London (AFP) – Form and fitness concerns are hanging over some of football's biggest names just three weeks before the World Cup kicks off.
Issued on: 22/05/2026 - 05:36
4 min Reading time
AFP sports looks at five of the stars who must shoulder the burden of their nations' expectation in the first-ever 48-team finals spread across the United States, Mexico and Canada:Kylian Mbappe (France)Mbappe could become the all-time top goalscorer in World Cup history over the next few weeks, but will cross the Atlantic after a troubled time at Real Madrid.The 27-year-old is yet to win a major trophy in two seasons at the Spanish giants despite his prolific goalscoring record.Mbappe's commitment has been questioned after he went on holiday while nursing a hamstring injury towards the end of the season.A change of scenery on the international stage could be just what he needs as he aims to write more history on the global stage.Mbappe took the tournament by storm as a teenager in France's 2018 World Cup win. He plundered another eight goals, including a hat-trick in the final, as Les Bleus missed out on penalties to Argentina four years ago.He needs just four more to match Miroslav Klose's record of 16 World Cup goals.Erling Haaland (Norway)
