FULL LIST: All 2026 World Cup Player of the Match winners so far
June 17, 2026 3:30 pm
A huge replica of the World Cup trophy is seen during the opening ceremony ahead of the 2026 World Cup Group A football match between Mexico and South Africa at the Mexico City Stadium in Mexico City on June 11, 2026. (Photo by Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP)
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway in the United States, Mexico and Canada, with standout performers already emerging across the opening round of group-stage matches.
FIFA continues to name its Superior Player of the Match award winners after each fixture, recognising the most influential player on the pitch.
As of June 17, 20 players have received the award following the first round of group-stage matches.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Norway’s Erling Haaland and France’s Michael Olise were among the latest recipients after their performances on Tuesday.
Also among the winners is US forward Folarin Balogun, who scored twice in his side’s 4-1 victory over Paraguay in Los Angeles.
Brazil star Vinícius Júnior received the honour after helping the five-time world champions secure a 1-1 draw against Morocco in a Group C encounter.
Here are the 2026 World Cup Player of the Match winners so far:
June 11
- Mexico 2-0 South Africa — Julian Quiñones (Mexico)
- South Korea 2-1 Czechia — Hwang In-beom (South Korea)
June 12
- Canada 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina — Ismael Koné (Canada)
- USA 4-1 Paraguay — Folarin Balogun (USA)
June 13
- Scotland 1-0 Haiti — John McGinn (Scotland)
- Australia 2-0 Türkiye — Nestory Irankunda (Australia)
- Brazil 1-1 Morocco — Vinícius Júnior (Brazil)
- Qatar 1-1 Switzerland — Mahmoud Abunada (Qatar)
Sunday, June 14, 2026
- Côte d’Ivoire 1-0 Ecuador — Yan Diomande (Côte d’Ivoire)
- Germany 7-1 Curaçao — Kai Havertz (Germany)
- Netherlands 2-2 Japan — Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands)
- Sweden 5-1 Tunisia — Alexander Isak (Sweden)
Monday, June 15, 2026
- Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay — Federico Valverde (Uruguay)
- Spain 0-0 Cabo Verde — Vozinha (Cabo Verde)
- IR Iran 2-2 New Zealand — Ramin Rezaeian (IR Iran)
- Belgium 1-1 Egypt — Emam Ashour (Egypt)
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
- France 3-1 Senegal — Michael Olise (France)
- Iraq 1-4 Norway — Erling Haaland (Norway)
- Argentina 3-0 Algeria — Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- Austria vs Jordan — Ali Olwan (Jordan)
More awards to come
A total of 104 Superior Player of the Match awards will be presented during the tournament, culminating in the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium.
PUNCH Online will continue to update this page as the list grows and the tournament progresses towards the knockout stages and final.
Four more group-stage matches are scheduled for Wednesday, June 17:
- Ghana vs Panama — Group L, Toronto Stadium
- England vs Croatia — Group L, Dallas Stadium
- Portugal vs DR Congo — Group K, Houston Stadium
- Uzbekistan vs Colombia — Group K, Mexico City Stadium
Saheed is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over two years of experience covering metro, technology, sports, politics, and human-interest stories. He focuses on producing clear, engaging reports across diverse beats. Saheed’s work reflects hands-on newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate and balanced journalism.
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