Choose your World Cup 2026 team of the tournament: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham

The despicable scenes at the end of the World Cup 2026 final could not overshadow the fabulous five weeks that preceded it, as the first-ever 48-team Mundial proved a stellar success from a sporting point of view.

As Spain travel home with the trophy and their glistening winners' medals around their necks, it is time to reflect on what was a fascinating spectacle in North America, headlined by some of the biggest stars on the globe.

Here, Sports Mole is giving you the chance to select your team of the tournament for the 2026 World Cup!

World Cup 2026 team of the tournament: The standout contenders

Some of the world's most revered footballing names stole the show at the 2026 World Cup, which could very well prove to be Lionel Messi's final act on the Argentinian stage.

The 39-year-old's sixth World Cup ended in heartbreak in a collective sense, and frustration from a personal sense, as his eight goals and four assists were not enough to see him retain the Golden Ball; that honour went to Spain's midfield metronome Rodri.

However, Messi will undoubtedly still be a standout pick for the team of the tournament, but unless one opts for an attack-heavy 4-2-4 setup, there must be at least one controversial offensive omission.

Six-goal striker Harry Kane, seven-goal talisman Erling Haaland and Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe are all fighting for places in the TOTT attack, although the former ought to be a shoo-in after retaining the top scorer prize with an unrivalled 10 goals.

Kane could be the unfortunate soul to miss out on an attacking selection, but his deadly double act partner Jude Bellingham - now England's highest-ever scorer at a single World Cup with seven strikes to his name - should force his way into many midfields.

Rodri - who set a new record for the most passes completed by a single player at a men's World Cup - is in the same boat, while Enzo Fernandez's moment of red-card madness in the final may not completely harm his chances of selection either.

Further back, rearguards ought to be dominated by Roja, as world champions Spain remarkably conceded just one goal in the entire tournament and kept an unmatched seven clean sheets up to and including their 1-0 final win over Argentina.

Selecting an entire Spanish backline of Unai Simon, Pedro Porro, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsi and Marc Cucurella is entirely justifiable, although Cape Verde hero Vozinha may have done enough to pip the former to the goalkeeping spot.