B/R's Most Disappointing Starting XI and Manager of the 2026 World Cup
There were standouts at the 2026 World Cup. And there were disappointments.
Our B/R Football writers took a vote and provided a "Disappointing XI" from the World Cup, looking at the players who failed to meet expectations. Spoiler for Cristiano Ronaldo fans: He made the list.
Read below and submit your thoughts on our team in the comments section of the app.
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer, Germany
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Manuel Neuer coming out of international retirement to play for Germany at this year's World Cup seemed a major bonus for the 2014 champions.
His experience, leadership, and unique sweeper-keeper talent could only strengthen a side that is yet to produce a definitive successor between the sticks. Or so it seemed.
The 40-year-old's tournament started by conceding to minnows Curacao, where he got a soft hand to the deflected ball, but saw it fly beyond him. He then left the goal open for Cote D'Ivoire's strike in Germany's 2-1 win, before being beaten to the ball by Gonzalo Plata as Ecuador secured a famous victory in the last group game.
Neuer did save one of Paraguay's penalties in the Round of 32 shootout defeat, but his aura was gone. That imposing, Peter Schmeichel-styled frame just doesn't intimidate like it used to.
The German's quality has waned alongside the need for his presence in a squad that will now transition away from Julian Nagelsmann and to Jurgen Klopp.
- Nick Akerman
Right Back: Reece James, England
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This is perhaps harsh, but in terms of disappointment, Reece James ranks highly simply because his fitness problems limited him to just 318 minutes out of a possible 720 at the tournament.
That resulted in England having to plug in a variety of players into the right-back position in his stead, with some playing outside of their typical roles. Djed Spence, Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and Jarrell Quansah all filled in at some point, with some finding more success than others.
We also didn't get to see the kind of deliveries into the box we know he is capable of. Those crosses might have come in handy against teams like Panama and DR Congo, which England struggled to break down while keeping the ball on the deck.
He didn't necessarily play badly, but we didn't get to see the best of him.
- Leo Collis
Center Back: Gabriel, Brazil
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Brazil will likely have several regrets looking back on this tournament, but center back Gabriel Magalhães may have more than most.
For Arsenal, Gabriel is a dominant physical presence and fits perfectly within their structured defensive approach. In the more chaotic approach of his country, though, the 28-year-old struggled covering space—his positioning was poor for Ismael Saibari's opening goal for Morocco in the group phase, and his decision to back off Kaishū Sano against Japan was punished in the knockout rounds.
For many, though, the lowlight of his tournament came as his team was knocked out by Norway and old rival Erling Haaland.
Yes, the cross comes in too easily, and Brazil as a collective were poor in the game. The likelihood is that they would've been eliminated if Gabriel had defended better in this moment. But the way he sunk back on to his heels as the ball was delivered, effectively allowing Haaland an unopposed header, was a critical error and at a crucial moment in a matchup that has become one of the sport's best player rivalries.
Gabriel will still be able to claim the ultimate prize of last season's Premier League title over his foe, but the individual matchup has looked a little one-sided of late.
- Calum Rogers
Center Back: Jonathan Tah, Germany
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While the Germany team as a whole let itself down, it is center-back Jonathan Tah who perhaps leaves the most enduring image of the Die Nationalelf's failure.
In the round of 32 against Paraguay, the 30-year-old, who had never taken a penalty before in his career, stepped up to take the first of the sudden-death spot-kicks. He smashed his effort high over the crossbar, ultimately condemning his side to a surprising early exit. Rumor has it, the ball is still flying somewhere in Massachusetts' airspace.
While that alone would be an unfair reason for the Bayern Munich stopper to be in this XI, he also made only three tackles in his four games, was dribbled past twice, and didn't manage to help Germany to a single clean sheet, even against a Curaçao side it smashed seven past. He even deflected the shot that resulted in the Blue Wave's goal.
He was poor against Côte d'Ivoire, too, often clumsy in both his defensive work and in possession.
