Spain brought the curtain down on an epic World Cup when they held their nerve to beat a physical Argentina side 1-0 at MetLife Stadium on July 19th, and truth be told, the best team won. La Roja didn’t concede a single shot on target throughout the two-hour affair, eventually grabbing the deciding goal deep into extra time when Ferran Torres lashed home from Nico Williams’ knockdown to break Argentinian hearts.
Online betting sites had made the Spanish the favourites to win the tournament prior to action getting underway on June 11th, but an opening day draw against Cape Verde immediately sent the bookies back to the drawing board. The popular Lucky Rebel Sportsbook listed Luis de la Fuente’s men as a 9/2 favourite before a ball was kicked, but they were immediately pushed out to 6/1 upon that stalemate against the African debutants, with France installed as frontrunners in their place. Spain would down Les Bleus in the semifinals for the third straight tournament, before going on to claim the trophy for the second time with that 1-0 win over Lionel Messi’s men.
With the World Cup now consigned to the history books, several players who starred at the tournament are currently without clubs following the expiry of their contracts on June 30th. Here are the biggest names and where they are likely to end up.
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John Stones
Plenty of eyebrows were raised when John Stones was named as a starting centre-back for England’s opener against Croatia back on June 17th in Dallas. The 32-year-old was coming off the back of an injury-riddled season which limited him to just 13 starts for Manchester City throughout 2025/26, with just one of them coming in the Premier League since November. The Blues clearly felt that the experienced defender’s best days were behind him, refusing to enter new contract negotiations and allowing him to leave on a free transfer after a decade with the club.
Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel was clearly unbothered, surprisingly starting Stones ahead of fellow Manchester City man Marc Guehi for England’s opener against Croatia. He would also start the crunch quarterfinal against Norway and the semifinal against Argentina, with Stones coming in for criticism in the latter after missing a header and allowing Lautaro Martinez to nod home a 92nd-minute winner.
The former Barnsley youngster seems likely to stay in the Premier League with defending champions Arsenal the favourites to land his signature. Chelsea are also thought to be interested, while German giants Bayern Munich could offer Stones a fresh start in the Bundesliga.
Mohamed Salah
Despite a lacklustre final season with the club, Mohamed Salah will forever remain a Liverpool legend. The Egyptian King amassed a whopping 257 goals throughout his nine years at Anfield, helping the club claim two Premier League titles and reach three UEFA Champions League finals, winning one of them. His 2025/26 season was an acrimonious one, with a series of damaging interviews and a drop in form ultimately resulting in the Reds terminating his contract one year early, but Salah still managed to impress on the global stage this summer.
Salah netted in the Pharaohs’ 3-1 win against New Zealand, a result that propelled Egypt to the knockout stages of a World Cup for the first time. He would then net his spot kick in the nerve-shredding penalty shootout win against Australia in the round of 32, before playing a crucial role in his side’s two goals against Argentina in the last 16. The Albiceleste would then mount a trademark late comeback to win 3-2 after being 2-0 down, but not before Salah had announced to the world that he has plenty of gas left in the tank at the age of 34.
Turkish outfit Besiktas are expected to land Salah’s signature, with recent reports indicating the two parties are close to agreeing a deal. Failing that, a move to the Saudi Pro League or MLS could also happen.
Riyad Mahrez
Many had forgotten just how good Riyad Mahrez could truly be on his day. The Algerian winger has been plying his trade out in Saudi Arabia for the last three years after joining Al Ahli for 30m back in July 2023. The former Leicester City man helped The Royals claim back-to-back AFC Champions League titles in 2025 and 2026 alongside fellow established stars such as Ivan Toney, Roberto Firmino, and Franck Kessie, but his time in the Kingdom is now over following the expiry of his contract this summer.
At the World Cup, Mahrez went on to showcase that he still can compete at the highest level, despite now being 35 years of age. He netted twice in the 3-3 draw against Austria, a result which sent The Fennecs through to the round of 32 and secured Mahrez’s spot as his team’s top scorer at the tournament.
Marseille are currently the favourites to take Mahrez back to France, 12 years on from his leaving second-tier side Le Havre. Fenerbahce are also thought to be interested.
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