The speculation can stop. The talking can now be done on the pitch. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is finally upon us and for Rossoneri fans, there will be plenty of red and black representation in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S over the coming weeks.
In total, 10 Rossoneri players from participating countries will be looking to go all the way to win football’s most coveted trophy. But which of our stars should we be on the lookout for?
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Christian Pulisic (USA)
We begin with a key player for the Rossoneri and one of the host nations. Christian will head to North America hoping to play a starring role for the United States men’s national team. Our attacker ended an astonishing five-month goal drought with the second goal against Senegal and will go into the tournament with renewed confidence.
Christian still managed 10 goals and four assists in all competitions despite the drought and will also be boosted by the fervent home backing expected at the United States’ matches. Many are backing the host nation to be one of the tournament’s dark horses, and Christian will be central to any deep run in the competition.
Luka Modrić (Croatia)
What more is there to say about Croatia’s greatest ever player. Although Luka’s contract situation remains unresolved, he is still an AC Milan player and will be entering an astonishing fifth World Cup with hopes of going far into the competition. Modrić had a solid debut season in Milan making 37 appearances at the stellar age of 40.
Croatia are not backed as one of the favourites, but they have shown in recent tournaments that they possess major tournament pedigree, led by their talisman, Luka. We hope to see Luka again next season, but regardless of what happens, we will be cheering him on this summer.
Mike Maignan & Adrien Rabiot (France)
The French duo will go into the tournament hoping to lift the trophy on 19th July in New Jersey. With no Spanish representation heading to North America from Milan, our goalkeeper and midfield maestro represent the best chance of Rossoneri success, with France ranked amongst the favourites on the current 2026 World Cup winner odds alongside Spain and England.
Much of the world’s attention is on the attacking trio of Mbappé, Dembélé and Olise, but a reliable pair of hands between the sticks and midfield bite will also be crucial if France are to go all the way.
Mike and Adrien look set to play starting roles after appearing in the recent warm-up matches against Côte d’Ivoire and Northern Ireland.
Rafael Leão (Portugal)
The final extended mention goes out to our flying winger, Rafael Leão. The Portuguese international will want to make his mark on the global stage and with Portugal tipped by many to win the competition, the spotlight could fall heavily on our winger.
Rafa was in and out of the team towards the end of the season and was also sent off in the most recent warmup match against Chile.
In a star-studded Portuguese squad and in temperatures that are expected to test the fittest of players, the full depth of the Portugal squad will be needed.
Whether from the start or coming off the bench, Rafa can offer that explosivity that can trouble the best defenders in the world. We will see what role he has to play in Roberto Martinez’s thinking.
Other mentions
Beyond the five Rossoneri mentioned, there are a few others in action this summer. For Belgium, Alexis Saelemaekers and Koni de Winter will represent Rudi Garcia’s side, while Pervis Estupiñán, Santiago Giménez and Ardon Jashari will represent Ecuador, co-hosts Mexico and Switzerland, respectively.
We have our fingers crossed for all our players competing in North America and hope that one of them can return with a World Cup winner’s medal.
