World Cup Group Stage: How did Tottenham's boys get on?
As the group stages of the 23rd World Cup across Mexico, Canada and USA have come to a close, it's safe to say that the drama of the competition reminds us fans what the beautiful game is all about. Whether it's underdogs such as Ecuador clinching a spot in the knockouts, goalkeepers gaining mass followings, referee's going down with cramp and the controversial hydration breaks, the 2026 World Cup has had it all.
A not so positive outlook on the competition is its' lack of Spurs players taking part, with just 9 (excluding new signings Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi) across all the nations involved. This is the lowest amount of Tottenham players appearing at a World Cup since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
But how have our players performed when representing their countries so far? Carry on reading below to find out.
Micky van de Ven - Netherlands
His debut appearance at a World Cup ended in a tightly contested 2-2 draw versus Japan, where he completed 98% of his passes and contributed to 4 clearance. Micky also won 2/3 aerial duels and played the full 90 minutes.
Matchday 2 saw Micky and the Netherlands dismantle Sweden 5-1, all but ensuring a spot in the knockout stages of the tournament. Micky once again played a full 90 minutes and completed 93% of his passes. He also recorded 2 tackles, 2 clearances, 3 recoveries and 100% of his aerial duels being won.
The Netherlands final game resulted in Micky being an unused substitute as they beat Tunisia 3-1, finishing on 7 points and progressing to the knockouts.
Jan Paul van Hecke - Netherlands
The thrashing of Sweden last week resulted in yet again a full 90 minutes completed for the recently signed Dutchman. He completed 2/3 accurate long balls, 6 clearances and 3 aerial duels won highlighting the positives of what Spurs fans should expect to see next season.
His final game of the group stage versus Tunisia however was by far his most impressive performance, with many stating it was the defensive performance of the tournament so far. Jan Paul completed 130/133 passes, equating to an impressive 98% success rate, with 39 of those passes being received in the oppositions final third. As well as this, van Hecke completed 2 tackles, 6 clearances, 7 recoveries and was not dispossessed once despite having 146 touches of the ball. He rounded off his strong performance by scoring his first goal for his national side.
Lucas Bergvall - Sweden
Versus the Netherlands, Lucas once again came on as a substitute but this time just 10 minutes after the second half had started. In what was a poor display by the Swedes, Bergvall completed 22 accurate passes and registered 1 tackle, picking up a yellow card over the course of the match.
For the third successive game, Bergvall came on off the bench however this time before the referee blew his whistle for half-time. The youngster played 55 minutes, winning 2 ground duels, making 1 clearance and completing 25/27 (93%) passes.
Overall, Lucas played just 115 minutes out of a possible 270, leaving it unclear as to whether Sweden Head Coach Graham Potter will turn to the 20-year-old in the knockouts and provide him with more minutes, or opt with the eleven that progressed from the group stages.
Andrew Robertson - Scotland
Matchday 2 of the tournament was a frustrating one for Robertson and his side, narrowly losing 1-0 to Morocco, the 7th highest ranked side in the competition. The 32-year-old who signed from Liverpool earlier in the summer for a free transfer struggled to make an impact, completing just 20% of his attempted long balls and winning 0 ground duels. This left Scotland in the position of having to pick up at least a point versus Brazil in order to progress into the knockouts.
Scotland and Robertson's World Cup went from bad to worse in their final group game of the tournament. The side fell to a strong Brazil side and were defeated 3-0. Robertson was also forced into being substituted due to an injury. Ultimately this injury wasn't to affect Scotland's World Cup campaign going forward as their 3 points accumulated wasn't enough for them to progress as one of the top 3rd placed teams.
Luka Vuskovic and Croatia progressed through to the Round of 32 after finishing 2nd in a group consisting of Panama, Ghana and England. Vuskovic featured in his sides opening game of the tournament versus England, where they fell to a 4-2 defeat.
Pape Sarr was again another player who has had a relatively quiet World Cup campaign so far. The Senegalese who is participating in his second world cup, was an unused substitute in their 3-1 defeat to last World Cup's runner-ups France.
Pedro Porro and tournament favourites Spain endured a frustrating start to their 2026 World Cup campaign. For Porro, he was an unused substitute during his countries 0-0 draw versus Cape Verde, the now underdogs of the knockouts.
Austria started their campaign strong defeating Jordan 3-1 courtesy of an Al-Arab own goal and a Arnautovic penalty in the 102nd minute. Danso Started as a substitute however entered the pitch just before the hour mark. In typical Kevin Danso fashion, he was able to close out the game and ensure no goals were conceded for the remaining 30 minutes of play. During that time he completed 1 tackle and 3 clearances whilst winning 100% of his ground duels.
Making his debut in the World Cup, Djed was benched in favour of Nico O'Reilly and played just 10 minutes in England's 4-2 win over Croatia. Despite this, the 25-year-old put in a good display, completing 5 passes, 1 tackle and winning 100% of his ground duels.
Cristian Romero's start to the 2026 World Cup proved to the world why he remains Spurs fans' most frustrating player. As despite his inconsistent performances in a Spurs shirt, Romero produced two top performances before being subbed off due to injury midway through their second fixture.
Luka Vuskovic - Croatia
Vuskovic played 66 minutes and contributed to 5 clearances, 1 interception and 1 block and completed 37/42 passes. For the remaining 2 group games, Vuskovic was an unused substitute in Croatia's two vital wins against Ghana and Panama. A quiet campaign so far for the young Croatian, but who knows when Dalic might depend on him.
Pape Matar Sarr - Senegal
Versus Norway, Sarr came on off the bench and played 18 minutes, completing 18 passes with 2 of those being into the opponents final third. Senegal were eventually defeated, with the score ending 3-1.
