There is set to be a host of household Tottenham Hotspur names at the FIFA World Cup 2026, which kicks off tonight. Former Spurs and current national heroes such as Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son, and Luka Modrić are set to lead out their respective nations, while ex-head coach Mauricio Pochettino will be on the touchline for hosts USA.
Current stars like Micky Van de Ven and Rodrigo Bentancur, among others, along with the incoming Andy Robertson, mean there is set to be plenty of Tottenham influence in North America this summer.
Lost are the stories of some of Tottenham’s forgotten men. Stories you may remember, others you forgot you remembered. London derby heroes. Academy graduates. National legends who never quite made it at Spurs. Here are the forgotten Spurs men set to grace the pitches, dugouts, and TV screens of World Cup 2026.
1. Paul Stalteri - Canada
The former Spurs right-back is Jesse Marsch’s assistant manager for co-hosts Canada as they look to make home advantage count in Group B.
Stalteri is most fondly remembered for his last-minute winner against West Ham at Upton Park in 2007.
In an interview with the club last week, he spoke of his pride in working with Jesse Marsch and helping his nation prepare for a home World Cup.
“It's been amazing, and working with Jesse (Marsch, manager) has been awesome. He's great to have around…It's exciting. It's in Toronto, my home city. That will be something extra special as well,” Stalteri said.
2. Nabil Bentaleb - Algeria
Tottenham academy graduate Bentaleb has been drafted back into the Algerian setup, having not played international football since October.
This is set to be Bentaleb’s second World Cup, having previously appeared at the 2014 edition in Brazil.
Now plying his club trade with Lille, Bentaleb broke into the Spurs first team in December 2013 under Tim Sherwood.
The following season, he became a mainstay in the Spurs midfield alongside Ryan Mason, helping Mauricio Pochettino’s side change the guard in North London and pave the way for future success.
3. Ronwen Williams - South Africa
The South African captain may not have actually played for the club, but his Wikipedia page reckons so.
His then-club SuperSport’s academy had a link with Spurs, meaning he played against Ryan Mason's Spurs team in 2008 in a youth competition, an experience he described as an “eye opener” in a 2024 interview with the Guardian.
Williams' story is a powerful one. Shortly before his home nation hosted the World Cup in 2010, his brother was killed in a car crash, prompting him to consider quitting football.
Now, he is preparing to lead his country out against Mexico tonight, in a reverse fixture of the 2010 curtain raiser.
4. Bongani Khumalo - South Africa
Williams’ compatriot Bongani Khumalo also captained Bafana Bafana. Having impressed at the 2010 World Cup, scoring against France for a spirited South African side, Spurs used SuperSport links to sign him.
Despite not making a senior appearance for the club, he did spend spells on loan at Reading, Preston, PAOK, Doncaster Rovers, and Colchester United before returning to South Africa.
Nowadays. Khumalo is a mainstay on South African TV station SuperSport, and will be heading up their team of analysts this summer, offering his insight on what it means to represent South Africa at a World Cup.
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