Kylian Mbappe has surpassed Lionel Messi to rise to the top of FIFA’s Top Performers Ranking at the 2026 World Cup, following an explosive performance that helped the France national team advance.
In the latest update from the player ranking system implemented by FIFA in collaboration with Aramco, Kylian Mbappe has officially taken the number one position in the outfield players group at the 2026 World Cup. The France star surpassed Lionel Messi, who previously remained in the leading group thanks to his impressive form with Argentina.
According to the published ranking, Mbappe is leading with an attacking score of 8.79, creativity of 7.48, and defending of 4.71. These are superior metrics, especially in the ability to make a difference in attack. Messi ranks second with an attacking score of 8.27, creativity of 6.38, and defending of 5.17. Despite still maintaining a very high efficiency, the Argentine superstar no longer holds the number one spot in this individual race.
Mbappe’s rise is not too surprising. In the latest match, the France forward scored a brace against Sweden, heavily contributing to helping “Les Bleus” secure a ticket to the next round at the 2026 World Cup. This performance helped him receive a strong points boost in the attacking category, thereby jumping 2 places to surpass Messi in the rankings.
The Top Performers Ranking evaluation system was built by FIFA under the guidance of Arsene Wenger. This is a new individual ranking model, based on data collected in each match. For outfield players, scores are graded from 0 to 10 in three categories: attacking, creativity, and defending. Meanwhile, goalkeepers are evaluated based on ball control and performance between the posts.
Behind Mbappe and Messi, Erling Haaland stands third with an attacking score of 7.52. Germany’s Deniz Undav ranks fourth, while Brazil’s Vinicius Junior stands fifth. Names like Johan Manzambi, Ousmane Dembele, Elijah Just, Crysencio Summerville, and Amad Diallo are also featured in the top 10.
Even so, this ranking continues to be updated continuously after each match. That means Messi could entirely return to the leading position if he continues to shine in the Argentina shirt. But at the current moment, Mbappe is the player with the highest score at the 2026 World Cup according to FIFA’s evaluation system.
