How soccer's greatest stars have shined at AT&T Stadium during the World Cup

Arlington’s AT&T Stadium has hosted a parade of the world’s top soccer players during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, from record-setting performances to a legend’s farewell.

Here’s a look at how five of the sport’s biggest names — Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo — fared in North Texas:

• Lionel Messi scored twice to lead Argentina to a 2-0 win over Austria on June 22, and his first goal of the night made him the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with his 17th career tournament goal.
• Messi returned to Arlington against Jordan and came on as a substitute in the 60th minute before burying a free kick in the 80th, becoming the first player in World Cup history to score in seven consecutive matches as Argentina won 3-1 to finish group play with nine points.
• Harry Kane scored twice — including a penalty retake and a header off a set piece — in England’s 4-2 win over Croatia before a sellout crowd of 70,389, tying Gary Lineker for the most World Cup goals by an England player with 10.
• Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham delivered the go-ahead goal for England in the 47th minute against Croatia and was a defensive menace in the midfield with countless interceptions, drawing praise from teammate Morgan Rogers who called him “one of the best players in the world.”
• Erling Haaland scored a late tap-in to give Norway a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast on June 30, extending Norway’s undefeated streak to 17 straight matches when he scores and sending the Norwegians to the round of 16 for the first time since 1998.
• Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said of his striker: “I think he’s the greatest goalscorer in the world. I think there’s no doubt about that,” crediting Haaland’s calmness and ball retention after his winner against Ivory Coast.
• Mohamed Salah, playing through a hamstring injury, helped set up multiple chances and converted his penalty as Egypt beat Australia 4-2 in a shootout on July 3 to win the country’s first World Cup knockout stage match ever. “Today was one of the best days of my life,” Salah said.
• Cristiano Ronaldo’s sixth and final World Cup ended in a 1-0 round-of-16 loss to Spain, with Mikel Merino’s goal at the start of extra time coming just minutes after Ronaldo had two close chances to score. “I gave everything, I did my best, and I leave with a clear conscience,” Ronaldo said after the defeat, finishing his career having scored just one of his 11 World Cup goals in the knockout stage.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.