2026 World Cup: How to Face Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane?
June 30, 2026 ยท Global
This article examines strategies for defending against top strikers Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane during the 2026 World Cup, highlighting their unique playing styles and the challenges they pose to defenders.
The World Cup always becomes more special when the names of football stars are present. Last week, four of football's elite strikers put in devastating performances. It was as if each was inspired by the other's appearance. Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring with a brace in France's 3-1 win over Senegal. Hours later, Manchester City's Erling Haaland also scored twice in Norway's 4-1 win over Iraq. Lionel Messi, the Inter Miami striker, then showed his class by scoring a hat-trick as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0. Bayern Munich's Harry Kane also scored twice in England's 4-2 win over Croatia. Will this be a tournament for the star striker? And if you have to face them, how do you plan to stop them? These four players have different playing styles, but are equally effective. Former Everton and Wales defender Ashley Williams explains to BBC Sport how to defend against them.
About Messi: Navigate to Comfort Area
Messi would have turned 39 on Wednesday, but his performance against Algeria suggested otherwise. His hat-trick moved him level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the World Cup's all-time top scorer with 16 goals - although Mbappe is only two goals behind. With Messi in this kind of form, and a total of 120 international goals, how to stop him? โIt's more of a team effort,โ Williams said. "As a defender, you hope for a bit of luck. You have to cover all areas, either by closing in as a defender, or dropping back and letting your midfielders tighten up. Try your best to direct him into areas that are more comfortable with your body shape, distance and angle of approach. He's one of those players who if you have to choose poison, it's better to let someone else take the shot instead of him."
Williams added that forcing strikers to use their weaker foot doesn't help much against Messi. โHe seems to have the ball wherever you try to push him out,โ Williams said. โHe has a low center of gravity, great balance and incredible touch, so he can manipulate the ball and take you where you don't want to go.โ
About Mbappe: Stay Connected With Him
Williams has direct experience of facing Mbappe from his own playing days with Wales. In November 2017, when Mbappe was still 18 years old, Williams had to mark the striker for 84 minutes in an international friendly in Paris. Mbappe didn't score, but he provided an assist for Olivier Giroud who completed a 2-0 win. Coincidentally, Mbappe's brace against Senegal saw him surpass Giroud and now become France's top scorer with 58 goals. โHe was very difficult to play against,โ Williams said. "Mbappe is more direct than Messi. Not that he is better, but he is just as difficult to defend. When Mbappe dribbles, it is usually with more speed. The way he manipulates the ball with twists and turns is more intense. When you play against a striker who usually moves fast, you also have to maintain the same rhythm. On the other hand, Messi will slow you down and then speed up. Maybe I prefer playing against Mbappe, because you stay connected to him."
France has a variety of world-class attacking talent, it's not just Mbappe that needs attention. โYou have to do your research, and see what type of running the player prefers,โ adds Williams. "Michael Olise likes to get into the left side a bit more, which could trigger runs from Ousmane Dembele or Mbappe, so they definitely have patterns to learn from. If you focus all your attention on Mbappe, some of the others will hurt you. As a collective unit, you need to work together and be on the same page."
About Haaland: Stopping Incoming Balls
Haaland had to wait until the age of 25 to not only debut at the World Cup, but also debut at an international tournament. And the Leeds striker is clearly eager to make up for lost time. "He is the opposite of Mbappe and Messi," said Williams. "He will beat you without the ball, which makes him even more dangerous. You want to help your midfielders by tightening up, so they don't have to cover too much distance. But once you leave space in behind, he will exploit it quickly."
One of the keys to limiting Haaland's influence, according to Williams, is preventing his team-mates from passing the ball to him. โYou have to stop the ball coming in behind first,โ Williams said. "Stop the supply coming to him. If you can keep your midfielders at bay and limit his chances, you have half a chance. It's rare that he gets down, takes the ball, passes four players and scores himself, so he relies on what is given to him."
Haaland is the most clinical of the four, with 57 goals from just 51 appearances. โHe's more deadly,โ Williams added. "If he gets the chance, it will most likely be a goal." How to face Haaland one on one? "Around the box, you have to get close and try to put him on his right foot. Then you just have to be as strong as possible, don't try to be too clever, just keep the ball away and buy time."
About Kane: His Shooting Ability is the Best
Kane, now 32, is no stranger to Williams, as the England captain scored five goals for Tottenham against Swansea and Williams' Everton around 10 years ago. However, the Harry Kane of 2026 is a very different player compared to 2016. "He's a bit more mobile and quicker," Williams said. "He's going to run back more. Now he's not going to beat you off the dribble, so you have to get close and not let him shoot. His shooting is probably the best of all these players."
Kane, who has now scored 81 goals for England, showed a real willingness to drop deep, and he was often found near the halfway line or even in his own half. โIt's elements of Kane's game that set him apart,โ Williams said. "Against Croatia, he often dropped into midfield to use his quality, passing range. I'll stay in defense and communicate with the midfielders. Once he gets to a point, it will be their job to mark him, and I'll try to stay in deeper positions to cover gaps and so on. I'll talk to the defensive midfielders and say, 'I know you might be overloaded with your own man and Kane if he goes down, but we can live with that.' Kane's role provides a different challenge, allowing Noni Madueke, Jude Bellingham and Anthony Gordon to utilize space. "[The runners] will be the priority," Williams said. "Not always covering Kane in midfield, especially from a defender's point of view. It is very difficult to play against a team that moves in both directions. What we cannot tolerate is if there is a gap in the back line and there are runners behind. From the British point of view, I think it's probably their biggest weapon.