10 players to watch at the World Cup

Two of soccer's all-time greats will likely make their final bows on the sport's biggest stage at the 2026 World Cup.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo can finally pass the baton on to a new generation including Spain's Lamine Yamal.

Kylian Mbappé — who was only 19 when he won the World Cup with France in 2018 — is still waiting to confirm his place as the heir-apparent to Messi and Ronaldo.

But there are others, too, aiming to make their mark in the United States, Canada and Mexico, from Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland to Team USA's Christian Pulisic.

Here are 10 players to watch this year's World Cup.

The magnificent Messi finally achieved his career ambition in Qatar four years ago by leading Argentina to World Cup glory and emulating national icon Diego Maradona.

With it, Messi effectively completed soccer, winning the top titles for club, country and individually.

Since Qatar, he has moved to the United States to make Inter Miami the dominant force in MLS, winning the MLS Cup last year.

His status as the greatest player of all time is still debated, with Maradona and Pelé generally considered his main rivals for that title. But back-to-back World Cups — which Pelé achieved in 1958 and '62 —would further strengthen his case.

Messi, however, has given Argentina a scare just two weeks ahead of the World Cup. The 38-year-old was substituted in an Inter Miami game on Sunday and diagnosed with “an overload associated with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring.” No timeline was given for his recovery.

Ronaldo is still waiting for the one trophy that has eluded him in his glittering, record-breaking career.

The Portugal star heads to the World Cup after leading Saudi club Al Nassr to the domestic league title this season. That trophy adds to league titles with Manchester United in England, Real Madrid in Spain and Juventus in Italy, along with five Champions League trophies (four with Madrid, one with United).

He has also won the European Championship with Portugal and two UEFA Nations League titles. His 143 goals is a record in men’s international soccer and nobody has scored more than his 41 in World Cup qualifiers.

Even at the age of 41, his hunger for trophies and records shows no sign of relenting.

Mbappé has long been considered the player to take over the title as the best player on the planet after Messi and Ronaldo.

Some would say the Real Madrid striker has already done that as a World Cup and multiple title-winner, but the fact that he has yet to win the Champions League or Ballon d'Or leaves a big question hanging over his career.

He should have a good shot at this year's Ballon d'Or — awarded annually to the best player in the world — if he can lead France to another World Cup title after topping the scoring charts in Spain and leading the way in the Champions League.

Mbappé is often judged on what he hasn't won, rather than what he has. In two years at Madrid, he is still waiting for major titles in Spain.

The current Ballon d'Or holder could be a two-time Champions League winner by time the World Cup kicks off.

The France forward has reignited his career since joining Paris Saint-Germain three years ago, helping it secure its first Champions League title last season and reach back-to-back finals this year.

Having been touted as one of the brightest prospects in Europe earlier in his career, Barcelona bought Dembélé for $173 million in 2017. An underwhelming time in Spain led many to think he would never realize his potential.

No one is saying that now.

The Manchester City striker is playing in his first major international tournament after smashing records at club level.

Haaland, 25, is well on his way breaking scoring records in the Champions League and Premier League and has already surpassed benchmarks set by Messi in terms of the speed with which he’s amassing goals.

Norway is an outsider at this year’s World Cup, but in Haaland it has arguably the most lethal forward at the tournament.

Spain’s teenaged sensation was the star of its triumph at the European Championship in 2024 despite not turning 17 until the eve of the final.

He was the youngest-ever scorer at a men's Euros and with mesmerizing speed and footwork. Yamal is earning comparisons to Messi, who was once photographed with the Argentina star when he was still a baby.

Yamal has arguably overtaken Mbappé as the man most likely to fill void when Messi and Ronaldo retire and an impressive World Cup could strengthen that argument.

He’s the midfielder virtually every top team wanted when Real Madrid sealed his signature in 2023. He went on to lead the club to its 15th Champions League title and the Spanish title in his first season at the club before driving England to the final of the Euros with one of the goals of the tournament on the way.

Bellingham is a matchwinner capable of unforgettable moments on the biggest stage and despite an underwhelming season at Madrid, he will be one of England's biggest hopes as it aims to win a major title for the first time since 1966.

Brazil's all-time record goal-scorer has carried the weight of a nation on his shoulders throughout his career.

Despite winning the biggest honors as a player, he is yet to lead Brazil to a record-extending sixth World Cup title.

Neymar, now 34, has been called up by Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti for his fourth World Cup after enduring injuries and an underwhelming move to Saudi Arabia since the last edition in Qatar four years ago.

The Egyptian icon is leaving Liverpool after a disappointing campaign, but remains his country's talisman.

Egypt will just have to hope the 33-year-old striker has saved his best for the World Cup.

Salah scored 257 goals in 442 and won a full set of trophies with Liverpool - including the Champions League and two Premier League titles.

With Egypt he has been runner up in two African Cup of Nations.

From an early age Pulisic was seen as capable of becoming American soccer's biggest overseas star.

He has gone on to play for some of Europe's biggest clubs in Germany, England and Italy, winning top honors along the way and none bigger than the Champions League with Chelsea.

Now at AC Milan the forward has discovered some of his most consistent form and will be an important part of Mauricio Pochettino's hopes to go far with the U.S. Men's National Team at a home World Cup.

