World Cup 2026: Erling Haaland, Yan Diomande among players to have caught the eye in the...

Believe it or not, the first round of group games at the 2026 World Cup is complete. All 48 teams at this summer's tournament have played at least once - and, having covered every single game, the media journalists have picked out 10 players who have caught the eye so far... Haaland takes to a new competition with ease - again The Austrian Bundesliga, the Bundesliga, the Premier League, the Champions League. Everywhere Erling Haaland has gone, in every competition he has played in, he has settled immediately. So it was perhaps no surprise that one of the world's most fearsome strikers would take to the World Cup like a duck to water, too. Less than 30 minutes into his tournament debut - and Norway's first appearance since 1998 - he was off the mark against Iraq with a tap-in. Before the break, he had taken advantage of a calamitous error to score another. He played a part in the fourth goal, too. And all that with just 20 touches throughout the entirety of the game in Boston. That is nothing new, but it is a reminder of the devastating impact he can have without touching the ball. The 25-year-old is among the favourites for the Golden Boot and it is easy to see why. You would not bet against him making significant progress towards the all-time record of 16 World Cup goals, either... Dan Long | | Liverpool target Diomande sparkles Many of Europe's top clubs are keeping close tabs on exciting RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande at this summer's World Cup and judging by his eye-catching display in his country's 1-0 victory against Ecuador on Monday, you can see exactly why. Diomande, who can play on both wings, was a livewire throughout at the Philadelphia Stadium, giving Ecuador left-back Piero Hincapie a torrid time and certainly making him look more ruffled than at any time for Arsenal last season. Of particular interest to Liverpool fans watching the contest in the US was Diomande's impact down the right flank, where his mesmeric dribbling was a joy to behold, given the Reds are reportedly trying hard to sign the forward as a replacement for the now-departed Mo Salah. The twinkle-toed forward produced a player-of-the-match display, becoming the first player Opta has on record since 1966 to create 5+ chances (5), make 5+ tackles (5), win 10+ duels (11) and have 10+ touches in the opposition's box (12) in a FIFA World Cup match. Many more performances like that and Leipzig's £86m asking price for the 19-year-old will be significantly higher. Rich Morgan Teenager Bouaddi illustrates why his stock is so high Ayyoub Bouaddi was tipped as one to watch this summer - and he proved just why in Morocco's opener. The midfielder was born in France and a France international up to U21 level, but switched his allegiance in May. Though he does not turn 19 until October, he already has 96 first team appearances for Lille under his belt. Just his fourth appearance for Les Dogues came against Brazil. Yet Bouaddi was far from overawed. In fact, he completed 60 passes. After Spain's Gavi in 2022 (67), he is the second-youngest player to complete 50+ passes in a World Cup match in the last 60 years. It is little wonder interest in Bouaddi is high. Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are said to be interested, while The Times reported last week Arsenal had begun talks to sign him. He is under contract at Stade Pierre-Mauroy until 2029, but his time there may be cut-short if he continues in this vein. Dan Long Vozinha an overnight sensation after heroic performance When Cape Verde pulled off a miraculous 0-0 draw in their World Cup debut against favourites Spain, all the talk was about one man. Over the course of 90 minutes, 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha became a sensation. His seven saves secured an almighty point, his emotional reaction come the full-time whistle pulled at the heart strings. His comments on his grandparents and mother only added to that. Before the game, he had only 50,000 Instagram followers. At the time of writing, that figure has risen to well over 8m. Expect it to reach at least 10m come the end of the tournament. At his age, is this going to springboard a career-altering move? No. But it was a life-changing performance nonetheless and nothing will change that. Vozinha was at the heart of the underdog stories that makes people fall in love with sport. The story of his display will be told for years to come and may well become an urban myth as time goes on. After all, how could a man no