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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is almost here, and there are many unanswered questions as the June 10 destination date gets closer and closer. Can Lionel Messi go back in time to the ripe old age of 39 and lead his beloved Argentina to back-to-back titles before sailing off into the sunset? Can a German end 60 years of English pain as Thomas Tuchel looks to lead the Three Lions to their first major trophy since 1966 after consecutive defeats in European Champions League finals?
At this point, the questions remain unanswered. One that is not, however, is that of the betting favorite for the final organized in North America. That, of course, is Spain, with the latest World Cup Odds making the reigning European champions clear 9/2 favorites to leave MetLife Stadium with the title on July 17. How will they handle the pressure of having that leader tag on their shoulders? Only time will tell.
But Luis de la Fuente’s Spaniards are not the only ones who arrive at the World Cup under pressure to deliver. Here are three players who find themselves in a similar situation.
christian ronaldo
The iconic Cristiano Ronaldo will take to the historic World Cup stage for a record sixth (and at the age of 41) last time. The Portuguese superstar will go down in history as one of the all-time greats, but if he wants to be mentioned in the same breath as his lifelong rival Lionel MessiThen you’ll have to make sure your nation leaves the Land of the Free with the famous gold trophy for the first time in July.
Historically, the World Cup has not been kind to CR7 over the years. His debut in 2006 was impressive, with the former Manchester United player playing a starring role as Portugal reached the semi-final, beating the Netherlands and England in bad-tempered affairs along the way. However, Ronaldo has failed to lead his team to the semi-finals in the following four tournaments.
More recently, in Qatar, the path to the final four seemed to have opened. The only thing standing between Ronaldo and the semi-finals was underdogs Morocco, but the Atlas Lions managed to upset the odds to claim a 1-0 victory and become the first African semi-finalists in history. To make matters worse, CR7 could only watch as his nemesis Messi led Argentina to the title for the first time since the days of Diego Maradona, cementing his legacy as the greatest player in history in the process.
If the great Ronny wanted to inherit that title, the mandate is clear: win the World Cup. Anything less and he will always be remembered as second only to Messi, despite his historic career. However, if he can score the goals that propel Portugal to the crown at the age of 41, it will be difficult to argue against the idea of the two icons standing together on Mount Rushmore, side by side.
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Harry Kane
England’s World Cup history since that glorious summer of 1966 is riddled with heartbreak. Gazza’s tears of 1990. David Beckham’s red card and subsequent penalty shootout defeat in 1998. Ronaldinho’s stunning 40-yard goal in 2002. Wayne Rooney’s Ronaldo-induced red in 2006. Frank Lampard’s ghost goal in 2010. And more recently, The penalty missed at the last moment by Harry Kane against France in the quarterfinals four years ago.
The list really goes on and on. But the Three Lions have shown signs of coming back to life in recent tournaments. Under Gareth Southgate, England reached back-to-back European Championship finals in 2021 and 2024, as well as reaching the World Cup semi-finals in 2018. Captain and talisman Kane has been instrumental in all of those runs. However, the time is approaching for England’s all-time leading goalscorer to do something no Englishman has managed to do in 60 years: win the World Cup.
After so many failures in recent years, pressure has increased on Kane and England to finally deliver the trophy Old Blighty desperately craves. German coach Thomas Tuchel has been hired for that unique task. And if he wants to be successful, he’ll need his captain to work flat out. At the age of 32, Kane may never get another chance to lead his country on the grandest stage of them all. It’s now or never.
Christian Pulisic
The American media is already talking about the quarterfinals. Maybe even a first World Cup crown for the United States? The rest of the world can’t believe what they’re hearing. And unfortunately for USMNT captain Christian Pulisic, the pressure is on his shoulders to be “the LeBron James of football.”
Pulisic himself knows that he is not that. He cannot be mentioned in the same time as Messi, Ronaldo and Kane. Hell, he can’t be mentioned in the same breath as Jack Grealish, and he probably won’t even be selected in the England squad this summer. But that’s the pressure of captaining a country with extremely high expectations.
Captain America, unfortunately, finds himself in a lose-lose position. Reaching the round of 16 would be a stellar effort for the United States. The quarterfinals would be a dream. Both are likely to be seen as disappointments in the American sports media. So Pulisic must somehow find a way to perform out of his skin and lead this admittedly talented generation of American soccer stars to the semifinals. Anything less, and you could be verbally crucified by the likes of Stephen A. Smith. No pressure, Christian.
