Which Chelsea players have the biggest role to play at the World Cup?

Chelsea’s 2025/26 season is threatening to fall apart. Expectations are high after Enzo Maresca led the Blues to a stellar campaign last term, securing a Champions League return, winning the Conference League, and then shocking the world by winning the Club World Cup. However, the club hasn’t been able to build upon that solid foundation.  

Chelsea’s Recent Woes  

Maresca was sacked back on New Year’s Day with the Blues down in fifth place in the Premier League table. Former Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior took over, and after an initial uptick in form, things have tailed off badly. Chelsea have lost each of their last four games, with the three most recent of those defeats coming by a three-goal margin.  

The 8-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in a two-legged Champions League round of 16 tie was bad enough, but to then follow that up with a 3-0 reverse at Everton days later was disastrous. As such, Rosenior is already starting to feel the heat in the Stamford Bridge hotseat.  

But regardless of what happens between now and the end of the season, as soon as the curtain comes down on Chelsea’s 2025/26 campaign, all eyes will immediately turn to North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But which Blues players are expected to play a starring role across the pond this summer? Let’s take a look.  

Cole Palmer  

Two years ago, England supporters were clamouring for Gareth Southgate to simply put Cole Palmer on the pitch. The now-former England manager waited, waited, and waited some more. When he finally pulled the trigger and brought Palmer off the bench, we all saw what happened. A picture-perfect assist for Ollie Watkins’s last-minute winner against the Netherlands in the semifinals. Then, he scored a stunning equaliser in the final against Spain.  

Fast forward two years, and those same fans still love Cold P, but perhaps the clamour isn’t quite what it once was. Palmer is currently in the midst of arguably his worst season at Stamford Bridge, with injuries causing him to miss much of the first half of the season. The former Manchester City has since returned, starting each of the last eight Premier League games, but he still looks some way away from the blistering form that saw him score two goals against Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final.  

Online betting sites currently make England one of the favourites for glory in North America this summer. The latest World Cup odds position them as an 11/2 second-favourite, narrowly behind 9/2 frontrunners Spain, and just ahead of 7/1 shot France. But if they are to contend, then manager Thomas Tuchel will have to make the right decision surrounding the number ten role. 

Both Palmer and Jude Bellingham were the frontrunners, but both have had to endure dips in form this term. All the while, Morgan Rogers has been flying for Aston Villa, and he may well pip both to the starting berth against Croatia on June 17th. But supporters know that it’s Palmer they need to be fully fit and firing on all cylinders.  

The 23-year-old superstar is absolutely unplayable on his day, and if the Three Lions are to finally end 60 long years of hurt this summer, he will be a crucial part of it. He already knows the terrain, having shone in North America last summer, and thrived at Euro 2024 before that, banking the big game experience. If he can reach peak fitness in the next three months, Thomas Tuchel will know that he has a player in his squad capable of winning many games almost single-handedly.  

Estêvão 

Brazil has never been short of superstar attackers. Neymar is the man who has dominated the samba scene over the last decade. Before him, it was the likes of Ronaldinho, Kaka, Ronaldo, and Rivaldo stealing the limelight. This summer, however, things are a little different.  

The Selecao is currently void of any game-winning attacking players. Sure, they have Vinicius Jr., but he has looked like a shadow of his former self with Real Madrid this season. Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli will do a job, but he isn’t capable of the spectacular. That’s why there is so much hope being placed on the young shoulders of teenage prodigy Estêvão.  

Chelsea snapped up the 18-year-old last summer after he burst onto the scene with boyhood club Palmeiras, leading them to second place in the Brazilian top-flight and the Copa Libertadores final. For Chelsea, he has already delivered devastating displays against Liverpool and Barcelona, scoring in both to help the Blues secure impressive victories. Now, Brazilians from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo are hoping he can do the same with the national team.  

Carlo Ancelotti’s side was in questionable form throughout qualifying and at one point, in real danger of missing out on an invite to football’s biggest party. In the end, they did indeed qualify, and now the bookies make them a contender, sitting just behind Spain, England, and France in the betting charts. If they are to mount a serious challenge and avoid yet another quarterfinal exit, Estêvão will have to light up the tournament and show his more experienced teammates exactly how it’s done.