(CNN) – A number of players shone in the 2026 World Cup and surprised many with their outstanding performances, as not much was expected of them before the tournament. So who were the most prominent players who surprised the world in the World Cup?

Vozinha

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha shone in the World Cup and led his country to the Round of 32 in their first ever World Cup appearance.

The Cape Verde goalkeeper made 18 saves in the tournament, ranking eighth among the goalkeepers with the most saves in the World Cup.

He particularly excelled in the matches against Spain in the group stage and Argentina in the Round of 32.

Orlando Gill

Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill shone and was the goalkeeper with the most saves in the tournament with 28 saves.

Gill delivered unforgettable performances in the current World Cup, especially in the matches against Germany and France.

Mostafa Shobeir

Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir delivered a historic tournament after leading the Pharaohs to the Round of 16 for the first time in their history, and Shobeir was a key reason for Egypt's advancement to this stage.

Even in the match where Egypt bid farewell to the tournament, Shobeir managed to save a penalty from Argentine legend Lionel Messi.

Shobeir saved 14 balls during the tournament, making him one of the biggest pleasant surprises of the tournament.

Manzambi

Swiss player Yohan Manzambi shone, scoring 3 goals and providing 2 assists, and stole the spotlight significantly in this tournament.

Manzambi contributed to his country's advancement to the quarter-finals of the World Cup before they were eliminated by Argentina in the match he missed due to injury.

Julián Quiñones

Mexican striker and this season's top scorer in the Saudi League shone with his national team, scoring 4 goals and providing another.

Quiñones scored the first goal of the current World Cup edition when he scored his first goal against South Africa in the opening match at the Azteca Stadium.

The Colombian-origin striker led Mexico to the Round of 16 before they lost to England in a dramatic match.

Pau Cubarsí

The 19-year-old Spanish defender shone and led La Roja to win the second title in their World Cup history.

Many consider Cubarsí the best defender in this tournament, not only for his outstanding defensive roles but also for his attacking contributions.

Cubarsí ranks second among tournament players in number of passes with 690 passes, behind Rodri, and a pass accuracy of 97%. Some may attribute this number to Spain's extended possession and low-risk passes, but the truth is also that Cubarsí was one of the important weapons in De la Fuente's squad with his ability to play breaking passes from the back to the front.

Other names

The list may also include many other names such as Moroccan Ayoub Bouaddi, Egyptian Mostafa Ziko, Ivorian Yan Diomande, and others.