FIFA World Cup 2026 Team of Matchday 1 ft. Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi & Yan Diomande

A total of 24 games were played on Matchday 1 of the FIFA World Cup.

Matchday 1 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 has finally come to an end. A total of 24 games were played in a span of more than a week, and every match was full of excitement.

Several moments were worth going down in the history books, while multiple reactionary groups made a name for themselves, too.

MD 1 was full of performances that could make it into the best XI; however, that’s where the subjectivity comes in. Thus, without any further ado, let’s take a look at the top best-playing XI of Matchday 1.

Team of Matchday 1 of FIFA World Cup 2026 (4-4-2)

Vozinha: Goalkeeper

Vozinha has become a sensation following his performance against Spain in Matchday 1. The 40-year-old put up a spectacle by making 7 saves and holding the European champions to a goalless draw. Vozinha scored Cape Verde’s first-ever point in the World Cup in their maiden game.

Antonee Robinson: Left-back

Antonee Robinson’s high work rate was the reason behind the USA’s exceptional 4-1 triumph over Paraguay. He completed five successful dribbles, created a chance and was involved in 55 open-play sequences in total.

Harry Souttar: Centre-back

Australia’s 2-0 win over Türkiye gave the Socceroos the much-needed confidence. Harry Souttar had a key role to play in the triumph from the backline. The Leicester City defender was the only player in Australia’s line-up from the last edition as Tony Popovic decided to field a team with 10 World Cup debutants. Against Türkiye, he won three of his four aerial duels and three of his four ground duels and tallied 13 clearances.

Also Read: Top 13 international goalscorers of all time; Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Sunil Chhetri & more

Pico: Centre-back

After Vozinha, Roberto Pico Lopez was Cape Verde’s star of the match. The 34-year-old maintained composure throughout the game while La Roja were making chances in desperation to break the deadlock. Pico made 11 clearances against Luis de la Fuente’s side and sent a statement to the teams he will face in the remaining game with his disciplined defensive prowess.

Amir Murillo: Right-back

Although Panama went down fighting against Ghana in a 1-0 defeat, Amir Murillo did not miss the opportunity to impress. On matchday 1, he was one of the three defenders to create at least three chances from open play. On one occasion, Cecilio Waterman came close to opening the scoreline, but unfortunately, that did not happen.

Yasin Ayari: Left midfielder

While Viktor Gyökeres’s and Alexander Isak’s performances were lauded during Sweden’s 5-1 win over Tunisia, Yasin Ayari slyly took the best performer title. Ayari scored twice from outside the box and primarily played at the left flank while also making five recoveries.

Ayyoub Bouaddi: Central midfielder

Despite Morocco’s 1-1 draw against Brazil being called a boring game, Ayyoub Bouaddi’s performance cannot be overlooked. The LOSC Lille midfielder was everywhere on the field, and the only two players who had more passes than him in the game were the two Brazilian centre-backs. Bouaddi’s passing accuracy was 90.7 per cent, while he became only the second youngest player to complete 50+ in a World Cup match since at least 1966.

Caleb Yirenkyi: Central midfielder

Ghana’s Caleb Yirenkyi is the key reason behind their narrow 1-0 win over Panama in their opening game. Yirenkyi completed three dribbles, scored the deciding goal, and maintained the passing accuracy of 97 per cent, while also making five defensive contributions. The 20-year-old’s work rate was high throughout the game as he helped the side in both departments, offence and defence.

Yan Diomande: Right midfielder

Yan Diomande was the Ivory Coast’s top performer in their opening game against Ecuador. Playing as a right midfielder, he had 12 touches in the opposition box, and he also scored five chances, the most by any player in the match. Diomande also made significant contributions in the defence, making five recoveries, two interceptions and winning 11 ground duels.

Kylian Mbappe: Striker

Kylian Mbappe continued his tradition of scoring in the first game of every World Cup competition he plays in. It started in 2018, when he scored against Peru in his World Cup debut. In 2022, he scored against Australia, and in the ongoing campaign, he netted a brace against Senegal. The Real Madrid attacker also had the most touches in the opposition box, as he took four shots, all on target.

Lionel Messi: Striker

Lionel Messi scored his maiden World Cup hat-trick in Argentina’s opening game of the 2026 edition. The Argentine attacker took four shots on target, maintained 81 per cent passing accuracy, and created two chances. With a spectacular hat-trick, the 38-year-old has tied Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of most goals in the World Cup, 16.

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