World Cup Free-Agent List Featured Stones, Alaba and Vozinha, With Modric Status Unclear

Correction: The original article was structurally incomplete and described a group of World Cup players as an established bargain market without verifying every contract position or the wider cost of a deal. This version distinguishes confirmed club departures from reported free-agent status and qualifies Luka Modric's position.

The Guardian assembled a World Cup free-agent XI that included John Stones, David Alaba, Vozinha and Luka Modric. Its list was a useful starting point, but the underlying contract evidence was not identical for every player. Read the Guardian's original selection.

John Stones and David Alaba had announced departures

Manchester City announced in April that Stones would leave at the end of his contract after ten years at the club. The club credited him with 293 appearances and 19 trophies at the time of the announcement. Read Manchester City's departure announcement.

Real Madrid separately announced that it had agreed with Alaba to end his time at the club at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. Its statement recorded 131 appearances and 11 trophies. Read Real Madrid's official statement.

Those primary announcements establish the planned departures. They do not establish what salary, signing bonus, agent fee or other commitment a prospective club would need to agree, so the absence of a transfer fee should not be treated as proof of a low-cost deal.

Vozinha was reported out of contract

Sports Illustrated Mexico reported that Vozinha's agreement with Chaves ended on 30 June and quoted the club president confirming that the contract had finished. That report supports describing the Cape Verde goalkeeper as a free agent at the time. Read Sports Illustrated Mexico's report.

Modric required qualification

AC Milan's 2025 signing announcement stated that Modric's contract ran to 30 June 2026 and included an option to extend it to 30 June 2027. See AC Milan's original contract announcement.

The Guardian reported on 8 July 2026 that an extension remained unsigned but was a club priority. See the Guardian's qualification on Modric. Because the public contract announcement contained an extension option, Modric should not be presented as definitively unattached without current confirmation from the player or club.

What the list showed

The evidence supported a timely analysis of experienced players whose club situations were changing during the World Cup. It did not support calling every player a confirmed bargain. Stones and Alaba had official departure statements, Vozinha was independently reported out of contract, and Modric's option and reported renewal discussions required a more cautious description.