Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Lionel Messi are not the only stars who are having an outstanding run at the World Cup 2026, as several under-the-radar players are also doing well in this year’s quadrennial tournament.
The beauty of the World Cup is that it provides a global platform for others to shine, as they try to lead their countries to glory, and that’s what the likes of Vozinha, Julian Quinones, Elijah Just, and Johan Manzambi, among others, have done thus far. Their performances are the reason why their nations have qualified for the Round of 32 – except for New Zealand. Overall, it’s fun to see them in the World Cup 2026 highlights reel.
Without further ado, SBOTOP pays homage to these players in today’s feature.
Vozinha, Cape Verde
It’s safe to say that Vozinha has gained more fans than anyone in this year’s World Cup, as the 40-year-old goalkeeper is the living proof that it’s never too late to reach for your dreams. In his first World Cup match, Vozinha shocked everyone with his outstanding shift between the sticks against Spain, where he had seven key saves en route to holding the European powerhouse to a goalless draw.
Vozinha was named Man of the Match after that, and his social media grew astronomically. As of this writing, he has 17.4 million followers on Instagram, which is way higher than this year’s NBA Finals MVP, Jalen Brunson (two million), for context.
After the Spain match, Vozinha played a huge role in Cape Verde’s 2-2 draw against Uruguay and a goalless draw against Saudi Arabia. Through his steadiness at the rearguard, Cape Verde only conceded two goals en route to accumulating three points – good enough for the second seed of Group H.
However, Vozinha will face his biggest test yet in the Round of 32, as Cape Verde have drawn Argentina as their next opponents. With Lionel Messi on fire, the World Cup 2026 odds have the Blue Wave as the massive underdogs.
Julian Quinones, Mexico
Mexico are among the few teams with a 100-per cent record so far in this year’s World Cup, and Julian Quinones was one of El Tri’s main catalysts. The Al-Qadsiah striker scored the first goal of the tournament in their 2-0 win over South Africa, and he followed it up with another goal in their group-stage finale against the Czech Republic, which they won 3-0.
And after scoring his third goal of the tournament in their Round of 32 clash against Ecuador, Quinones maintains his status as Mexico’s top scorer in the competition, as he becomes only the second Mexican to score in three matches at a single World Cup.
Before this, there were valid concerns about Mexico, as they have an aging squad. Raúl Jiménez just turned 35 last month, while Guillermo Ochoa is in his 40s. And with Santiago Gimenez barely playing (for some reason), their frontline was a huge question mark. But Quinones has answered the call for El Tri, and he figures to be their frontman for the foreseeable future, given he’s in the thick of his prime.
Elijah Just, New Zealand
New Zealand have crashed out of this year’s quadrennial tournament, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying, as Elijah Just was a huge bright spot in their campaign.
The 26-year-old winger did superbly in his first World Cup, leading the All Whites in scoring with three goals. Just registered a brace in New Zealand’s 2-2 draw against Iran and scored the consolation goal in their 5-1 loss to Belgium. New Zealand ultimately finished last in Group G at one point.
Before all of this, Just is coming off an impressive debut campaign in the Scottish Premiership, having notched seven goals and seven assists in 35 league matches for Motherwell. He was part of the PFA Scotland Premiership Team of the Year, and he could earn a big transfer this summer.
Johan Manzambi, Switzerland
Switzerland are through to the Round of 32 after finishing at the top of Group B with seven points, and Johan Manzambi was a huge reason why. The 20-year-old midfielder leads the Red Crosses in scoring, as he contributed three goals, including a brace in their 4-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Before this, Manzambi was coming off a solid campaign with SC Freiburg, having notched five league goals and four assists, helping his team finish seventh in the Bundesliga standings and reach the Europa League final. He’s now one of the hottest commodities in the transfer market, reportedly drawing interest from Bayern Munich and Newcastle United.
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