The 10 youngsters to watch at the World Cup | OneFootball

The World Cup is a time for already established stars to shine, but there is also room for new names to emerge.

2026 should be no different, with young players called up and full of potential to decide matches throughout the tournament.

OneFootball brings you ten names here who could steal the spotlight and become World Cup protagonists despite their limited experience.

In the list below, we included players who are at most 21 years old and are still trying to earn their place among the best in the world.

🇹🇷 Arda Güler - midfielder, 20 years old

His spectacular goals against Bayern Munich were not enough for Real Madrid to advance in the Champions League.

But he was voted the breakthrough player of the competition in the 2025/26 season and arrives as Turkey’s great hope for individual brilliance.

🇩🇪 Assan Ouédraogo - midfielder, 20 years old

He was called up at the last minute after fellow youngster Lennart Karl was ruled out, and he could surprise a lot of people at the World Cup.

Injuries have already kept him off the pitch for long stretches, but whenever he has played, he has shown plenty of quality with his dribbling and bursts forward.

🇲🇦 Ayyoub Bouaddi - midfielder, 18 years old

He is the youngest player on this list (the 7th youngest in the entire World Cup), and we need to keep an eye on him because he faces Brazil in the opener.

He has been standing out in French football and was courted by several federations, ultimately choosing to represent Morocco.

🇧🇷 Endrick - forward, 19 years old

Brazil knows that Endrick tends to shine in big moments. The world may be about to discover that too.

Endrick needed only a few opportunities to score important goals for the national team, and the expectation is that he can do it again at the World Cup.

🇭🇷 Luka Vuskovic - center-back, 19 years old

Despite his young age, he showed leadership worthy of a veteran while wearing the Hamburg shirt.

In addition to bringing defensive solidity, the Croatian also showed confidence and quality when scoring from set pieces.

🇫🇷 Désiré Doué - forward, 21 years old

Scoring two goals in a Champions League final is not something just anyone can do, especially when you are only 19 years old.

Doué achieved that feat in 2025 and arrives at the World Cup as one of the main pieces in the very strong French attack.

🏴 Nico O'Reilly - left-back, 21 years old

The youngster’s last season was packed with big moments, including two goals in the League Cup final against Arsenal.

His performances for Manchester City earned him his first England call-up less than a year ago, and he has already secured a place at the World Cup.

🇦🇷 Nico Paz - midfielder, 21 years old

Como, from Italy, was one of the biggest surprises of the recently concluded European season.

On loan from Real Madrid, Nico Paz was a key figure in helping the team qualify for the Champions League and was voted the best midfielder in the Italian league.

🇧🇷 Rayan - forward, 19 years old

The youngster’s rise over the past year is the most impressive among the players in Brazil’s squad.

Rayan received his first call-up in March this year and needed little time to convince Carlo Ancelotti that he deserved a place at the World Cup.

🇨🇮 Yan Diomandé - forward, 19 years old

The Ivorian has just completed his first full season in Europe and has already left many people delighted.

Diomandé showed that he is capable of causing chaos for opposing defenses with his dribbling and pacey runs down the flanks.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

📸 MAURO PIMENTEL - AFP or licensors