One of the best parts about the World Cup is that it offers a chance to spot some youngsters.
While the oldies are looking to get global glory, there are young players that will be looking to stamp their names in World Cup annals.
Some of these names have already made their marks especially with the clubs they play for and we are just going to beam the light on them to show you what to expect from the best youngsters in the world.
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Franco Mastantuono
Franco Mastantuono plays for Real Madrid and he got onto the radar of sports fans at the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States when he featured in the midfield for River Plate.
After an impressive Club World Cup campaign, he started his Real Madrid career showing what kind of quality he has. His desire to pick up the ball and make forward moves fearlessly will almost make you think he is well into his 20s but Mastantuono is just 18 years old.
He is one to look out for in Argentina’s defense when the 2026 World Cup begins.
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Claudio Echeverri
Another Argentine midfielder, Claudio Echeverri is another youngster to watch out for.
Claudio was captain of the Argentine U17 team and after very impressive showings got signed to Premier League giants Manchester City.
Although he has not featured for City, Claudio is currently on loan at Bayer Leverkusen and he would be looking to impress when the World Cup campaign begins.
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Nico Paz
Nicolás Paz Martínez commonly known as Nico Paz is a midfielder for Serie A and he is one of the most impressive young players today.
Fabregas’ Como are doing wonders in the Serie A and Nico Paz is instrumental.
At the time of writing this piece, Nico Paz already has 5 goals and 5 assists - his assists numbers put him at the top in the Serie A - and for goals, he is tied alongside Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Christian Pulisic.
With this form, there is no way he would not one to watch during the World Cup.
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Estêvão
Chelsea has definitely found a gem in Estêvão. He is up and running scoring goals for the Blues - netting the winner against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge and contributing to the 3-0 trashing of Barcelona.
Even for Brazil, Estêvão has shown his quality.
He has already scored 5 goals in 11 appearances and Carlos Ancelotti would turn to him for options in the right wing and central midfield areas.
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Désiré Doué
The Champions League of 2025 would have allowed you see Désiré Doué. For PSG, Désiré Doué has proven to be one of the best right wingers and at age 20, he is someone to watch.
Désiré Doué who just got his senior callup has represented France in the U17, U19, U21, and Olympic levels.
He has proven his quality on the biggest stages and we are likely to see him provide a bit of quality to a France side that would be looking to shake off the 2022 heartbreak.
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Warren Zaïre-Emery
Warren Zaïre-Emery is one player that easily goes under the radar. He has been a PSG player for quite sometime and he is only starting to get the recognition of his quality.
With France needing more midfield quality, it is safe to say that Warren Zaïre-Emery could be an option that Didier Deschamps will want to try.
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João Neves
When PSG paid €60m for João Neves, it felt like a bad bargain but the midfielder has shown that he is truly worth it.
In the Serie A right now, João Neves has 5 goals from 8 matches - quite the record for a midfielder and someone his age.
For Portugal, he has shown that he can be a part of the midfield combo with experienced players like Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, and Ruben Neves. João Neves recently bagged a hattrick for Portugal in their 9-1 win over Armenia.
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Kenan Yıldız
Born in Germany, Kenan Yıldız plays for Turkiye and he is considered one of the best young players in the world.
Juventus benefit from his contributions incredibly and if Turkiye makes it to the World Cup - they’ve got a chance when they play in the play offs by March 2026.
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Lamine Yamal
Teenage sensation and Barcelona star boy Lamine Yamal is another name to watch out for.
His burst onto the scene for an 18 year old is nothing short of remarkable. Finishing 2nd in the 2025 Ballon D’or rankings just adds to the rating Yamal has as one of the best young players in the world today.
Despite being diagnosed with pulbagia, Yamal hasn’t slowed down and he would be looking to maintain this form as he joins Spain in the USA, Canada, and Mexico World Cup next year.
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Arda Güler
Arda Güler is a deep lying playmaker and Xabi Alonso’s reliance on the midfielder after losing players like Toni Kroos and Modric shows the kind of quality he has.
Güler may not have impressed like others on this list but it is safe to say that he is one to watch if Turkiye also makes it to the World Cup.
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