World Cup Group Stage Best XI: Who else joined alongside Messi-Mbappé

With 72 matches of the World Cup group stage concluded and the Round of 32 underway, sports data analytics platform Opta Analyst has revealed its Best XI based on performance metrics.

Here are the players who lit up the tournament’s opening phase:

Vozinha was a wall for Cape Verde in their opener against Spain. While he conceded twice against Uruguay, his presence remained vital for his side. The 40-year-old goalkeeper capped off the group stage with a brilliant performance against Saudi Arabia. Notably, no keeper other than Spain’s Unai Simón recorded more clean sheets than Vozinha during the group stage.

Ghana's Marvin Senaya produced what many consider the finest fullback performance of the tournament against England.

Senaya led the group stage with 18 tackles and was dominant in individual battles, winning 24 out of 38 duels. His effectiveness in one-on-one defending was further evidenced by a 72 per cent ‘True Tackles’ success rate—a metric that rewards a defender for making contact with the ball even when the opponent retains possession.

Diney Borges was a pillar of stability, ranking second in the tournament for clearances with 31. Among defenders who engaged in at least 20 duels, Borges boasted a superior success rate of 68 percent. Furthermore, only two other centre-backs managed to record more than his eight tackles during the opening round.

At just 19, Spain’s Pau Cubarsí has displayed an instinctive ability to be in the right place at the right time. With 16 ‘possession regains’, stripping the ball from an opponent's feet, he ranks as the fourth-best centre-back in the tournament.

Cubarsí’s composure on the ball is equally staggering. Out of his 294 passes in the group stage, only five failed to find their target. He also ranks fifth for ‘line-breaking passes,’ successfully slicing through the opposition's defense 39 times.

A livewire on Japan’s left wing, Nakamura has used his blistering speed and agility to devastating effect. He was the architect behind Japan’s opening goals against both the Netherlands and Tunisia. Nakamura completed five of his seven attempted dribbles and was directly involved in nine attacking sequences, the fifth-highest among all fullbacks in the tournament.

Playing in a more advanced, aggressive role, McKennie has provided the sharp edge to the United States attack. His bull-like ability to drive through the middle of the pitch makes his dribbling almost impossible to stop. With seven chances created from open play, he sits in the top tier of the world's best midfielders this tournament.

Comfortable on the ball, creative in his distribution and relentless in winning it back, Ecuador’s Pedro Vite has been an indestructible engine in the middle.

Only four players have created more chances from open play than Vite at the tournament, with eight. He also ranks third in tackles made (14). In regaining possession, only Granit Xhaka (24) and Rodrigo Bentancur (29) have won the ball back more often than Vite (23). He is also fifth in total passes completed, with 234.

Simply the tournament's standout performer. Messi has made history as the first player to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches. In this edition alone, he has already netted six goals in just three games. As Argentina prepares to face Cape Verde in the Round of 32, few doubt that his goal-scoring spree will continue.

Vinícius has found his most terrifying form in a Brazil jersey, scoring in all three group-stage matches. For Brazil, his consistency is a lucky charm: in the three previous tournaments where Brazil scored in every group game, they went on to lift the trophy.

The Norwegian forward has been clinical, scoring four goals in just two matches. Only Messi has more. Even without penalties, his ‘Expected Goals’ rating of 2.68 is the second-highest in the tournament, trailing only Vinícius. Among players with at least five shots, Haaland ranks fifth with a 40 per cent conversion rate.

Mbappé remains unstoppable on the world stage. He is now only the fourth player in history to score two or more goals in three consecutive World Cup matches. With 16 career World Cup goals, the French star is now breathing down Messi's neck for the all-time record. Whether scoring himself or setting up others as he did for Ousmane Dembélé’s brace against Norway, Mbappé consistently saves his best for the grandest stage.