Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, England’s Harry Kane and five stars most likely to disappoint at the 2026 World Cup

Need we say more? This is England at a World Cup. All of the pieces are in place here for glorious failure. England have their most talented squad in years, made two major finals in the last three tournaments, and went out and hired a big-name manager in Thomas Tuchel on a short-term contract with the goal of doing nothing else but winning the World Cup. By that logic, anything less - yes, anything - will be considered a failure. 

Of course, it falls down to Kane. Sure, there's talent all over the pitch, and selection debates to be had at left wing and in attacking midfield. But Kane is the main man, and is probably looking at his last shot at World Cup glory. He is in the form of his life for Bayern Munich, and a perfect fit for Tuchel's attack. It's all ready to go wrong, isn't it?

Mexico are a bit all over the place, these days. Sure, they have improved since the 2022 World Cup and the dark years of Tata Martino's reign. But they are still a side that feels a little bit between eras. They rely a tad too much on the old heads, and put far too much pressure on the guys coming through - who perhaps are just a little short of the quality Mexico need to make a run. 

Enter Santi Giménez, the 24-year-old product of Cruz Azul’s academy, who has been misfiring badly since his move to Milan. On paper, he has all the tools: pace, intelligence, aerial ability, and the movement to run in behind. At Feyenoord, he looked every bit a complete No. 9. Lately, though, it hasn’t translated. Mexico now tend to prefer Raúl Jiménez, though there will still be an expectation that Giménez can at least make an impact off the bench. A scoreless Gold Cup last summer offered little encouragement. Jiménez remains a reliable option but is clearly showing his age. Giménez, meanwhile, is coming off an injury and should be fit by January, but the burden will be heavy - and so far, he hasn’t shown he’s ready to carry it.

Ronaldo's purpose now is puzzling. The Portuguese has never really had anything outside football, and now, at 40, he is just basically a very well-groomed robot who bags 25 per year in a league that few watch. Everything about this seems to suggest that he should not be representing a national team with World Cup hopes.

So much for that. 

Ronaldo is Portugal’s captain and, somehow, still their singular star man. There is talent all over the place for Roberto Martínez’s men. This should be a wonderfully fluid side, full of creativity and unpredictability. Instead, they are often a unit geared toward one central figure who shoots a lot but can no longer create his own chances in the same way.

In short, Ronaldo drags Portugal down slightly - but he plays because he is Ronaldo. And what is success here? A few goals? Winning something? Ronaldo simply has to bag, if only to quiet the narrative that he’s the legend who doesn’t quite know when to walk away.

“I will come back 10 times if I have to.”

Those were the words of Vinícius Jr. after finishing a close second to Rodri in last year’s Ballon d’Or race - and at the time, most people agreed. He may have finished second, but this was a player destined to be in the conversation for years to come. Since then, though, his form has been patchy at best.

There are moments when Vinícius looks brilliant: a one-on-one magician with a genuine cutting edge. At others, he is a winger with too much talent for his own good, overplaying situations and drifting in and out of games. He has become something of a boom-or-bust footballer, and that lack of consistency now shows for both club - where he remains a star for Real Madrid - and country.

And where does that leave him with Brazil? It’s an open question. Manager Carlo Ancelotti consistently coaxed the best out of him while at Los Blancos, but Vinícius’ struggles tend to be amplified on international duty, where opponents are more than happy to kick him for 90-plus minutes. With Neymar likely out, this finally feels like his team. The question is whether he’s ready to carry the weight of a nation.

This whole picture may well change in the next month. Still, it has been a strange year for Mohamed Salah. His performances for Liverpool this season have been below his usual standards, and Arne Slot made the unthinkable - if ultimately correct - decision to drop him at the end of November. Salah responded with an explosive interview, followed it with a vital assist a week later, and then departed as scheduled for the Africa Cup of Nations.

At that point, it was widely assumed he was gone, with a Saudi Pro League move seemingly in the works. Since then, however, it has emerged that Salah apologized to the squad, and relationships may yet be repaired. So where does that leave Egypt? Salah remains their singular star, as he has for some time. And for all his brilliance at club level, he has been unable to deliver sustained international success for his country.

Egypt came closest at AFCON in 2021, losing to Senegal on penalties in the final. Otherwise, Salah’s international career has often felt like an underwhelming slog. This will almost certainly be his final World Cup, and Egypt lack the quality to consistently get him the ball against elite opposition. It could make for a frustrating final act for the Egyptian king - though it helps that he opened AFCON with a late winner.