Bournemouth had six players at the 2026 World Cup, spread across five different nations. The Cherries had two players representing Scotland, who crashed out in the group stage. Below are report cards for all six, in grade order from best to worst.
Rayan (Brazil) – B+
Rayan is a superstar, if that wasn’t already obvious from his achievements during the Premier League. When Raphina picked up an injury 40 minutes into Brazil’s second game, Rayan got the nod. He jumped on that opportunity and remained Carlo Ancelotti’s first choice for the rest of the tournament. He registered an assist in the 3-0 trouncing of Scotland and looked dangerous at all times. At just 19 and only six caps total (four in this tournament alone), he will be a crucial player for Brazil moving forward.
Ben Gannon-Doak (Scotland) – B+
Doak gets a high rating because he was one of the few attacking threats and outlets for a very disappointing Scottish team. Without Doak they would not have beaten Haiti and the tournament could have been a genuine embarrassment. Hopefully his efforts will result in more minutes for the Cherries next season.
Tyler Adams (United States) – B
Adams had a solid World Cup in the heart of midfield for the co-hosts, starting four games. He did sit out the 3-2 loss to Türkiye in the final group stage game as he was on a yellow card. He was most impressive in the opening two games against Paraguay (4-1) and Australia (2-0), locking down the middle of the pitch. However, his performance in the round of 16 match against Belgium was lackluster, and he was subbed out in the 76th minute when the US were already down 3-1 (game ended 4-1).
Ryan Christie (Scotland) – D
Christie had a poor tournament. While he played in all three group stage matches, he only started one and logged 95 minutes on the pitch. In truth he probably isn’t at the level required for a nation competing at a World Cup, and that showed. He didn’t have one good performance.
Justin Kluivert (Netherlands) – D
Kluivert was in the squad but only played 25 minutes across four games. This normally would mean that he made little to no impact on the tournament, but his miss wide left from the spot was the catalyst in the Dutch collapse in the penalty shootout against Morocco.
Alex Paulsen (New Zealand) – N/A
Paulsen was in the squad as a backup goalkeeper and didn’t play a minute.
