Golden Boy winners playing at the 2026 World Cup
Now that the 2026 World Cup starts tomorrow, several former Golden Boy winners are part of their respective national teams. Some come into the tournament as obvious star names, while others are more important squad players or even jokers. Argentina are the reigning world champions, and fortunately we get to see 2005 Golden Boy winner Lionel Messi one (probably) final time at a World Cup.
Here we list all nine former winners who will take part in this World Cup, in the order in which they won the award. It should be mentioned that there probably should have been ten players here, but 2018 winner Matthijs de Ligt, from the Netherlands, unfortunately cannot take part after recently undergoing back surgery and not being fit to play.
Lionel Messi, Argentina - Golden Boy winner 2005
Lionel Messi is the oldest Golden Boy winner at the 2026 World Cup. Argentina have named him in their 26-man squad, and everything suggests that this will be his final World Cup. There are some question marks over his physical condition, as he has had problems with muscle fatigue and discomfort in his left thigh, but he is in the squad and remains Argentina's biggest symbol.
From a sporting perspective, the question is not whether Messi can still decide matches, but how often Argentina can get him into the right positions. He is no longer the same player who could carry an entire attack with bursts from midfield, but his passing, set pieces and ability to control the rhythm of the game still make him unique. Argentina also still have plenty of tournament experience left from Qatar 2022, which means they should be seen as a team with the capacity to go far again. If Messi is fit when the knockout rounds begin, his final World Cup could very well become another major chapter in his career.
Kylian Mbappé, France - Golden Boy winner 2017
France are one of the most star-studded teams in the tournament, but Kylian Mbappé is the most obvious star in the side, and perhaps even among all former Golden Boy winners in the tournament. In the two World Cups Mbappé has played, he has performed at an extremely high level, even by his own standards. He won the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup with eight goals and also scored four in 2018, including a goal in the 2018 final and even a hat-trick in the 2022 final.
For France, much will be about making use of the quality around him. France have a whole array of attacking stars who give Didier Deschamps several options up front, but Mbappé is still the player opponents primarily have to keep an eye on.
France are one of the clearest title candidates in the tournament, and Mbappé is also a strong contender for both the Golden Boot and the award for the tournament's best player. If he gets off to a good start in the group stage, he could quickly become the main figure of the entire World Cup. It is also not impossible that, after this tournament, he could stand as the top scorer in World Cup history, a record currently held by Germany's Miroslav Klose with 16 goals.
João Félix, Portugal - Golden Boy winner 2019
João Félix has been named in Portugal's World Cup squad and comes into the tournament as one of several attacking options around Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal also have players such as Rafael Leão, Gonçalo Ramos, Pedro Neto, Francisco Conceição and Francisco Trincão in the squad, which makes competition for starting places tough, and it is not obvious that Félix will get much playing time.
Félix's career has not quite followed the straight path many expected when he won the Golden Boy Award in 2019. His technical quality is still high, but he has often been difficult to fit into a team structure, and he lacks the real killer instinct that the very best forwards have. But with Portugal, that may paradoxically suit him quite well. He does not need to carry the whole team, but can be used as a creative link, a substitute or a freer attacking player depending on the match situation.
Portugal are one of the teams with the capacity to go really far, but Félix's personal tournament may be decided by how much trust Roberto Martínez gives him. If he gets minutes in the right matches, he could become one of Portugal's more interesting jokers.
Erling Haaland, Norway - Golden Boy winner 2020
Erling Haaland finally gets to play his first World Cup. Norway are back in the tournament for the first time since 1998, and the team is now led by a striker regarded as one of the most feared goalscorers in the world. He had a very strong qualifying campaign with 16 goals in eight matches, including five goals and two assists in the 11-1 win against Moldova, and he also comes off a season in which he won the Premier League Golden Boot again with 27 goals.
Norway's chances depend a great deal on how well the team can give Haaland the kind of support he is used to receiving at Manchester City. Martin Ødegaard's physical condition is important; without him, Norway risk becoming more dependent on counter-attacks and crosses. The group is also tough, with France, Senegal and Iraq as opponents. At the same time, Haaland is exactly the type of player who can win matches almost on his own.
