For many fans, the World Cup begins with a pack of stickers. The U.S. is catching up
Article excerpt
Panini sticker albums have been a World Cup ritual for decades in Europe and Latin America, where fans obsessively hunt for rare cards and complete their collections. Now the tradition is reaching critical mass in the United States. With the 2026 World Cup approaching and the tournament coming to American soil, collector interest has surged to unprecedented levels, driven by social media hype, trading communities, and the sport's growing foothold stateside. What was once a curiosity in U.S. toy aisles is becoming a genuine phenomenon.
Many of the best players and biggest stars in the world will be playing in the World Cup in Philadelphia this summer.
The first of five group play games is scheduled for Sunday, June 14 in the Philadelphia Eagles' Lincoln Financial Field (known as Philadelphia Stadium during the tournament per FIFA rules). The City of Brotherly Love action culminates in a Round of 16 knockout match that could include Germany and France.
Here is a look at the top athletes whose nations are scheduled to play at least one match in Philadelphia. Our list includes at least one athlete from each country.
France
Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe should be considered the most famous athlete slated to appear in Philadelphia. The 27-year-old is the 12th-highest paid athlete in the world, according to a Forbes list published in May.
Mbappe is arguably the best footballer scheduled to play in Philly, too. He won the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup, scoring eight goals in seven matches as France reached the final. He also played on France's World Cup-winning 2018 team. Mbappe trails Germany's Miroslav Klose by four goals for the all-time lead in World Cup goals.
Mbappe joined Real Madrid in 2024 after playing for Paris Saint-Germain for seven years.
Ousmane Dembele
The 2025 Ballon d’Or recipient, Dembele finished first ahead of his countryman Mbappe in the Guardian's annual evaluation of the top players worldwide. The 28-year-old forward has 31 goals in his last 31 starts in Ligue 1 for Paris Saint-Germain.
Desire Doue
The 21-year-old winger, ranked 16th in the world by the Guardian, will be playing in his first World Cup. Doue has played for Rennais and Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. He won the league's Young Player of the Year award (23 and under) each of the last two years.
Michael Olise
Olise's star has been rising with 42 goals and 46 assists over his last two seasons with Bayern Munich. In May, the 24-year-old received the Bundesliga 2025-26 Player of the Season award.
William Saliba
The 25-year-old defender has played for 2025-26 Premier League champion Arsenal for the past five seasons.
Brazil
Vinicius Junior
Junior has won two Champions League trophies with Real Madrid, posting double-digit goals in each of the last five seasons in LaLiga. Brazil fans will hope to get that version of the 25-year-old forward, who has been less present in international play. In 48 starts for Brazil across all competition types, Junior has nine goals.
Raphinha
Raphinha has 31 goals across the last two seasons with Barcelona in La Liga. The Guardian ranked him eighth in the world and the top Brazilian in December 2025.
Gabriel Magalhaes
Brazil's top defender, Magalhaes has played for Arsenal in the Premier League since 2020.
Alisson
Alisson, a 33-year-old goalkeeper, is a two-time Premier League champion who has played for Liverpool since 2018. He made his debut on the Brazilian national team in 2016. In four starts in the 2022 World Cup, Alisson allowed two goals.
Marquinhos
The 32-year-old defender helped Paris Saint-Germain to the Champions League title in each of the last two years.
Neymar
Neymar makes the list more for spectacle than ability. The 34-year-old hadn't played for Brazil since 2023 until starting four qualifiers (he scored twice).
Neymar's status for the World Cup is in question due to a calf injury. The sporting world will watch with interest whether Brazil's all-time leading scorer and one of the most recognizable names in soccer can contribute once more.
Croatia
Luka Modric
Only Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi have made more international appearances than Croatia’s 40-year Luka Modric, who remains an all-over-the-field pest capable of sparking another successful run for the Croats.
Josko Gvardiol
The 23-year-old Manchester City defender helped lead Croatia to a third-place finish at the 2022 World Cup.
Ecuador
Moises Caicedo
The 24-year-old midfielder drew a €116 million transfer fee from Chelsea two years ago. It is the 11th-largest transfer fee ever. The Guardian in December 2025 ranked Caicedo as the 32nd best player in the world.
William Pacho
The 24-year-old center back from Paris Saint-Germain forms one of the best defensive pairings of the tournament with Arsenal's Piero Hincapie.
Ivory Coast
Nicolas Pepe
Pepe had 35 goals over two seasons in Ligue 1 with Lille before spending four years with Arsenal. He now plays with Villarreal in La Liga.
Iraq
Aymen Hussein
Hussein is Iraq's leading scorer with 33 career international goals.
Ghana
Mohammed Kudus
Kudus is a 25-year-old winger who plays for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. He scored two goals at the 2022 World Cup.
Curacao
Rangelo Janga
Janga is Curacao's all-time leading scorer and has played in the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland.
UNION TIES: Players with Philadelphia Union ties dot World Cup soccer rosters
Haiti
Johny Placide
French-born 38-year-old goalie Johny Placide has been Haiti’s captain for 15 years and plays for Bastia in France’s Ligue 2.
Kevin Tresolini contributed.
Brandon Holveck reports on high school sports for The News Journal. Contact him at bholveck@delawareonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Top 20 players slated to play in Philadelphia during World Cup