The 2026 World Cup will offer plenty of chances for some legends to be born, but will also be a platform on which big stars might burn out.
World Cups are where heroes are made. They are where the good become great, where legends truly cement their legacy. Look over previous iterations of the tournament, examine the career of pretty much every football GOAT, and they have enjoyed signature moments on the world's stage: Pele '58, Maradona '86, Messi 2022. These are the moments that stick around.
But for every win, there are so many more losses. This is basically the story of English football, nicely tied up: so much talent, so few concrete wins. It's what makes watching the Three Lions so captivating yet so frustrating. They should do more – but they won't. And that brings the discussion nicely to the concept of underperforming at a World Cup. Of course, expectations are relative here. Technically, failing to win the thing is an underperformance. But it also depends on what a "good run" is. One country's World Cup win is another's quarterfinal loss.
Either way, it tends to be up to the stars to make or break this thing. And most of them tend to break – this is just math. So, GOAL looks at the five biggest stars likely to disappoint at the 2026 World Cup…
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Harry Kane, Forward, England
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 winning the World Cup. By that logic, anything less – yes, – 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?
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Santi Gimenez, Forward, Mexico
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.
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Cristiano Ronaldo, Forward, Portugal
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.
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Vinicius Jr, Winger, Brazil
“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.
