Every tournament throws up a name nobody outside the diehards had heard of a year earlier. Then suddenly, that name’s everywhere. FIFA World Cup 2026 already feels different on that front. Kick-off happened on June 11, and within days, pundits were falling over themselves talking about teenagers and early-twenty-somethings rather than the usual roll call of thirty-somethings chasing one last dance.
Spain arrive as joint favourites alongside France, ranked second in the world, unbeaten in 33 matches since that odd loss to Scotland back in 2023. And their squad? Stacked with kids who’d have been playing academy football not so long ago. Morocco, Brazil, Mexico, Iraq, they’ve all leaned into youth this time round, whether by design or necessity. Injuries have reshaped a few squads, too. Estevao’s absence through injury robbed Brazil of one obvious headline-grabber, but it’s opened doors elsewhere.
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So here are five players, all under 23, who could walk away from this World Cup with their reputations transformed. Some are already household names. Others, give it three weeks.
1. Lamine Yamal (Spain)
Start with the obvious one. Yamal turns 19 in July, six days before the final, and he’s somehow already a Euro 2024 winner, a two-time La Liga champion, and runner-up for last year’s Ballon d’Or. Last season alone, he racked up 16 league goals and 11 assists for Barcelona, finishing as La Liga’s top assist-maker. Numbers that mad for an 18-year-old just don’t happen often.
There’s been fitness chatter, sure. Groin issues dogged him through parts of the campaign, and De la Fuente had to manage his minutes carefully. But “no doubt” was the phrase the Spain boss used about Yamal being ready for the opener against Cape Verde. If he’s anywhere near sharp, defenders in Group H are in for a torrid time. He scored the goal that knocked France out at Euro 2024 when he was 16. Imagine what a fully-fit, World Cup stage version looks like.
2. Gilberto Mora (Mexico)
Mora’s the youngest player at this entire World Cup, and he’s playing for the hosts. No pressure, right? Except Mora seems built for exactly this kind of spotlight. His dribbling stats put him right up there with Yamal and Vinícius Júnior among Europe’s top five leagues last season, extraordinary company for a teenager still finding his feet in senior football.
What strikes you watching him is the confidence. Doesn’t look rushed, doesn’t look overawed. Explosive off the mark, tight control even under pressure, and an eye for the unexpected pass. Playing in front of a roaring Azteca crowd against South Africa in the opener won’t faze him, you’d imagine. Mexican football’s been waiting a while for a genuine homegrown wonderkid to carry that “next big thing” tag onto the World Cup stage.
3. Ayyoub Bouaddi (Morocco)
Born in France, capped at various Les Bleus youth levels, then Morocco swooped in and convinced him to switch allegiance back in May. Quite a coup for the Atlas Lions, considering Bouaddi’s trajectory. He debuted for Lille three days after turning 16, becoming the youngest player ever to feature in a European club competition at the time; that record stood for a while.
Two full seasons as a regular starter for Lille by 18 tells you everything about the maturity on the ball. He reads games like someone twice his age, breaks up play efficiently, then drives forward with real purpose. Morocco’s semi-final run in 2022 already proved this nation doesn’t lack ambition or talent depth. Add Bouaddi to a midfield that already includes the experienced Bilal El Khannouss, now plying his trade at Stuttgart after a spell at Leicester.
4. Diego Gómez (Paraguay)
Paraguay’s situation isn’t pretty going into this tournament. Julio Enciso, arguably their most dangerous attacking option, picked up a lower-leg injury right before the squad was finalised. That leaves a gap, and Diego Gómez is the man most likely to fill it.
Now at Brighton after his move from Inter Miami, Gómez is the kind of midfielder who covers every blade of grass without ever looking like he’s trying too hard. Relentless. Brighton’s reputation for spotting, polishing, and selling on young talent (Enciso himself being a prime example) speaks volumes about what they saw in Gómez. At 23, he’s at the older end of this list, but he’s been gradually building towards a tournament like this for a couple of years now. Paraguay will need every ounce of his energy in midfield if they’re going to cause an upset.
5. Ali Jasim (Iraq)
Iraq are back at the World Cup for the first time in 40 years. Forty. That’s a generational wait finally over, and Ali Jasim, at 22, represents a big chunk of why there’s genuine optimism around this squad rather than just sentimental nostalgia.
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Born in Baghdad, Jasim has journeyed through Italy, Türkiye, and now Saudi Arabia, currently on loan at Al Najma from Como. Twenty-four appearances last season, nineteen starts, four goals, solid numbers from a left winger who can also drop into an attacking midfield role or even lead the line when needed. He topped the scoring charts at the U-23 Asian Cup a couple of years back, and he’s already tasted the U-20 World Cup and the Paris Olympics. Versatility like his could be exactly what Iraq need against tougher opposition, someone capable of changing a game from three different positions depending on how the match unfolds.
