{"id":482935,"date":"2026-06-08T22:09:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T22:09:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/482935\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T22:09:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T22:09:20","slug":"12-world-cup-players-you-need-to-watch-according-to-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/482935\/","title":{"rendered":"12 World Cup Players You Need to Watch, According to Data"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who are the top players to watch in the FIFA World Cup 2026?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Northeastern University Network Science Institute researchers have analyzed an extensive, comprehensive dataset and compiled a list of key players.<\/p>\n

Brennan Klein, assistant teaching professor of physics, leads a research team<\/a> that pairs its study of complex networks with a passion for soccer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"PortraitBrennan Klein, assistant teaching professor in the department of physics and core faculty member at the Network Science Institute. Photo by Matthew Modoono\/Northeastern University<\/p>\n

The team\u2019s secret weapon: the Hudl Statsbomb dataset, which logs over 3,400 events per match. Every pass, shot, dribble, tackle, pressure, ball carry and additional metadata \u2014 timestamped and pinpointed to the exact spot on the pitch where it happened. The dataset for the pre-World Cup analysis included more than 13,000 matches.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have really rich event representations that capture a lot of what to me is quite magical about the game,\u201d Klein said.<\/p>\n

Klein identified a dozen World Cup players to watch, based on their stats in different categories over their past season. However, the dataset doesn\u2019t include France\u2019s Ligue 1, which will be heavily represented in the tournament.<\/p>\n

Overall threat<\/p>\n

The top three players for overall threat are Lionel Messi of Argentina, Michael Olise of France and Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior of Brazil, Klein said, based on the data.<\/p>\n

These three don\u2019t just score and assist \u2014 they change the shape of a game. Klein measured \u201coverall threat\u201d using \u201con-ball value\u201d \u2014 a metric that quantifies whether and by how much a player\u2019s action increases or decreases their team\u2019s probability of scoring on a given possession.<\/p>\n

Messi\u2019s numbers are staggering \u2014 27 goals and 23 assists in the MLS since Aug. 2025 \u2014 but the data reveals something subtler too. \u201cEven his moments that otherwise appear inconsequential have big implications for the success of the play,\u201d Klein said. \u201cThat\u2019s the magic.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Operating primarily through the middle, Messi creates chances not just by shooting but by threading incisive through balls in behind the defensive line, according to the data.<\/p>\n

Olise and J\u00fanior work the flanks as classic wide forwards, driving into the final third and finishing inside the far post. Olise added another dimension with several corner kick assists.<\/p>\n

The visuals below show lines representing each player\u2019s goals and assists; goals are dark blue lines, passes for assists are dotted green.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\nThe goal scoring and assist charts for Lionel Messi of Argentina, Michael Olise of France and Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior of Brazil<\/p>\n

Goal scoring<\/p>\n

The top goal scorers to watch in the World Cup are Harry Kane of England, Erling Haaland of Norway and Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 of France, according to Klein\u2019s analysis of the data.<\/p>\n

Want to understand elite finishing? Look at xG \u2014 expected goals \u2014 a metric that estimates the probability of any given shot resulting in a goal, based on factors like distance, shot angle and defensive pressure. It judges finishers not just on whether they scored, but on the quality of the chances they took.<\/p>\n

By that measure, all three are elite, Klein said. Haaland scored 27 goals on 126 shots for Manchester City in the Premier League and outperformed his xG \u2014 helped by his knack for getting in behind defensive lines and receiving the ball in high-percentage positions. \u201cHe\u2019s one of the best goal scorers alive,\u201d Klein said. \u201cBig, strong, fast, and crafty. You don\u2019t see many shots from outside the box.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kane, is similarly lethal \u2014 36 goals on 119 shots as a striker for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich \u2014 with the data revealing a pattern of finishing into corners with exceptional accuracy. Mbapp\u00e9, meanwhile, is almost exclusively right-footed and rarely attacks the ball with his head.<\/p>\n

The visuals below show each player\u2019s attempted shots (at top) and the placement of the shot at the net (below). Filled-in circles represent goals; empty circles are misses. The larger the circle, the higher the xG.<\/p>\n

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\nThe goal-scoring charts for Harry Kane of England, Erling Haaland of Norway and Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 of France.<\/p>\n

Defensive Contribution<\/p>\n

The players expected to make a strong defensive contribution are William Saliba of France, Luka Vu\u0161kovi\u0107 of Croatia, and Antonio R\u00fcdiger of Germany.<\/p>\n

One name you need to know: Luka Vu\u0161kovi\u0107. \u201cHe\u2019s going to leave this tournament quite hot,\u201c Klein said. \u201cHe\u2019s incredible. A lot of clubs are really hoping to sign him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The data backs it up. Vu\u0161kovi\u0107 is active all over the pitch \u2014 winning tackles, making interceptions, blocking shots, and clearing danger \u2014 with a particular knack for snuffing out pressure in his own defensive third before it can become a real chance. \u201cHe\u2019s an exemplar defender in this tournament,\u201d Klein said.<\/p>\n

Saliba and R\u00fcdiger tell a different story. Their defensive heat maps are sparse \u2014 because playing for elite club sides means they need to intervene fewer times. But when their teams need a stop? They deliver.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The visuals below for each player display various icons, each representing a different defensive action. They also display heat maps; the darker the area, the more time the player spent there.<\/p>\n

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\nThese charts show defensive actions by William Saliba of France, Luka Vu\u0161kovi\u0107 of Croatia, and Antonio R\u00fcdiger of Germany.<\/p>\n

Dribbling<\/p>\n

The most impactful dribblers, according to the data, are Lamine Yamal of Spain, Yan Diomande of Ivory Coast and J\u00e9r\u00e9my Doku of Belgium.<\/p>\n

Lamine Yamal is coming off a hamstring injury but is expected to be available to play in Spain\u2019s World Cup opener on June 15, barring any setbacks \u2014 and when he does, don\u2019t look away.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just want to watch his highlight reels all day,\u201c Klein said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yamal posted eight attempted dribbles per match with an elite 2.30 on-ball value for Barcelona last year. Cutting in from the right flank, he consistently drives into dangerous areas and creates high-quality chances in the final third.<\/p>\n

Yan Diomande, by contrast, roams the entire pitch \u2014 combining pressing and chance creation from both flanks. Klein expects him to be among the tournament\u2019s most coveted unsigned talents when it\u2019s over.<\/p>\n

J\u00e9r\u00e9my Doku of Belgium is explosive and direct: he drives down the left flank, cuts sharply inside, and puts defenders on the back foot with quick, decisive movement toward goal.<\/p>\n

The visuals below for each player show lines that represent all the times the player dribbled; the darker and thicker the line, the higher the on-ball value.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\nThe dribbling charts for Lamine Yamal of Spain, Yan Diomande of Ivory Coast and J\u00e9r\u00e9my Doku of Belgium.<\/p>\n

Greg St. Martin is a news reporter at Northeastern Global News. Email him at g.stmartin@northeastern.edu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Who are the top players to watch in the FIFA World Cup 2026?\u00a0 Northeastern University Network Science Institute…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":482936,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[85,46,223618,190981,105,101640,6866],"class_list":["post-482935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-network-science","tag-network-science-institute","tag-sports","tag-world-cup-2026","tag-world-cup"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=482935"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482935\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/482936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=482935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=482935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=482935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}