- Leo Collis
Left-Back: Lucas Digne, France
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It was tough to pick too many holes in this France team entering the tournament, but left-back was a question mark. Lucas Digne has had an excellent career, but the 33-year-old doesn't possess the star power of several of his teammates and has never been considered an elite defender.
For a team that looked unstoppable for much of the tournament, that defensive frailty in Digne's game would prove to be a significant factor in their undoing. His careless touch in his own penalty area, lack of awareness of his surroundings and the wayward swipe at the ball that brought down Spain's Lamine Yamal for a penalty in the semifinal.
And for all of Digne's attacking quality, he finished the tournament with zero goals and assists. According to FotMob, he also only created one chance across seven games.
It would be unfair to pin the team's failure to beat Spain entirely on Digne's shoulders. Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise failed to make any sort of impact in the game, and typically teams go as far as their superstars can take them. But there's no escaping the fact that it was a disastrous piece of defending, and the timing of it couldn't have been much worse.
- Calum Rogers
Central Midfield: Federico Valverde, Uruguay
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Uruguay captain Federico Valverde entered the World Cup with a cloud hanging over his head following a bust-up with club teammate Aurelien Tchouameni as Real Madrid's season drew to a close.
If Valverde was looking to escape the drama, the Uruguay camp was the wrong place to be.
According to the Guardian, there were problems on the training pitch, disagreements with head coach Marcelo Bielsa's selection and tactics, and a general unwillingness from some players to sit through the Argentine's lengthy squad meetings.
In the end, that sort of dysfunction prolonged Valverde's awkward few weeks, and he was unable to show his best on the world stage as a result. His passes were often wayward, he had trouble dictating the flow of games, and he failed to make any kind of impact on the scoresheet from the middle of the park.
He was hooked from the pitch after 57 minutes in the final group game against Spain, which was perhaps merciful as La Celeste made a hasty exit from the competition.
For one of the most tactically astute, versatile, hard-working players on the planet, it was a real shame that we couldn't enjoy him at his best.
- Leo Collis
Central Midfield: Vitinha, Portugal
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Portugal's superstar midfield played like the NBA legends in Space Jam for the majority of their run to the Round of 16.
On paper, Vitinha, Joao Neves and Bruno Fernandes should be unstoppable. Two back-to-back Champions League winners and the player who set a new assists record in a Premier League season just weeks ago. A case of Roberto Martinezitis fell upon them, as the former Belgium boss once again provided an answer to 'What's the opposite of the Midas touch?'
Vitinha's drop-off was the most noticeable. He struggled to influence games and failed to act as the outlet he so often does for Paris Saint-Germain.
Martinez's lineup was muddled and prioritised feeding Cristiano Ronaldo over what was best for the team, a pattern constantly underscored by Vitinha being substituted before each game finished.
A player of his stature struggling through matches and then being sacrificed for the most vital moments is a disappointing end to a brilliant season for the 26-year-old.
- Nick Akerman
Right Winger: Noni Madueke, England
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There are many potential England managers who wouldn't have taken Noni Madueke to the World Cup.
Three goals and one assist in 26 Premier League appearances for Arsenal doesn't exactly fill you with confidence - but Madueke's role as Bukayo Saka's back-up at the Emirates Stadium stood him in good faith with Thomas Tuchel heading into the tournament.
Saka, in the end, was only fit enough to play 237 minutes across eight games before England's third-place play-off. He assisted three goals in that time and was a key part of the classic win over Mexico. Madueke started five games, contributed to zero goals, and failed to grasp an opportunity that really shouldn't have been given to him in the first place.
It's not really about comparing Saka to Madueke, though. They are clearly different levels of player. It's more about how Madueke's performances forced Thomas Tuchel into giving up on him. He had a real stinker in the quarterfinal with Norway and was hooked at halftime. We didn't even see him for the semi-final defeat to Argentina.
For a manager to lose faith in a player he picked against general consensus is really as bad as it gets. It was a subtle acceptance that Tuchel got it wrong; something we haven't seen after his overly defensive tactics thrust England out of the competition from a position of power against Argentina.
