News Article
Published
Jun 15, 2026 at 01:08 AM EDT
updated
Jun 15, 2026 at 01:09 AM EDT
By Tyler Erzberger
What a day it was at the World Cup , as our weekend climax ended with teams scoring goals across North America in an attacking explosion, with three of the four games having four or more goals.
But who were the best players on a day with so much action?
Here are my three stars, from bronze to gold, for Day 4 of the World Cup.
More news: Australia’s Upset Hero Headlines the Three Stars of World Cup Day 3
...
More news: Predicting Every Single Game of the 2026 World Cup (All 104 Matches)
Bronze Star: Kai Havertz ( Germany )
A few weeks ago, Havertz was scoring in the Champions League Final for Arsenal, and now he's continuing his strong form at the World Cup. Although Curaçao is one of the weaker teams in the competition, you can only play who is in front of you, and after a two goal effort, I couldn't leave Havertz off the podium for Day 4. With young prodigal talent Lennart Karl out of the World Cup due to a last-minute injury, Havertz is going to be asked to be at the forefront of this German team if they want to make a deep run.
Silver Star: Yan Diomande ( Ivory Coast )
Diomande moved to the United States five years ago in hope of breakthrough through as an athlete, and after making a name for himself as a high schooler. After getting sought after at the DME Academy in Florida, Diomande eventually made his way to Spain before making it to RB Leipzig last year.
After a transformational season in Germany, the now 19-year-old prodigy is soon to be called by every club giant in Europe. In a game against one of the best defenses in the world in Ecuador, Diomande made them look slow and flatfooted, still making them look silly after 90 minutes of running. He was already a budding star before the World Cup, but if this Ivory Coast team can continue their winning ways, he'll be a household name by July.
...
Gold Star: Alexander Isak ( Sweden )
There was a lot of pessimism revolving around Isak and the Swedish team before the World Cup. Isak, who went to Liverpool for $150 million, barely played this most recent campaign due to injury. But after Sunday night, there's no question about his health or motivation status, as Isak was every bit of the $150 million that Liverpool paid for, torching Tunisia in one of the best performances thus far in the tournament. Sweden has what it takes, like Ivory Coast, to do some damage at this World Cup.
Read the full article at Newsweek →