Pape was once again an unused substitute in Senegals decisive final game versus Iraq. Senegal dominated Iraq in a convincing 5-0 win which was enough to progress Sarr and his nation through to the Round of 32 versus Belgium on July 1st. With reports of being out of favour with Roberto de Zerbi, this summer could prove massive for Sarr's career goig forward.
Pedro Porro - Spain
Normal service resumed for the reigning European champions however, beating Saudi Arabia 4-0 in their second group game. Porro played 90 minutes and put in a solid display, completing 100% of his long balls, 3 accurate crosses, 3 tackles, 2 clearances and 2 interceptions whilst also creating 3 chances. Rounded off with a clean sheet, this ensured Spain with qualification into the knockout stages.
Spains final game versus Uruguay resulted in a 1-0 win, meaning Spain topped their group and will now face Kevin Danso and Austria in the Round of 32. Over the 270 minutes available, Porro played a total of 90 minutes, ensuring full fitness going forward in the knockouts.
Kevin Danso - Austria
Game 2 served as the ultimate test: facing up against the reigning champions Argentina paired with an in-form Lionel Messi. Danso completed the full 90 minutes and had his hands full, making 2 blocks, 4 clearances and winning 80% of his aerial duels. Despite the strong individual display, Argentina came out as winners thanks to a Messi brace.
A six-goal thriller ending 3-3 versus Algeria concluded Danso's group stage campaign. The 28-year-old played 28-minutes and had the chance to win the game for his nation missing a big chance. He also won 2/3 aerial duels and now faces off against Spain and Spurs teammate Pedro Porro in the knockouts.
Djed Spence - England
Spence featured for 66 minutes in England's second game of the tournament, earning his first start at a World Cup. In a frustrating 0-0 draw versus Ghana, the Three Lions international completed 43/45 (96%) passes, 1 tackle, 1 block, 1 clearance and 100% of his ground duels.
Throughout the group stages, Spence has developed a reputation for being one of England's best defensive-minded fullbacks. This was showcased by another good performance off the bench in place of the injured Quansah. Like his performance versus Ghana the game prior, Spence completed 1 tackle, 1 block and 1 interception and 1/2 (50%) of his ground duels.
Despite being a favourite of Thomas Tuchel during international friendly fixtures, Djed played just 103 minutes across the three fixtures, which for some may seem harsh. However it remains to be seen if Tuchel will turn to Djed versus DR Congo to fill the void of an injured Reece James.
Rodrigo Bentancur - Uruguay
Playing in what could be his last World Cup for his national side, Bentancur kickstarted his campaign with a solid performance in a 1-1 draw versus Saudi Arabia. Bentancur completed the full 90 minutes in midfield, making 65 accurate passes, a 100% dribble success rate, 2/3 accurate long balls and not being dispossessed once. Rodrigo also contributed well defensively, making 1 tackle, 3 clearances, 11 recoveries and winning 5/6 (83%) of his ground duels.
Once again, Bentancur was a huge presence in the midfield for Uruguay playing back-to-back 90 minutes. Benta had a 100% success rate for both successful dribbles and long balls, whilst also maintaining a defensive output of 2 tackles - one of which being a last man tackle - as well as 4 interceptions, 5 ground duels won and 3 aerial duels won. The result ended 2-2 against Cape Verde, leaving Uruguay with the difficult task of having to beat Spain in their next game to progress to the knockouts.
That task proved too difficult in the end, as despite the game being a tightly contested one, Spain came out victorious winning 1-0 and topping the group, ensuring that Bentancur was the first Spurs player to officially be knocked out of the World Cup. Although the outcome was a disapointing one, Bentancur showcased his ability that we saw under De Zerbi, a big boost for Tottenham's upcoming season.
Cristian Romero - Argentina
Argentina's opening game of the tournament ended up with a convincing 3-0 win over Algeria. Romero didn't put a foot wrong all game, completing 65/66 passes (98%), 2 tackles, 1 block and 100% of aerial duels. Rounded off with a clean sheet, Romero reminded the world that he has the capability of being one of the worlds best.
Romero and co guaranteed their spot in the last 32 after another comfortable win, this time a 2-0 victory of Austria. Before being subbed off in the 57th minute, Romero recorded a 98% pass accuracy as well as making 1 tackle, 5 clearances and 2 interceptions. The injury however did highlight a reoccurring issue Cuti faces whilst playing for Tottenham, his inability to stay fit.
Marcos Senesi - Argentina
One of Tottenham's new summer signings, Senesi received a late call up to the national side due to injuries to their squad. It wasn't until Argentina's final game of the group versus Jordan where Senesi received a start. He completed the full 90 minutes and was on the receiving end of a penalty being awarded, helping his side to a 3-1 win, resulting in topping the group on maximum points and a tie against fan favourites Cape Verde.
Conclusion
As the group stage has now officially came to an end, just two of Tottenham's first team players have been knocked out of the World Cup. However, not all have made an impact for their country and these players have all been linked with moves away from Tottenham this summer.
For example, Lucas Bergvall has informed Spurs of his desire for a new challenge and game time. During this world cup he has played just 115 minutes so far. Pape Sarr has also been linked with a move away if a suitable offer was to be received. Sarr has played a staggering 18 minutes out of 270.
The reality is, Spurs fans should make a comparison between the minutes played for players linked with moves away such as Bergvall, Sarr and Vuskovic and players who aren't as popular but have been a consistent face on their nations teamsheet such as Porro, Robertson, van de Ven and van Hecke.
We face the harsh reality of letting players who may have a soft spot in our hearts leave for the better of the club. Whilst the names linked at leaving are still young and they may come good at their next club, the present needs to remain a priority. Tottenham must move forward, even if that means making some tough decisions regarding fan favourites.
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