With the World Cup 2026 now just eight days away, the excitement is building rapidly in all corners of the world. The very best international teams on the planet will be on show in a four-week festival of football, and there was no better team in 2022 than champions Argentina, who aim to boss Algeria and Austria in Group J.
First-time make up the numbers in this group. But with admiration and respect for Jamal Sellami and his team, I’m looking elsewhere for my SBOTOP pick of three stars to watch.
Lionel Messi, Argentina
Well, where else could I start? The most decorated player in the history of the beautiful game will be at the World Cup finals again just four years after he lifted the trophy when Argentina beat France at the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar. With 46 team trophies and eight Ballon d’Ors, as well as being named as the world’s best player eight times by FIFA, Messi stands above all.
After years of failing to win with Argentina, the 2021 Copa America triumph followed by the World Cup meant Messi had won every top tier trophy at both club and country levels. And with 62 goals in 67 games for Inter Miami, he’s packing the fans into the North American stadiums week after week.
Once described by then Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, as “the only player who runs faster with the ball than without it,” Messi has mesmerising ball skills. If he has lost any of his pace, he still has all the guile needed to beat any defender. Predominantly left-footed, he often begins his dribbles on his left, but he can shift balance in a millisecond, and then just try to get the ball off him.
The latest World Cup 2026 betting odds make Argentina the fifth favourites to win back-to-back tournaments, and what a story that would be for Messi and co. There is little to choose between the top five of Spain, France, England, Brazil, and Argentina, and I can see another South American success in the heat of North America, particularly if the Miami magician works his magic.
Rayan Ait-Nouri, Algeria
Another star sure to make some exciting World Cup 2026 highlights is Manchester City wing-back Rayan Ait-Nouri. He can play as a traditional full-back or in a more advanced role, raiding down the flank or cutting in to join the attacking group.
A clever player, he scored eight goals in 114 appearances for Wolverhampton Wanderers, a return which caught the eye of scouts in Manchester and earned him a £32 million move to City last summer on a five-year deal. He made his Premier League debut for the Sky Blues in a 4-0 win away to his former club Wolves, and Ait-Nouri has since made since made himself a key part of the Sky Blues squad which missed out on the Premier League title but won the two domestic cup competitions under departing manager Guardiola.
With 27 caps, he is a star of the Desert Warriors, and the 24-year-old Ait-Nouri will relish the opportunity to line up against Messi.
Marcel Sabitzer, Austria
With 26 goals in 96 games for Austria, Sabitzer has been a mainstay of his nation’s side for well over a decade since bursting onto the scene with Austrian side Admira Wacker. And now at 32 years of age, he is a player the younger stars look up to, still able to dominate a game and a potential match-winner every time he steps onto the pitch.
He scored Austria’s goal in a 1-0 win over Tunisia on Monday and was the inspiration behind Austria’s successful Euro 2024 qualification campaign and again in qualifying for the World Cup this year. A versatile player, Sabitzer is a head coach’s dream, able to play in his preferred role as an attacking midfielder, in a deeper role as a defensive lynchpin, or even on the wing.
After leaving the Austrian league, he impressed at RB Leipzig where he scored 40 goals in 177 games, and he now plies his trade at Borussia Dortmund, where his tireless running and superb long-range distribution make him a pivotal player in Die Schwarzgelben’s creating unit.
Austria may be in a fierce fight to escape this group as an automatic qualifier, battling with Argentina and Algeria for two spaces, though with the eight best third-placed teams going through to the 32 nation knockout stage, I expect Sabitzer, along with Messi and Ait-Nouri, to reach the next phase.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
