48 teams, 48 professionals
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The countdown to the 2026 World Cup has begun: 48 nations will fight for the most coveted trophy in international football next Thursday, June 11th. We have pooled the global expertise of our transfer market employees from five continents and, in the run-up to the tournament, we are presenting one player from each team who is a must-have on the list in the next six weeks: from potential rising stars, to possible surprises, to veterans hungry for success – after Group A, we continue with Group B, consisting of hosts Canada, Qatar, Switzerland and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
World Cup 2026: 48 teams, 48 players
Alphonso Davies: World Cup points the way for career at a crossroads?
Manuel Veth, Area Manager North America at Transfermarkt: When Russia won the 2018 FIFA World Cup ahead of North America, Alphonso Davies was the figurehead of the bid committee. Back then he was a young man about to move to FC Bayern Munich – and Davies embodied the Canadian dream. Born in the Buduburam refugee camp in Ghana to Liberian parents, Davies grew up in Edmonton, Alberta before starting his career with the Vancouver Whitecaps.
In 2019 he moved to FC Bayern, where he became a superstar in the Bundesliga and easily the best player in North America. However, this luster has faded somewhat in recent times. Minor injuries slowed Davies down, and just as he was getting back to form under Vincent Kompany, a severe cruciate ligament tear stopped him again. This season consisted of a few ups and many downs. Davies remains Canada’s biggest star, ahead of Juventus striker Jonathan David. But there’s no doubt his career is at a crossroads – and strong performances for Canada at the World Cup could make all the difference in his prospects.
Kerim Alajbegovic: Bright spot in Bosnia’s new generation
Zlatan S., Bosnia data scout at Transfermarkt: Kerim Alajbegovic is not a classic winger, but rather an “inside forward” who likes to move inside. He looks for one-on-one situations, deliberately dribbles against full-backs and tries to isolate them. He has a powerful finish and is two-footed, which makes him unpredictable. He not only scores his goals inside the penalty area, but also has the technique for long-range shots – even with his supposedly weaker foot.
Alajbegovic is undoubtedly one of the most important players in the squad. In the play-offs he showed that he can take on responsibility despite his young age. He is also ice cold, as his two penalty kicks in the play-offs showed. He is part of the new generation of Bosnian players – along with the likes of Esmir Bajraktarevic, Tarik Muharemović, Amar Dedić, Nidal Celik, Armin Gigović and Benjamin Tahirović – who, if all goes well, will shape our football for the next decade.
Akram Afif: “The defining figure of Qatar”
Tiberius Radziejewski, Area Manager Asia at Transfermarkt: Akram Afif is once again at the center of Qatar’s World Cup ambitions. The 29-year-old star from Qatar is playing one of the best seasons of his career at Al-Sadd, crowned by being named “QFA Best Player of the 2025/26 Season” – for the sixth time. As usual, Afif delivered strong numbers: in 22 games in the Qatar Stars League he had 15 goals and twelve assists. Afif has long been Qatar’s defining figure for the national team and is already one of the players with the most international caps in the country’s history.
After making his debut for the senior national team at the age of just 18, he developed into the team’s most important playmaker and one of the most important leaders. His influence in qualifying for this World Cup was enormous: with four goals and 15 assists, he made a decisive contribution to Qatar qualifying for the tournament via the qualification route for the first time ever. After two consecutive AFC Asian Cup triumphs, Qatar’s performances have been more inconsistent of late, so this tournament could be the last big opportunity on the biggest stage for both Afif and the country’s golden generation. A place in the knockout round is possible, but Qatar must first get through a challenging group.
Johan Manzambi: key player for the Swiss?
Jannek Ringen, editor at Transfermarkt.de: Johan Manzambi had an outstanding season and demonstrated his qualities at both club and international level. At the end of the 2024/25 season, he appeared in the SC Freiburg squad out of nowhere and made an immediate impression. He is a regular player this season and is likely to leave the club in a record departure in the summer. Manzambi is characterized by his physicality combined with excellent technical skills; He is a classic box-to-box midfielder who constantly poses a goal threat.
A small flaw this season is that he is sometimes a bit over-motivated in duels, which has already led to two red cards. Since he is only 20 years old, he still has a lot of development potential. If Switzerland wants to have a successful World Cup, Manzambi should be one of the key players alongside established names like Granit Xhaka and Manuel Akanji.