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

FILE - United States Christian Pulisic (10) during the second half of an international friendly soccer match against Ecuador in Austin, Texas, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

FILE - England's Jude Bellingham during a World Cup qualifier group K soccer match between Serbia and England in London, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - Ousmane Dembele of France scores during a penalty shootout against Portugal during a quarter final match at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Hamburg, Germany, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)

FILE - AC Milan's Christian Pulisic controls the ball during a Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Torino, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, file)

FILE - Egypt's Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 soccer match between Egypt and Benin in Agadir, Morocco, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)

FILE- Brazil's Neymar controls the ball during a World Cup qualifying soccer match against Peru at National stadium in Lima, Peru, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia, File)

FILE - Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Alaves in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, file)

FILE - Spain's Lamine Yamal attempts a shot on goal during a World Cup qualifying round Group E soccer match between Turkey and Spain at Konya Buyuksehir stadium, in Konya, Turkey, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)

FILE - Norway's Erling Haaland controls the ball during a Group I, World Cup qualifier soccer match between Moldova and Norway at the Zimbru stadium in Chisinau, Moldova, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurel Obreja, File)

FILE - PSG's Ousmane Dembele runs for the ball during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Brest in Paris, France, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, file)

FILE - France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates after winning a World Cup 2026 group D qualifying soccer match against Ukraine in Paris, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)

FILE - Argentina's Lionel Messi runs with the ball during a friendly soccer match against Mauritania in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello, File)

Detainees in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement are taking their own lives at a pace unprecedented in the agency’s two-decade history, highlighting what experts call failures in care and oversight, according to an investigation by The Associated Press.

At least 10 detainees have died by suicide since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025 and ordered ICE to increase arrests and deportations, the investigation found. There have been seven such deaths since October, already the most in a fiscal year. ICE typically has recorded just one or no annual suicides.

The increased pace of suicides exceeds the growth in ICE’s detainee population, and those deaths account for nearly 20% of the 51 people who have died in ICE custody since January 2025.

Department of Homeland Security acting assistant secretary Lauren Bies said suicide deaths in ICE custody remain “extremely rare.”

Bies said detention staff follow protocols to protect detainees who show signs of self-harming and that ICE requires annual suicide prevention training. She said detainees receive comprehensive healthcare, including mental health services.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

Here are some takeaways from AP’s investigation:

Nine of the 10 who died were Hispanic men. One was a Chinese citizen. Their average age was 32.

They had usually been in ICE custody for less than a month and sometimes only a matter of days, according to AP's review of ICE data, autopsy reports, coroner’s rulings and police records

Among those who took their own lives was a 19-year-old laborer from Mexico, a 27-year-old housepainter from Colombia, and a 36-year-old restaurant worker from Nicaragua. Seven of the 10 had no record of violent crime.

The deaths have revealed holes in treatment and oversight across ICE’s system, where the detained population has spiked by 50% to 60,000 during Trump’s second term, AP found.

Five died in centers run by longtime ICE detention partners, CoreCivic and the GEO Group. A sixth died at a camp operated by an inexperienced contractor that ICE has since replaced. Three died in jails run by sheriffs. One died at a federal prison.

“We are deeply saddened by and take very seriously the passing of any individual in our care,” CoreCivic spokesperson Brian Todd said.

GEO Group spokesperson Christopher Ferreira said the company trains staff on suicide prevention and seeks “to maintain a safe and secure environment in compliance with the standards and requirements set by the federal government.” Officials who run the county jails declined to comment.

AP’s examination found that ICE detention centers have repeatedly fallen short in ways that violate ICE’s standards.

Staff ignored signs of distress, delayed mental health treatment and failed to monitor detainees who were already deemed at risk. They also permitted detainees to have access to materials that could be used for self-harm.

In some cases, distressed detainees were confined in isolation, a situation that can exacerbate feelings of humiliation and helplessness, according to experts.

Three of the facilities where ICE detainees died by suicide have struggled to meet ICE’s requirement that detainees receive medical and mental health screenings within 12 hours of arrival, according to inspection reports and jail records.

Experts said the unprecedented number of suicides is an indication that authorities are failing to properly oversee the detention of tens of thousands of immigrants swept up in the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation strategy.

“Something is going profoundly wrong from any kind of public health or mental health perspective,” said Dr. Sanjay Basu, a University of California-San Francisco epidemiologist who cowrote a study documenting the increase in mortality and suicide rates among ICE detainees. “This is one of those alarming, sudden increases.”

Dr. Homer Venters, former chief medical officer of New York City jails and an expert on ICE detainee deaths, called the rise in suicides terrifying.

The increase “reflects failures in how the system’s being operated, and particularly failures in how the first stages of coming into detention are happening so that people aren’t being assessed adequately,” he said. “And then if that receiving screening picks up red flags, they’re not acted on in a way that reduces the risk of them having preventable death.”

Last year’s suicide of 27-year-old Brayan Rayo Garzon at the Phelps County Jail in Rolla, Missouri, highlights gaps in how facilities assess, monitor and care for such detainees, experts said.

The Colombia native had been picked up by police in St. Louis on a misdemeanor fraud charge and turned over to ICE. The agency sent him to the jail in Rolla, which had recently started taking ICE detainees to generate revenue.

The jail did not perform an intake screening on Rayo for 35 hours. That's when he began exhibiting labored breathing, said he was anxious and requested mental health treatment that he did not receive.

Rayo grew ill with COVID-19 in the following days. He experienced aches, fevers, chills and nausea. The jail twice scheduled him for a routine mental health appointment but they were canceled each time, first due to staff concerns and then due to his infection.

Rayo was put into medical isolation, which meant he was alone in a cell and could not have his nightly phone call with his mother. On the fourth day, he passed notes in Spanish to English-speaking guards begging to speak with her.

Within an hour, he was found unresponsive. He died the next day. An autopsy determined he took his own life.

FILE - Detainees wave and spell out a rough SOS to a helicopter flying overhead, at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Krome Detention Center, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)