- Nick Akerman
Attacking Midfielder: Leroy Sané
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It's not always easy to put players in their natural positions in these XIs, so Leroy Sané is lumped into attacking midfield because leaving him out would have been unforgivable.
Germany might have crushed Curaçao 7-1 in its opening game of the tournament, but the Nationalelf could have scored 15 if it wasn't for Sané's wayward shooting, poor decision-making, and general disconnect with the rest of the team.
He followed that up with a rotten showing against Côte d'Ivoire, which saw him withdrawn from the pitch after an hour.
While it would have made sense for head coach Julian Nagelsmann to try a different option on the right wing against Ecuador, the 38-year-old persisted with Sané in a starting berth. That faith was rewarded with a goal, but the Galatasaray player went right back to his disappointing ways in the round of 32 exit against Paraguay.
The stats show just how ineffective he was:
While Sané wasn't the only person responsible for Germany's surprising early exit, he was a big reason for the team's frustratingly ineffective performances.
- Leo Collis
Left Winger: Yan Diomande, Côte d'Ivoire
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Yan Diomande entered his first tournament under the spotlight of a reported transfer battle between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool.
The 19-year-old's excellent season with RB Leipzig meant this would be the first time many onlookers put a face to the name. In today's world, that comes with an immediate need to judge his quality definitively.
He started all four of Côte d'Ivoire's games and grabbed an assist in the 2-0 win over Curaçao. Diomande worked hard, but his end product struggled, and he was overshadowed by the more experienced Amad Diallo. The intent was good, though, and whichever club snaps him up for next season has both an exciting prospect and someone who can improve in the future.
Diomande's output is an important reminder that, at the ridiculous age of 19, we need to allow players time to grow. He looked like a teenager at his first major tournament. That's perfectly OK.
- Nick Akerman
Center Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
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As the focal point of an incredibly disappointing Portugal team, Cristiano Ronaldo is an obvious selection here. So much of Portugal's play was designed with Ronaldo in mind, and three goals—two against Uzbekistan and a penalty vs. Croatia—just isn't a good enough return on that strategy.
Ronaldo's place in the team is one of the biggest "what ifs" of the tournament, especially after his backup, Gonçalo Ramos, scored the winner after replacing him in attack vs. Croatia. Were their roles reversed, with Ramos playing the majority of minutes and Ronaldo entering as the ultimate super-sub, could things have been different for Portugal?
Instead, it's likely a sad end to the World Cup career of one of the game's greatest players. While we can never rule out Ronaldo defying conventions and featuring again in four years' time, the 41-year-old showed he has declined significantly in this tournament.
And while there's no shame in that fact, a player who has previously set the standards Ronaldo has will surely believe he could've contributed more.
- Calum Rogers
Manager: Roberto Martinez, Portugal
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Roberto Martinez's Portugal came into the World Cup among the favorites, with a collection of talent few teams could rival. In midfield in particular, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Vitinha and João Neves would be coveted by almost every club on the planet.
And yet, Martinez opted for a conservative approach that saw the team largely ignore its talent advantages centrally and opt to move the ball wide, where Nuno Mendes' energy in particular could be used to progress the ball out wide.
The logical explanation is that Martinez wanted to spam crosses into the box for Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest penalty-box players of all time. The issue with that, though, is that Ronaldo simply isn't that guy anymore, and pushing him to the forefront of the team's strategy was a naive decision from a manager who seemingly didn't want to deal with the potential awkwardness of benching his captain.
You can argue Ronaldo has earned that right if you want. His 146 goals in 233 appearances for his country give him a greater claim to that privilege than anyone else, but World Cups only come around every four years, and it is wasteful in the extreme to throw away a talented team's chance at glory just to avoid making a difficult decision.
That Ronaldo's backup, Gonçalo Ramos, came off the bench to score the winner against Croatia in the round of 32 made this situation even more baffling. And Martinez's subsequent refusal to use the forward at all as his team was knocked out by Spain just sums up the lack of clarity in his thinking.
- Calum Rogers
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