World Cup 2026: Three Superstars who fell short on football’s biggest stage

At the 2026 edition, three names stood out for the wrong reasons: Bruno Fernandes, the reigning Premier League Player of the Season; Vitinha, the midfield metronome Portugal’s buildup had positioned as part of perhaps the tournament’s most complete engine room; and Jamal Musiala, one of Germany’s headline acts and a player very few have doubts about being Bayern Munich’s best.

Before the tournament, many had portrayed Portugal’s midfield as the side’s real strength, noting that Vitinha and João Neves should set the rhythm behind Bruno Fernandes and give Roberto Martínez a unit that could make a strong case for being the best midfield in the world.

Bruno Fernandes: From Premier League ruler to Portugal’s unfinished story Bruno Fernandes came into the World Cup on the back of a sensational club season, having been named the 2025/26 Premier League Player of the Season after equalling, then surpassing the league’s single-season assist record with 22, while also scoring eight goals for Manchester United.