FIFA has announced the ideal lineup of the best 11 players for the 2026 World Cup, which was held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

Spain won the title for the second time in its history, after defeating Argentina 1-0 in an exciting final last Sunday.

Midfield: Spanish dominance

The ideal lineup, according to a public vote, included three players from the champion Spanish team: full-backs Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro, as well as midfielder Rodri, the team captain who won the Best Player award. Joining Rodri in midfield were Frenchman Michael Olise, who had the most assists in the tournament with 7, and Englishman Jude Bellingham, who scored 7 goals during England's run to the bronze medal.

Defense: European duo

The center-back pairing consisted of Frenchman Dayot Upamecano of Bayern Munich and Argentine Lisandro Martínez of Manchester United.

Goalkeeping: African surprise

Vozinha, captain of Cape Verde, took the goalkeeper spot in the ideal lineup after a standout performance that impressed fans and helped his team reach the knockout stages in its first World Cup appearance, before exiting with a tough 3-2 extra-time loss to Argentina.

Attack: Goal trio

The attack was led by Argentine captain Lionel Messi with 8 goals, and Erling Haaland who scored 7 goals before his team's quarterfinal exit with a loss to France. Completing the attacking trio was French captain Kylian Mbappé, who won the Golden Boot for the second consecutive time with 10 goals, raising his World Cup career tally to 22 goals, one ahead of Messi at the top of the all-time scoring list.