Are there any Arabs among them? The worst 11 players at the World Cup who fell short of expectations | Goal.com

Published on 26 Jul 2026 | Reading time: 2 minutes

A week on from the end of the 23rd World Cup, won by Spain for the second time in their history, the echoes still ring out across the global sporting community.

The competition packed 104 matches into 39 days. World stars shone and cemented their standing, none more so than Argentina's Lionel Messi, England's Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, and France's Kylian Mbappé.

Yet the tournament had another side. Several big names simply failed to deliver.

American network ESPN captured it by naming an entire XI of what they called "the biggest flops".

Uruguay's Fernando Muslera topped the list. Three costly errors led to goals and sent his side crashing out early.

Defence brought more misery. Germany's Joshua Kimmich paid a heavy price for being played out of position, the Netherlands' Virgil van Dijk carried the can for his team conceding five times and missed a decisive penalty in the shoot-out against Morocco.

England's Marc Guéhi looked sluggish in the semi-final. His compatriot Nico O'Reilly flopped too, gifting the opposition a gap that Messi pounced on to create two goals.

Midfield offered little comfort. Uruguay's Federico Valverde disappointed, Scotland's Scott McTominay fell short of expectations despite his pivotal role in qualification, and Portugal's Bruno Fernandes never transferred his brilliance to the big stage, managing just a single assist.

Up front, American Christian Pulisic never recovered his level after an early injury, while Germany's Florian Wirtz became one of the most "overrated" players on show.

ESPN saved their harshest words for Brazil's Neymar. They questioned the point of his presence, pointing out he played only 37 minutes, and branded his selection "wrong in every respect", not least because it denied the squad a place for the in-form João Pedro.

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