Users of the Fanzword application have selected the Team of the Tournament for the first two rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, alongside naming the competition’s best player so far. The opening rounds delivered high drama, highlighted by Lionel Messi’s 5-goal tally for Argentina and 4 goals each from Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.
On the Arab front, Egypt secured its first-ever World Cup victory by defeating New Zealand. Meanwhile, Morocco put on brilliant displays against Brazil and Scotland, and Algeria triumphed over Jordan.
Through the Fanzword app, fans can rate players during World Cup matches. Here is the fan-voted Best XI and Best Player after the first two rounds:
Goalkeeper & Defence
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Goalkeeper | Mostafa Shobeir (Egypt): Shobeir delivered a flawless performance under Hossam Hassan’s management, making crucial saves against Belgium and New Zealand to earn the highest rating among all 48 goalkeepers.
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Defender | Joshua Kimmich (Germany): Deployed as a right-back by Julian Nagelsmann, the Germany captain proved highly effective, notably providing two assists against Curaçao.
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Defender | Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands): The 34-year-old scored the Netherlands’ opening goal of the tournament and anchored Ronald Koeman’s side during a 2-2 draw with Japan and a 5-1 thrashing of Sweden.
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Defender | Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco): Operating on the left flank for the Atlas Lions, his stellar performances against Brazil and Scotland caught everyone’s eye.
Midfield
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Midfielder | Mohamed Salah (Egypt): The “Egyptian King” made history by becoming Egypt’s all-time top World Cup scorer, breaking Abdelrahman Fawzi’s 1934 record. Salah assisted Emam Ashour against Belgium, scored against New Zealand, and set up Trezeguet.
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Midfielder | Jude Bellingham (England): After scoring against Croatia, Bellingham put on a Man-of-the-Match performance in a scoreless draw against Ghana.
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Midfielder | Luka Modrić (Croatia): At 40 years old, Modrić shone in a crucial victory over Panama, keeping Zlatko Dalić’s team in the hunt for the Round of 32.
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Midfielder | Ismael Saibari (Morocco): Deployed centrally, the Bayern Munich-bound star scored a stunning goal against Brazil and followed it up with the fastest-ever Arab and Moroccan goal in World Cup history against Scotland.
Attack
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Forward | Erling Haaland (Norway): Haaland officially fired Norway into the Round of 32 by netting braces against both Iraq and Senegal.
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Forward | Lionel Messi (Argentina): The 2022 World Cup champion guaranteed Argentina’s top spot in their group with 5 goals over two matches.
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Forward | Kylian Mbappé (France): Despite a challenging season with Real Madrid, Mbappé matched Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 World Cup goals, spearheading France’s pursuit of a third star.
Best Player of the First Two Rounds: Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi claimed the highest user ratings following spectacular performances against Algeria and Austria. The 39-year-old earned a 9.5 rating in both fixtures, netting a hat-trick against Luca Zidane’s Algeria, followed by a brace against Austria to become the all-time World Cup top scorer with 18 goals. Argentina has secured its spot in the Round of 32 as they aim to retain their crown.
