With the 2026 FIFA World Cup officially underway and the world championship set to be played on the New York Jets’ home field, MetLife Stadium, it got me wondering: which current Jets players would make the best soccer players?
Granted, I am far from an avid soccer watcher, but the World Cup is always a doozy.
Soccer and (American) football are two entirely different sports, but both require several key athletic traits.
So, with that in mind, here is a look at my ultimate Jets World Cup squad, using only current players on the team.
Striker: Garrett Wilson
To be an elite striker, you must be a highly explosive athlete with great agility, short-area burst, and body control.
Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson brings all of those elements to the table.
In 2024, his most recent fully healthy year, Wilson led wide receivers in missed tackles forced (25) and ranked third in missed tackles forced per reception (0.248).
Furthermore, he is also a diehard soccer fan. Overall, it’s safe to say that Wilson is the No. 1 option at striker when looking at the Jets’ current roster.
Left Wing: Breece Hall
When evaluating a winger, the key traits needed include acceleration, creativity in space, and lightning speed.
Sounds exactly like running back Breece Hall to me.
Since entering the league in 2022, Hall has manufactured over 2,400 yards after contact, while his 3.26 yards after contact per carry rank 11th among 60 qualified RBs since 2022.
Beyond that, he ranks in the 90th percentile of breakaway rate among RBs since being drafted.
Hall in space is always a scary sight for opposing defenses, and the bad news is that, with the Jets’ improved offensive line over the past two years, it will only become more common.
Running a 4.39-second forty-yard dash at the NFL’s Scouting Combine in 2022, Hall would profile as a traditional game-changing winger on the pitch due to his speed.
Right Wing: Kene Nwangwu
Opposite Hall is fellow running back and elite kick returner Kene Nwangwu for precisely the same reasons.
Nwangwu’s explosiveness and overall dominance as a kick returner are among the greatest in NFL history. He is averaging one kick return touchdown per every 17.8 returns, exactly 10 times the league average of one return for touchdown per every 178 returns.
Beyond that, his overall consistency is also among the best in league history. Averaging 29.7 yards per kick return in his career, it is the second-best mark in NFL history, behind only Hall of Famer Gale Sayers, who he could surpass this season at 30.6.
The wing combination of Hall and Nwangwu is a scary sight for opposing defenses.
Defensive Midfielder (CDM): Demario Davis
A defensive midfielder in soccer is as close an equivalent to a green dot linebacker in the NFL. Who better on the Jets’ current roster to translate that same skill set to a different sport than Demario Davis?
Davis strikes me as the type of player who could apply his skill set on the pitch and continue to disrupt rhythm and generate turnovers.
This, among all positions, seems like the easiest to choose.
Left Back: D’Angelo Ponds
While he is considered undersized for football standards at 5-foot-8, D’Angelo Ponds perfectly fits the mold of a left back due to his quick change-of-direction ability, which is also required to be an elite cornerback.
Plus, his jaw-dropping 4.31-second speed would also be useful in transition after generating a takeaway close to the net.
Center Back: Minkah Fitzpatrick
Minkah Fitzpatrick perfectly fits the bill of a defensive partoler across the middle of the field. It’s why he’s carved out such a strong career as a free safety.
To play center back, you need to have great positioning and instincts, which are both needed to play free safety.
Largely due to the carryover in traits that apply in both positions, Fitzpatrick is the squad’s center back.
Center Back: Jamien Sherwood
Jamien Sherwood fits perfectly next to Fitzpatrick as the Jets’ second CB, as the guy who can make plays near the ball and keep the ball away from the net.
Similar to Fitzpatrick, he brings the instincts and physicality to play the position.
Right Back: Brandon Stephens
Long, athletic, and fluid.
That perfectly describes Brandon Stephens’ build at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, coupled with a 76-inch wingspan.
To defend fast wingers on the outside, you also need those traits. Stephens’ build and experience at cornerback make him a smooth fit at right back, while he also has the speed to contribute in transition.
Center Midfielder (CM): Isaiah Williams
At CM, versatility is everything, and nobody on the Jets brings more of that than Isaiah Williams.
After playing quarterback in college, he converted to a wide receiver/kick returner in the NFL before being named the Jets’ team MVP for the 2025 season.
Williams has the creativity, vision, and speed to play this role, evidenced by his electric season as the team’s kick returner alongside Nwangwu. The CM is the middle piece of sorts, who needs to connect the defense to the attack.
Williams just seems like the type of guy who you could stick anywhere, and he’d adapt eventually.
Center Attacking Midfielder (CAM): Adonai Mitchell
To be a CAM, you need to be able to generate plays in tight space. Adonai Mitchell has proven to do just that.
If he can translate his smooth-moving skills to the pitch, Mitchells profiles perfectly as a CAM.
Due to his ability to consistently separate and win in contested situations on the football field, he could be the type of player to generate scoring opportunities in tight situations.
Goalkeeper: Nahshon Wright
This one is quite simple.
At 6-foot-4 with absurd size and length, Wright is the clear choice to be this team’s goalkeeper. To be successful at the position, you need to boast size and length, both of which Wright has.
His size alone would make it difficult for opposing teams to find cracks in the goal. Also, his experience making plays on the ball downfield could translate to him reading shots on goal and quickly identifying location.
Overall, Jets fans, how did I do? How is this squad stacking up against World Cup competition?
