Alexi Lalas’ Top UEFA Nations League Stars: Where Kane, Mbappé, Yamal Stack Up

Lamine Yamal. Harry Kane. Kylian Mbappé. Marc Cucurella? International soccer is BACK for the final set of matches before we flip the calendar to 2027.  That means we have the conclusion of the UEFA Nations League group stage, with some of the biggest stars from Europe’s best squads back in action from Nov. 12-17. And of all the players and playmakers, these are the 10 you should keep an eye on. We got elite goalscorers, we got midfield maestros, and we even got one long-haired defender. Let’s go through the list. 10. Marc Cucurella | Defender | Spain His Season So Far: In his first season with Real Madrid since a summer move to Chelsea, the World Cup-winning Spanish left-back has shown why he’s considered one of the best end-to-end players with both club and country. Real Madrid had a shaky start to its La Liga season amid some poor defensive showings, but Cucurella is adjusting well at the Bernabeu. Alexi’s Take: “You’ve got to have someone with long hair, right? I have not always loved him, but he’s growing on me. Like a fungus, he’s growing on me.” 9. Declan Rice | Midfielder | England His Season So Far: The engine in the middle for both England and defending Premier League champions Arsenal, Rice hasn’t dropped off so far and could be in the running for Premier League Player of the Year honors. He leads the league in assists (five). Having broken Arsenal’s title drought, he’ll be instrumental in getting elusive silverware for England over the next couple of years. Alexi’s Take: “While he doesn’t always get the attention, the man is a machine when it comes to what he does in that midfield and what he does on set pieces.” 8. Aurélien Tchouaméni | Midfielder | France His Season So Far: A top-class midfielder when he’s healthy, but injuries have limited him at the onset of this campaign. He’s worked his way into becoming a key piece in José Mourinho’s system at Real Madrid, appearing in 10 matches. But he could now miss the November matches for France under manager Zinedine Zidane due to a new groin injury. Alexi’s Take: “Speaking of unsung heroes, Tchouaméni does so much great work that doesn’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet, but it’s huge.” 7. Jude Bellingham | Midfielder | England His Season So Far: The best midfielder in the world? There are other contenders (including several on this list), but Bellingham is at the top of his game. He scores, he provides assists, and is a key defensive cog for Real Madrid. He’s firmly established himself following the World Cup to be one of England’s biggest stars and will now get a chance to play alongside his brother, Jobe, who was called up for these games. Alexi’s Take: “I could definitely push him up higher, but I’m going to put him at No. 7.” 6. Erling Haaland | Forward | Norway His Season So Far: Manchester City being found guilty of financial mismanagement has loomed over the club, and their first year under manager Enzo Maresca has been up and down. But that hasn’t stopped Haaland from continuing to score at an astronomical pace as he once again tops the Premier League goalscoring table (Nine goals in 10 games). Norway has struggled in Nations League play, so they could use a big dose of Haaland. Alexi’s Take: “He’s worth the price of admission. His hair was flowing! It’s starting to grow out, but the man still scores goals. You’ve just got to see him.” 5. Vitinha | Midfielder | Portugal His Season So Far: PSG continues its dominance in Ligue 1 and in Champions League action, in no small part by the team’s midfield maestro. But it’s all a new dawn for Vitinha and his Portugal teammates following Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement from international duty. Alexi’s Take: “The interesting thing here with Vitinha is that it’s relative to this Portugal team, and I guess this ‘new’ Portugal team without Cristiano Ronaldo. Maybe they are unburdened, maybe they aren’t – but if they are, whether it’s Vitinha or anybody else out there, I’ve got to think we’re going to see the best version of them.” 4. Michael Olise | Forward | France His Season So Far: Even though he didn’t score at the World Cup, the Bayern Munich star proved how pivotal he is with his assist-producing magic. With Bayern this season, he’s third in the Bundesliga with six goals and arguably forms one of the world’s best frontline alongside Harry Kane and Luis Díaz. Don’t expect the overtures from other giant clubs like Real Madrid to calm down anytime soon. Alexi’s Take: “The guy is just blown up and rightfully so. Every time he touches the ball, he seems to do something magical.” 3. Lamine Yamal | Forward | Spain His Season So Far: It’s still bewildering that he is 19 years old and is regularly considered one of the top players in the world. The numbers and accolades will continue to rack up. Yamal leads La Liga with eight assists and is third in goals with 10, behind his Barcelona teammate Raphinha (15) and Real Madrid rival Kylian Mbappé (13). An injury caution could limit his playing time with Spain in the November matches. Alexi’s Take: “Speaking of magical. It’s not just his ability to beat players, it’s not just his ability to score goals. He also has this playmaker type of characteristic that is just a whole other skill set that he brings.” 2. Kylian Mbappé | Forward | France His Season So Far: After becoming the World Cup’s most prolific scorer in history, Mbappé is now on a mission to further cement his legacy as one of the all-time greats. That includes finally winning major silverware with Real Madrid – including an elusive Champions League title. His 13 goals in La Liga trail only Barcelona’s Raphinha (15). Alexi’s Take: “I have Mbappé coming in at No. 2.” 1.  Harry Kane | Forward | England His Season So Far: It’s good to be Harry Kane. He just signed a new deal with Bayern Munich that reportedly makes him the highest-paid player in Europe. That came on the heels of winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or, becoming the first English player in 25 years to win the soccer world’s most respected individual award, and the first from the German league in 30 years. Alexi’s Take: “The Englishman. The winner of the Ballon d’Or. We’ll see if it’s a burden — a poison chalice, if you will — but I don’t think so. Harry Kane adapts to anything on and off the field.”