Former Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella ended the 2026 World Cup as a winner, but it was a mixed tournament for the club’s current players. While some played meaningful roles for their countries, others struggled for minutes or failed to make much of an impact.
Enzo Fernández
Enzo Fernández had been enjoying an excellent World Cup right up until the final. He was heavily involved throughout the tournament, only missing Argentina’s final group-stage match against Jordan. He scored the winner against Egypt in the Round of 32 before once again proving decisive in the semi-final, equalising against England with a superb long-range strike.
However, an otherwise strong tournament ended in an inexplicable moment of madness. Already on a yellow card, Fernández flew into a late challenge on Pau Cubarsí after the defender had cleared the ball. It was an obvious second booking (if not a straight red!) and a costly mistake with Argentina already under pressure. Reduced to 10 men, Argentina were pushed even deeper, allowing Spain to score a deserved winner in extra time.
Reece James
Reece James’s World Cup got off to a slightly underwhelming start as he produced an unconvincing display against Croatia, arguably sharing some of the blame for their second goal. Next, he began brightly against Ghana but lost momentum after suffering a heavy challenge from Jordan Ayew. The 26-year-old then missed the next two matches through injury before returning as a second-half substitute against Norway.
Back to full fitness, he returned to the starting line-up against Argentina and delivered a solid performance. Although the Chelsea captain had little opportunity to get forward, he defended well throughout. His tournament ended with a late cameo against France in the goal-laden bronze medal match.
Pedro Neto
Pedro Neto started every game for Portugal, playing 352 minutes across five matches. However, he had little to show for his efforts, finishing the tournament with one assist from 0.55 expected assists and creating just two chances.
Nicolas Jackson
It was a disappointing, goalless World Cup for Nicolas Jackson. He started Senegal’s opening two matches before being dropped for the must-win final group-stage game against Iraq. Jackson had to settle for a substitute role again in the Round of 32 against Belgium, giving him a close look as the Red Devils produced an incredible comeback from 2-0 down.
Malo Gusto
With Jules Koundé firmly established as France’s first-choice right-back, Gusto’s minutes were always likely to be limited, and that proved to be the case. He made brief substitute appearances against Iraq, Norway, Sweden and Morocco, totalling around half an hour on the pitch.
He was handed a first start against England in the bronze medal match but endured a difficult time in an unusually shaky French defence. The 23-year-old was dribbled past three times and conceded the penalty after fouling Djed Spence.
Jorrel Hato
It was a quiet World Cup for Jorrel Hato, who only came onto the pitch just before the period of extra time against Morocco. Introduced at left-back, he touched the ball just 12 times in a cagey contest. Despite the penalty shootout defeat, making his World Cup debut for the Netherlands was still a memorable milestone.
Moisés Caicedo
Ecuador were tipped to be one of the tournament’s dark horses, largely because of the quality of players such as Caicedo. Despite the pre-tournament optimism, they struggled in attack, scoring just twice in four matches before exiting with a 2-0 defeat to Mexico in the Round of 16.
While the campaign was disappointing for Ecuador, Caicedo can take pride in his own performances. He was heavily involved throughout and ranked among the tournament’s best central midfielders for chance creation on a per-90 basis.
Kendry Páez
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Páez was expected to be regularly deployed this World Cup after appearing in both of Ecuador’s pre-tournament friendlies, but he managed just 11 minutes at the finals. He came on late against Mexico and produced a promising cameo, but Ecuador’s elimination meant there were no further opportunities to impress.
Trevoh Chalobah
Chalobah received a late call-up after Tino Livramento’s tournament ended early through injury. It was viewed as a slightly surprising replacement, with England already well stocked at centre-back. Subsequently, his only action came as a 92nd-minute substitute against France. In the brief time he was on the pitch, he was outfoxed by Ousmane Dembele, who cut inside before France scored their fourth goal.
Marc Cucurella
The Spanish left-back may no longer be a Chelsea player, but he started the tournament at Stamford Bridge, so it seems only fair to include him. News of his £52 million move broke on 14 June, the day before Spain’s opening match against Cape Verde. The fee already looks like excellent value given his outstanding displays throughout the tournament, helping Spain lift their second World Cup title.
Did Not Play
Although former Chelsea stopper Thibaut Courtois suffered an injury during Belgium’s knockout defeat to Spain, the Blues’ Mike Penders did not make his World Cup debut, with Senne Lammens replacing the Real Madrid goalkeeper instead. Mamadou Sarr, of Senegal, also watched the entire tournament from the bench without playing a single minute.