Three Roma players to watch at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

With the injury to Xavi Simons, Malen’s place in the World Cup squad is all but assured, and he’ll likely play a significant role for his country as they look to push into the late stages of the tournament.

Zeki Çelik- Turkey

Zeki Çelik has become a reliable figure in both the Roma squad and the Turkey national team. Turkey are now heading to the World Cup for the first time since 2002, and it’s highly likely that Çelik will be a central part of the team.

Çelik is likely to start either as a right-back, a wing-back, or even as the right-sided center-back in a back three for Turkey at the World Cup. His versatility and reliability has led him to carve out a solid role for himself at Roma, with 31 appearances this season. With 59 caps for his country, he’ll be counted on as an experienced head for Turkey this summer

Evan Ndicka- Ivory Coast

One of the most talented players in a generation stacked with Ivorian talent, Evan Ndicka can rest easy knowing he has a spot at the World Cup as long as he remains fit. The left-sided centre back is one of the best in Italy, and a fixture in Roma’s defence all season.

In an Ivory Coast team that is incredibly top-heavy, with plenty of excellent, European talent in attacking positions, Ndicka is going to be asked to almost single-handedly anchor the defence as the team aim to make it to the knockout stages of a World Cup for the first time in their history.