Norway are hardly title favourites, but with Haaland on the pitch there is always the possibility that they can progress, and they could then become an unpleasant team to face in the knockout stage.
Pedri, Spain - Golden Boy winner 2021
Pedri has been named in Spain's World Cup squad and is one of several Barcelona players in Luis de la Fuente's team. Spain have a very strong midfield, probably the best at the World Cup, with Rodri, Fabián Ruiz, Mikel Merino, Martín Zubimendi, Gavi and Pedri himself.
Pedri's importance to Spain is not always about goals or assists, but rather about how he helps them control matches. When he is in form, he can find spaces between the lines, play his way out of pressure and give the team the rhythm often required to dominate tournament matches.
Spain enter the World Cup as one of the teams with the greatest chance of going all the way, especially because they have a good balance between young stars and more established players. For Pedri personally, the tournament could be a chance to cement his status as one of the world's best midfielders.
Gavi, Spain - Golden Boy winner 2022
The already mentioned Gavi is also in Spain's squad, making Spain the national team with the most former Golden Boy winners at the 2026 World Cup, and we will soon get to the third. His selection is especially interesting because he has had injury problems, but if he finds his form he is an important complementary player for Spain.
Gavi's role differs from Pedri's. While Pedri often provides control and timing, Gavi is more intense, aggressive and emotional in his play, and this could be exactly what Spain need in matches where the tempo rises and opponents focus on disrupting their game and minimising their possession. He may not be guaranteed to start every match, but his usefulness is great. He can come on and change the match with pressing, duels and energy, and Gavi could become especially important in matches where the game develops into more fight and less elegance.
Jude Bellingham, England - Golden Boy winner 2023
Jude Bellingham has been named in Thomas Tuchel's 26-man England squad and has also been given the number 10 shirt, which perhaps says something about the role he is expected to have. We all remember when he arrived at Real Madrid three seasons ago and dominated in a big way. There and then, he was one of the biggest names in world football, but he has not performed nearly as well in the last two seasons at club level, and his status has taken a small hit.
Bellingham still comes to the World Cup as one of England's biggest profiles. His strength, when everything clicks for him, is that he can influence matches in several ways: as a goal threat, ball-winner, playmaker and leader. England have long had plenty of individual quality but have not always managed to make everything come together in decisive matches. With Tuchel as head coach, however, Bellingham may get a clearer tactical framework than before.
England definitely have the capacity to win the World Cup, but for that to happen, Bellingham needs to perform at a level similar to his first Real Madrid season.
Lamine Yamal, Spain - Golden Boy winner 2024
Lamine Yamal is, of course, a nailed-on selection in Spain's World Cup squad and is one of the tournament's most talked-about players. When Spain won the European Championship two years earlier, Yamal was one of their most important attacking players, despite being only 16 when the tournament began, and he is expected to have a central role this time as well.
It is easy to forget how young Yamal still is, because he already plays with the assurance of a much older star. His left foot, dribbling and decision-making in the final third make him one of Spain's main threats against low defensive blocks. At the same time, there is a small injury question mark ahead of the start of the tournament, as he has been dealing with injury problems and is still not quite in full form. But Spain have enough depth not to overburden him, and if he is allowed to slowly grow into the tournament and find his form, he alone could be the difference between a good Spanish World Cup and a historic one ending with the trophy.
Désiré Doué, France - Golden Boy winner 2025
Désiré Doué is the most recent Golden Boy winner and is, not unexpectedly, in France's World Cup squad. France's attack is extremely competitive, however, and Doué is competing for playing time with players such as Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, Marcus Thuram and Bradley Barcola, just to name a few.
For Doué, the World Cup will probably not be a tournament where he is expected to carry France from the start, but that does not make him uninteresting. On the contrary, this could suit him perfectly, as he can become a decisive joker in a squad where Deschamps has many different attacking types to choose from. What speaks in Doué's favour is that he can play in several attacking roles and has the kind of technique and movement that can create problems against tired defences.
France are one of the clearest favourites in the tournament, but Doué's personal World Cup will probably mainly be about making the most of the minutes he gets. If he does that, he could quickly go from a major talent to an established international profile and match-winner.