that everyone he lines up with has the same dreams of superstardom.
Gilberto Mora, Mexico
The 17-year-old midfield organizer is most often compared to Cuauhtémoc Blanco, the great Mexican footballer known for his capacity for stillness. Whereas Blanco seemed to have been born in the body of a middle-aged man, Mora is a live wire of energy.
It’s one thing to name someone of high-school age to a World Cup squad. It’s another to play them. And it’s a third thing entirely to play them at home in Mexico. Given Mora’s age and the stage, it’s possible no player at the tournament would be under greater pressure. But in that pressure, there’s also the opportunity to become a global superstar, overnight.
Ousmane Dembélé, France
The quietest winner of the FIFA Best Men’s Player Award in a long time. Dembélé was a highly touted bust in Spain, but has become the point of the spear back at home with the world’s most complete pro team, Paris Saint-Germain.
He’s too old (29) to be anyone’s hot young thing, but there’s a world in which Dembélé comes to America and changes everyone’s mind for good. That would require outplaying his more famous teammate, Mbappé (as well as the other stars in the French lineup). If that happens: Dembélé would be the player of the tournament, and France would win it walking away.
Ask us your questions about the World Cup
FIFA frenzy is taking hold, and on Tuesday, June 9 at 1 p.m. ET, our soccer experts are answering your questions about the 2026 men’s tournament. From Canada’s chances at a deep run to new rules and the politics of co-hosting with the U.S. and Mexico, submit your questions in the form below or send an e-mail to audience@globeandmail.com with “World Cup question” in the subject line.