There will be a number of familiar faces at World Cup 2026 for Manchester United supporters.
As we settle down for World Cup 2026 to watch Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo and co, there will be several former Manchester United players on our screens too.
Here is a rundown of 19 former Manchester United players to keep an eye on…
Scott McTominay – Scotland
The one that got away, Scott McTominay has blossomed from a Manchester United squad player into the MVP of Serie A. The midfielder’s time at Napoli has been a major success, and it has only aided his international performances for Scotland.
McTominay helped seal qualification with an overhead kick against Denmark, and he will have a moment in the spotlight when Scotland take on Brazil. He could even play a mentor role for young United wonderkid Tyler Fletcher.
Victor Lindelof and Anthony Elanga – Sweden
Sweden qualified for the tournament through the playoffs, seizing a chance at redemption after a terrible qualifying campaign.
Victor Lindelof will captain the team, following on from his Europa League success with Aston Villa. Newcastle winger Anthony Elanga is the second former Manchester United player in the Sweden squad, playing at his first World Cup.
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Hannibal Mejbri – Tunisia
Hannibal Mejbri already has 44 caps for Tunisia at the age of 23 and he is set to play at his second World Cup tournament.
Hannibal only played 10 minutes at Qatar 2022, so he will be aiming for a more substantial showing in 2026 and help Tunisia spring a surprise.
Romelu Lukaku – Belgium
Former United striker Romelu Lukaku is now Belgium’s record goalscorer with 89 goals – but none of these came at World Cup 2022.
The 33-year-old will also be looking to shake off a difficult club season where he only played seven games for Napoli due to injury, scoring once.
Zidane Iqbal – Iraq
A standout performer for Manchester United in pre-season under Erik ten Hag, Zidane Iqbal has re-launched his career in the Eredivisie with Utrecht.
Iqbal made his Iraq debut while at Manchester United and he has continued to feature under Rene Meulensteen. He has 23 international caps already, with two goals.
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Marcel Sabitzer – Austria
Former Manchester United loanee Marcel Sabitzer will play a key role for Austria in their first appearance at the World Cup since 1998.
There will be a familiar face on the touchline, with former Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick in charge.
Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal
One of the major stories at World Cup will be Cristiano Ronaldo‘s quest for glory at the age of 41. You would think this will be his final tournament – but you can never quite rule anything out with Ronaldo.
Ronaldo has arguably the best Portugal team around him that he has ever had, and Bruno Fernandes is in the form of his life.
He has an interesting record, scoring at five different tournaments – but none of his eight goals have come in the knockout rounds.
An interesting quarter-final tie lies ahead; if Portugal and Argentina win their groups and subsequent knockout matches, we are on course for a Ronaldo vs Messi showdown.
Wout Weghorst and Memphis Depay – Netherlands
The striker who (briefly) ended up replacing Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United will also be at World Cup 2026; Wout Weghorst.
The Netherlands still value Weghorst as a useful option in attack and preferred him to current United forward Joshua Zirkzee.
It feels a long time ago that Memphis Depay announced himself at World Cup 2014 under Louis van Gaal, later resulting in a move to Manchester United.
Depay is now the Netherlands record scorer, but his club career has not been so impressive. He has spent the last season playing for Corinthians in Brazil.
Axel Tuanzebe and Aaron Wan-Bissaka – DR Congo
Two former Manchester United players helped the DR Congo overcome a gruelling path to seal World Cup qualification, winning knockout games against Nigeria and then Jamaica.
Axel Tuanzebe scored the crucial goal to seal qualification, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka also played his part, having switched allegiances in 2025 after becoming fed up with being overlooked by England, who he represented at under-21 level.
Sofyan Amrabat – Morocco
Sofyan Amrabat was one of the top performers at World Cup 2022, helping Morocco to reach the semi-finals.
He signed for Manchester United on loan in 2023/24, and remains a key part of their side in 2026.
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Dean Henderson – England
Thomas Tuchel’s England squad caused plenty of controversy, but there was no disputing his decision to include Dean Henderson.
Unlike his midfield namesake, Dean Henderson’s performances fully justify his inclusion in the Three Lions squad, however, his chances of playing are slim.
Jordan Pickford is the first choice goalkeeper, so Henderson’s only chance may be if England wrap up group stage qualification in the first two games and decide to rotate.
Matej Kovar – Czech Republic
Another former Manchester United goalkeeper, Matej Kovar heads to the World Cup as the Czech Republic’s first choice.
Kovar the hero in the playoffs, helping the Czechs to a penalty shootout win to eliminate Denmark.
Facundo Pellistri and Guillermo Varela – Uruguay
Two former Manchester United talents who joined the club at a young age, Facundo Pellistri and Guillermo Varela will both represent their country at USA 2026.
Pellistri featured at World Cup 2022 – before he had even started a game for United’s first team. He is now playing for Panathinaikos.
Varela, now 33, also began his career at Penarol like Pellistri. He is now starring for Brazilian side Flamengo.
Tahith Chong and Kenji Gorre – Curacao
The most unlikely World Cup story, Tahith Chong has helped international minnows Curacao reach their first ever tournament.
Chong, formerly a Netherlands youth international, played 16 times for Manchester United and currently stars for Sheffield United.
There is an even more unlikely name in the squad, with former Manchester United trainee Kenji Gorre named in the final selection.
Gorre, 31, was in United’s academy before leaving for Swansea City, and he currently plays for Maccabi Haifa. He has six international goals for Curacao.
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