From Pelé to Diego Maradona, South America has produced some of the greatest footballers in history who have gone on to light up the stage at FIFA World Cup tournaments.

Pelé is the only player to have won the World Cup three times, and the youngest to lift the silverware, winning his first tournament with Brazil in 1958 at the age of just 17 years, 249 days.

Meanwhile, Maradona dominated the headlines during the 1986 World Cup when he scored the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal and the unforgettable ‘Goal of the Century’ against England in the quarterfinals as Argentina went on to win the tournament.

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the Peoples Gazette reviews selected players from the continent who are expected to be standout stars in North America, as South America seeks to retain the trophy after Argentina won the last edition.

Lionel Messi

Arguably the greatest footballer ever, the Inter Miami forward has repeatedly shown, for close to two decades, that he is capable of reshaping his teams’ fortunes.

Despite being 38 years old, Messi is expected to be a standout player for Argentina in North America, where the South American nation will defend the title they won four years ago in Qatar.

The former Barcelona star scored seven goals, including two in the final against France in the last World Cup in Qatar, as Argentina lifted the trophy for the first time in 36 years.

Messi has remained an integral figure of the Inter Miami side in the United States, registering 13 goals in 15 appearances for the club across all competitions in 2026 alone.

Raphinha

Over the past two seasons, the former Leeds United winger has proved himself as one of the best players in football at times, and fans expect him to light up the scene for Brazil at the World Cup.

Despite spending a sizable portion of the just-concluded season on the sidelines due to injury, the 29-year-old still managed to score 21 goals in 33 appearances as Barcelona clinched the La Liga title and the Supercopa de España.

Brazil has not made a significant impact in the World Cup since the fourth-place finish on home soil in 2014 and will hope to change course when the team arrives in North America in June.

Vinicius Junior

Alongside Raphinha, Vinicius is also a player to watch in the Brazilian squad in North America, despite his low-scoring record with the national team, netting only seven goals in 47 appearances.

Nevertheless, the 25-year-old has regularly proved himself as an important man for Real Madrid. He scored 23 goals and registered 11 assists during the just-concluded season as Los Blancos finished second in La Liga.

Luis Díaz

The 29-year-old is another South American player fans expect to shine at the World Cup. Undoubtedly, Díaz would be Colombia’s main man at the tournament.

Díaz found the back of the net 26 times and made 18 assists across 50 appearances as Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga and the Super Cup titles in the 2025/26 campaign.

Julian Alvarez

The Atletico Madrid forward featured in all seven matches and scored four goals in Argentina’s World Cup triumph in Qatar, and expectations are high that he can once again be an important player for the team when the World Cup starts.

Alvarez was fantastic for his club side last season, scoring 20 goals and registering 10 assists across all competitions as Atletico reached the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League and the final of the Copa del Rey.