Martin Ødegaard Named Europe’s Best Player in 2026 World Cup Qualifiers

The statistics specialists at WhoScored have unveiled their Team of the Tournament for the European phase of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers — and topping the list is none other than Norwegian midfield maestro Martin Ødegaard.
According to the platform’s match-by-match ratings, Ødegaard produced a stunning average score of 8.6, the highest of any player across the continent. The Arsenal star’s dominance is further reflected in the selection: Norway placed two more players in the XI, highlighting the exceptional level of a side that completed qualifying unbeaten with a remarkable goal difference of 38–5.
WhoScored’s European Qualifiers Team of the Tournament:
Caoimhín Kelleher (Ireland) — Denzel Dumfries, Virgil van Dijk (both Netherlands), Andreas Christensen (Denmark), David Raum (Germany) — Jérémy Doku (Belgium), Martin Ødegaard (Norway), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium), Antonio Nusa (Norway) — Erling Haaland (Norway), Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain).
