The ranking of all ten Aston Villa players who made the cut for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is laid out here.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is over. It is high time to see how all 10 Aston Villa men who were called up for FIFA’s biggest tournament performed during the competition in North America. All players included on the list are only those who made the final cut before the tournament began, not the ones who recently signed for the Lions after the tournament. It means the likes of Johan Manzambi are excluded.
The Aston Villa captain had a fine start, ending Scotland’s winless run at the World Cup after thumping Haiti in the opener, with him scoring the only goal of the game.
However, in the following two games, McGinn still attempted to deliver his best, yet it was not enough to help the Tartan Army pick up another point in the group stage. He himself squandered crucial chances against Morocco and Brazil, which proved their true level on the global stage.
The winger who returned to Villa Park after his loan spell with Crystal Palace did not have enough minutes to impress the fans. He only featured for 16 minutes in total in two games versus Germany in the group stage and Norway in the Round of 32. Guessand was not exactly the player who could make the difference from the bench.
The defensive midfielder had a fine tournament with Belgium before he suffered a serious knee injury. Onana played in four games and had to come off in the Round of 16 match against co-hosts USA. Due to this injury, he is expected to be sidelined for approximately nine months.
He was named captain of his team for the competition and really proved his worth. Tielemans rose to prominence in the Round of 32. He netted a brace that helped Belgium come from behind after conceding two goals. Unfortunately, he was injured in the last game against Spain in the quarterfinals.
Nevertheless, it was enough to impress the fans, and he eventually plied his trade with Manchester United after his release clause was activated. He left Villa Park after the tournament.
The Sweden captain did well in what was possibly his last World Cup. He featured in all four games, leading his nation to qualify for the Round of 32 before eventually losing to France. It was one of the clashes in North America involving two Villans on opposing teams.
The left-back was a surprise inclusion in Les Bleus’ squad. Expected to be Theo Hernandez’s deputy, he went on to make six appearances in the tournament.
Unfortunately, the 32-year-old wing-back contributed to France’s semi-final defeat after his late challenge on Lamine Yamal led to the opening goal. However, his performances earned him a move to PSG this summer.
The 30-year-old frontman featured in only two games at the World Cup. He played only in the final group-stage match against Panama and the third-place play-off against France. Watkins neither scored nor provided an assist.
The 23-year-old attacking midfielder featured in seven games during the tournament. He was expected to compete with Jude Bellingham for the number 10 role, but eventually they were both fielded together, including in the semi-final against Argentina. That was the only game in which he made a vital contribution, setting up Anthony Gordon’s goal.
Rogers finally opted to ply his trade with Chelsea after the tournament. Aston Villa accepted the Blues’ £117 million offer, breaking the transfer record for a British player in the Premier League.
He was one of the two Villans who featured in each and every game for his nation. Konsa was a mainstay in Thomas Tuchel’s setup alongside Marc Guehi or John Stones at the heart of the backline. The former Brentford man even bagged one goal when the Three Lions thrashed France 6-3. He scored the second goal with a header.
Last but not least is, of course, the Aston Villa record holder for World Cup appearances with 15 games in total, Emiliano Martinez. He played in every game for Argentina in North America.
He initially felt uncomfortable in the first few games due to the fractured finger he had suffered since the Europa League final. He had to wear a pain barrier before his fifth game against Egypt. That was when he started to feel less pain and managed to thrive on the pitch. Martinez’s best performance came in the final. The Argentine made 11 saves, breaking the record for the most saves in a World Cup final. He should have been proud of his performance, but the defeat in the final really broke his heart.
The post Ranking all Aston Villa men in 2026 FIFA World Cup appeared first on AVillaFan.com – Aston Villa Fan Site.
