Ayoub Bouaddi Named in World Cup 2026 Opening Round’s Best XI

Moroccan midfielder Ayoub Bouaddi has secured a spot in the best XI of the opening round of the 2026 World Cup after his impressive performance in the match between Morocco and Brazil, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

The global statistics network Opta announced the standout lineup for the inaugural round, recognizing Bouaddi’s remarkable debut in the tournament. He delivered a strong display in midfield, contributing significantly to his team’s positive result against one of the tournament favorites.

The ideal lineup features several prominent names from various national teams, including players from Cape Verde, the United States, and Panama, highlighting some surprising performances from teams at the start of the tournament.

Cape Verde’s goalkeeper Vozinha was one of the standout stars of the first round, excelling against Spain by saving numerous dangerous chances, leading his team to a valuable goalless draw and earning the Man of the Match award.

In attack, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland dominated the lineup after their strong starts with their respective national teams. Messi scored a hat-trick in Argentina’s victory over Algeria, while Mbappe netted two goals in France’s win against Senegal. Haaland also scored twice in Norway’s triumph over Iraq.

Best XI of the Opening Round of World Cup 2026

The ideal lineup for the opening round of the World Cup 2026 group stage is as follows:.

Goalkeeper: Vozinha (Cape Verde).

Defense: Amir Murillo (Panama) – Roberto Lopez (Cape Verde) – Harry Souttar (Australia) – Antonee Robinson (United States).

Midfield: Ayoub Bouaddi (Morocco) – Weston McKennie (United States).

Attack: Lionel Messi (Argentina) – Kylian Mbappe (France) – Erling Haaland (Norway) – Jan Dhamandi (Ivory Coast).

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