Interview and Able Made Ask: Who Is the Hottest World Cup Player?

As World Cup fever sweeps NYC, Interview and Able Made invited friends, contributors, enemies, and lovers to come out and rep their team in celebration of the launch of our collaborative Home and Away jerseys and socks. The Ground in Chinatown provided our immersive soccer experience for the night, featuring buff boys plastered in the magazine’s logo playing soccer upstairs and a lively dance party courtesy of DJ Brooke Fleeca downstairs. When not taking in the game or the tunes, guests snacked on empanadas, boozy shaved ice, and beers sourced from around the world. In the spirit of the night, Interview decided to settle the fiercest World Cup debate of them all, asking every person we could find one simple question: Who is the hottest player in the entire league?

WEDNESDAY 9:55 PM JUNE 8, 2026 CHINATOWN

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ANAGRICEL DURAN

I’m going to say Erling Haaland.

MEL OTTENBERG

I have no idea.

LUISA OPALESKY

Oh, my god. The goalie for fucking Portugal, babe. Orlando Gill. He’s so hot. Look him up.

ALEXA SPELLMAN

Oh my god, that guy who has a crazy collection of Birkins. Harding, or something? Haaland. Honestly, he’s not even hot. His Birkin collection is hot.

MADELINE CASH

Rodrigo De Paul, from Argentina. But I don’t know anything about football.

BEN BARNA

Erling Haaland.

SOFIA GARCIA-PEÑA

Oh, that Italian guy. Who’s that hot Italian soccer player?

EMILY SANDSTROM

Luka Modrić. Did he play this year?

BOBBY SHORE

I don’t watch soccer.

HANS NEUMANN

Jude Bellingham.

CASSIE JEKANOSKI

Okay, literally, honestly, what’s his name? Jude Bellingham. Those pictures of his thighs were so hot. Those veins were crazy.

JULIAN RIBEIRO

I don’t have a hottest player because none of them are thick enough. I find the hottest guys in sports to be from football and stuff where they can reliably be fat. They’re big in rugby.

AUSTIN AUGIE

Ben Barna. He loves the World Cup with all of his heart.

MARIKA THUNDER

I’m going to have to say Argentina’s Enzo [Fernández].

DYLAN KELLY

Erling Haaland’s the hottest player. There’s also a French guy that’s really hot. What’s his name? Damn.

SOFI CISNEROS

Jude Bellingham, but fuck England. Viva Mexico. 

WILLIAM FRANKLE

William, but I don’t know his name. He’s the blonde and people say he’s a twinky guy. Lucas Bergvall? There’s that one picture of him, you know?

KEVIN LEBLANC

Rodrigo De Paul from Argentina, even though Argentina sucks. Or, [Mohamed] Salah from Egypt.

KEV PONCE

I don’t know who’s the hottest—oh, you know what? I like that Swedish guy. Lucas Bergvall. With the Birkins? Wait, is he Swedish or is he—oh, Erling Haaland. I just like him because he has the Birkins. Well, give me the Birkins. Bye.

TIJ D’OYEN

I couldn’t tell you a single name.

EMILY KIRKPATRICK

Cho Gue-sung from South Korean. Because I also don’t think anyone’s going to pick him, and he deserves some attention and some love for how good-looking he is.

JESSICA DEFINO

My pick is the unpopular choice of Harry Kane. Is that his name? I just know he’s from England, and he looks sturdy.

MARKUS KELLE

I’m gay. I don’t have any time for this. I can’t name one player, if I’m being real with you.

LUCY GASTON

Not Argentina, we can’t support. Wait, the Iranian team was really hot in the airport.

SUZANNE MCKENZIE

More than one. Raúl Jiménez from México, Diogo Costa from Portugal, and William Saliba from France.