At least 60 Serie A players were called up to represent their national teams during the recently concluded World Cup 2026. This means the Italian top-flight remains one of the best football leagues in the world today.
According to the Serie A 2026 news, AC Milan are the most represented team with 10 players, while Lazio, Lecce, and Monza had no representatives in the showpiece event. Several stars have used this year’s quadrennial tournament as their personal playground to showcase their talents and boost their stocks. On the other hand, others were here simply for the love of the game.
SBOTOP pays homage to the stars who repped the Italian top-flight well in this year’s World Cup.
Jonathan David, Juventus
Canada advanced to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time because of Jonathan David, their leading scorer in the quadrennial tournament. The 26-year-old striker was among those who scored a hat-trick in the World Cup, as he did so during the Maple Leafs’ 6-0 bashing of Qatar in Group B, which ultimately gave them the second seed over Bosnia and Herzegovina (who also qualified for the knockouts by being among the best third-seeded nations).
Before this, David was coming off a fairly productive first full season with Juventus. He finished as the Bianconeri’s third-leading scorer with six league goals and four assists, despite having shared minutes with Lois Openda and Dusan Vlahovic.
With Vlahovic already leaving Turin, David is now Juventus’ undisputed top choice at the No. 9 position, with Openda – who didn’t even get a call-up from Belgium – as his backup this upcoming season.
Charles De Ketelaere, Atalanta
After a slow start in the final third, where they’ve scored only one goal in their opening two games, Belgium’s attack caught fire against New Zealand (5-1), and the Red Devils never looked back until their quarter-final defeat to Spain (2-1).
Charles De Ketelaere didn’t score at all during the group stage and the Round of 32, but the Atalanta forward picked it up in the next two rounds. He scored a brace to lead Belgium to a 4-1 rout of the United States before scoring the consolation goal against Spain, having been deployed as the team’s solo striker, relegating Romelu Lukaku to the bench.
The 25-year-old striker hopes his World Cup form will carry over this upcoming season. He didn’t exactly have a great run in 2025-26, as De Ketelaere only had three league goals and five assists.
Romelu Lukaku, Napoli
Speaking of Romelu Lukaku, he finished as Belgium’s joint-top scorer with Charles De Ketelaere, as the Napoli striker embraced his off-the-bench role late in the quadrennial tournament. The Napoli striker made two goal contributions in Belgium’s 5-1 whacking of New Zealand before scoring the first goal during their 3-2 comeback against Senegal and scoring another goal against the United States.
Like De Ketelaere, Lukaku hopes his World Cup form will carry over next season after a miserable 2025-26 campaign with the Partenopei, where he dealt with nagging injuries and had a falling-out with then-manager Antonio Conte. Conte’s replacement, Max Allegri, has built a reputation for consistently getting the best out of experienced forwards.
Lautaro Martinez, Inter Milan
Lautaro Martinez probably had the right to feel disappointed by Lionel Scaloni’s decision not to play him at all during Argentina’s 1-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup final, as the Inter Milan striker was La Albiceleste’s second-top scorer with three goals.
Martinez converted a penalty against Jordan (3-1) for his first goal of the tournament before scoring late goals against Switzerland and England. His towering header against England completed their stirring comeback in the semi-finals.
Before this, Martinez finished as Serie A’s top scorer in 2025-26, notching 17 league goals in 30 appearances, and the early Serie A 2026 odds predict him to be among the Capocannoniere frontrunners this upcoming season. The Nerazzurri will need his leadership and goals to defend their title.
Luka Modric, AC Milan
As if he doesn’t have many fans already, Luka Modric probably gained a few more during this year’s World Cup for leading Croatia to the Round of 32. He only had one assist throughout the quadrennial tournament, but his impact on the Vatreni goes beyond the numbers.
After seeing him play for Croatia, newly appointed AC Milan head coach Ruben Amorim reportedly urged the 40-year-old midfielder to delay his retirement. This speaks volumes about Modric’s fitness and love for the game, and to be honest, we won’t be entirely surprised if Modric is present for the Vatreni in the next World Cup cycle.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
