AC Milan reached North America with 10 World Cup representatives, more than any other Serie A club. The count changed mid-tournament, unsuspectingly.
On June 30, Milan signed Portugal striker Gonçalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain, turning a ten-player traveling class into an 11-man report card without anyone boarding a plane. Said paperwork quirk changed the scope of Milan’s tournament story overnight.
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The strongest campaign among the AC Milan World Cup players belongs to Mike Maignan. His penalty stop against Norway made him the first Rossoneri goalkeeper to save one at a World Cup. Others worked in shorter bursts, but overall, it was a strong showing.
The following Milan player ratings assess every Milan representative at the 2026 FIFA World Cup through July 15, while France’s third-place play-off remains absent.
The Full Milan World Cup Report Card
Our grades weigh role, execution, and tournament consequence, rather than simply how far each country traveled.
| Player | Nation | Tournament return | Grade |
| Mike Maignan | France | Four clean sheets and a historic penalty save. | 8.5/10 |
| Adrien Rabiot | France | Six starts and a line-breaking pass against Senegal. | 7.5/10 |
| Rafael Leão | Portugal | One goal, one decisive assist, and left-sided danger. | 8/10 |
| Gonçalo Ramos | Portugal | A 94th-minute winner against Croatia after joining Milan. | 7/10 |
| Christian Pulisic | United States | One assist and attacking authority before injury. | 7.5/10 |
| Luka Modrić | Croatia | His 200th cap, plus a decisive assist against Ghana. | 7.5/10 |
| Alexis Saelemaekers | Belgium | A birthday goal, one start, and energetic cameos. | 7/10 |
| Ardon Jashari | Switzerland | Three caps and progressive passing against Colombia. | 6.5/10 |
| Santiago Giménez | Mexico | Four substitute appearances, no goal, and limited service. | 5.5/10 |
| Pervis Estupiñán | Ecuador | Two appearances and a steady cameo against Germany. | 6/10 |
| Koni De Winter | Belgium | Mostly benched during Belgium’s quarter-final run. | 5/10 |
Maignan and Rabiot set the standard
Maignan’s 8.5 is the highest mark. France gave him quiet spells, yet he remained exact when summoned.
The man between the sticks stopped Jørgen Strand Larsen’s penalty against Norway, then kept successive knockout clean sheets against Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco. His late denial of Azzedine Ounahi protected France’s quarter-final control. Spain beat him twice in the semi-final, once from the spot, without erasing the wider evidence.
Rabiot gave Didier Deschamps dependable mileage: full matches in the first two group games and three knockout rounds, then 45 minutes against Spain. His best contribution came immediately, when a through ball launched France’s second goal against Senegal. He rarely owned the headlines, yet the midfield looked steadier with his range and recovery work.
These efforts earn him a respectable 7.5 rating.
Pulisic lifts hosts before injury
Few Christian Pulisic World Cup stories began better. Against Paraguay, he helped create the opening own goal and assisted Folarin Balogun before coming off at half-time. A calf issue interrupted his hype, but he hit the post against Türkiye and had a goal disallowed against Bosnia.
His influence, however, travelled beyond the box score. For UK betting sites assessing the hosts’ last-16 prospects, his fitness became the harder variable to price. The ending was sour: Pulisic left the 4-1 defeat by Belgium injured after 59 minutes.
Overall, his drive and chance creation earn a 7.5.
Portugal find a Milan connection
Leão produced Milan’s most explosive attacking reel. His late goal completed the 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, while his 94th-minute cross allowed Ramos to head Portugal past Croatia. He entered late against Spain and nearly scored an equaliser, but a permanent starting role never materialised despite the decisive work he delivered.
Ramos signed for Milan between the group stage and the knockouts, an administrative oddity with a sporting payoff. Introduced in the 63rd minute against Croatia, he converted Leão’s cross before remaining unused in Portugal’s defeat by Spain.
One defining finish was enough to earn him a 7 on his report card.
Supporting cast leave mixed evidence
Modrić’s World Cup ended against two Milan teammates. Before Leão and Ramos eliminated Croatia, the 40-year-old had made his 200th international appearance against Panama and supplied the winning corner against Ghana.
He did, however, remain as Croatia’s organizer even in defeat, earning a 7.5.
Saelemaekers earned a 7 through opportunism. His stoppage-time goal against New Zealand arrived on his birthday and brightened a tournament built around one start and late cameos. De Winter, rated 5, found almost no route past Belgium’s preferred defenders.
Jashari’s 6.5 came with promise. In his first tournament start, against Colombia, he passed forward with personality before leaving at half-time; extra-time minutes against Argentina took him to three caps. Estupinan’s late role in Ecuador’s recovery against Germany earned a 6. Gimenez, a 5.5, made four cameos without the service or minutes needed to alter Mexico’s attack.
What returns to Milanello
The Rossoneri internationals will return with no finalists, but Milan’s summer was hardly anonymous. Maignan looked like a captain on the largest stage, while Leão and Pulisic supplied the clearest attacking evidence, and Jashari tasted knockout responsibility.
There are questions Ruben Amorim cannot ignore here. Ramos’s arrival sharpens the competition around Gimenez, while Pulisic’s recovery may shape the first weeks of pre-season. Not forgetting De Winter, who returns without the minutes he might have expected.
Ultimately, trust separated the strongest campaigns because Milan’s highest-graded players were asked to decide moments.
