Five Players to Watch in World Cup Group G | OneFootball

Grainy TV pictures, crackly commentary echoing through a dodgy telephone line, and players I’d never heard of bamboozling opponents with previously unseen skills—those are the things that made many of us fall in love with the World Cup.

For me, it was Hugo Sánchez at Mexico ‘86, Franco Baresi at Italia ‘90, and Yordan “The Magician” Letchkov at USA ‘94.

Those grainy images may have been replaced by Ultra HD, and the commentary now travels crystal clear down fiber-optic lines, while the players are splashed across every social media platform. Yet, the tournament still offers those raw gems capable of sparkling on the world’s biggest stage.

Below, we take a look at five “alternative” players to keep an eye on in Group G at the 2026 World Cup.

Belgium: Charles De Ketelaere

While Jeremy Doku is expected to catch the eye following an excellent season with Manchester City, the Premier League winger is already a household name. Instead, let’s look to 25-year-old Atalanta forward Charles De Ketelaere.

A product of the Club Brugge academy, De Ketelaere won three consecutive Belgian titles before moving to Italy, initially with AC Milan in 2022.

Revitalized at Atalanta, he is now primed to make his mark on the world stage, especially if the fitness of Belgium’s record goalscorer Romelu Lukaku wavers. With the 33-year-old included in the squad despite being “out of shape” after two months out with a hamstring injury, De Ketelaere is the man to fill the void.

The 6’3″ attacker is a versatile weapon who can lead the line, play as a second striker, or operate in a deeper creative role. His World Cup qualifying stats were impressive, netting two goals and three assists in four appearances.

Egypt: Hamza Abdelkarim

Mohamed Salah remains the undisputed talisman for Egypt, but as the 33-year-old prepares for his “final dance” at the World Cup, there is a youngster waiting in the wings who is being backed for greatness.

Eighteen-year-old striker Hamza Abdelkarim has been described as the “jewel” of the Egyptian youth system after a prolific scoring run in continental U17 tournaments.

Head coach Hossam Hassan has included him in the final 26-man squad as a genuine wild card.

Currently on loan at Barcelona B, the teenage forward is comfortable with both feet and is widely regarded as one of Africa’s brightest young talents. Look for him to provide a spark of magic as a “super-sub” when the Pharaohs need an injection of fresh energy.

New Zealand: Elijah Just

While Chris Wood is the star of the All Whites, attacking midfielder Elijah Just is coming off a sensational breakthrough season with Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership.

The 26-year-old thrived in Jens Berthel Askou’s bold, front-foot system, scoring seven goals and providing eight assists as Motherwell finished fourth in the Scottish league. It was a campaign that prompted BBC pundit and four-time SPL winner Chris Sutton to describe Motherwell as playing the best football in the UK.

Able to operate on either flank, Just was used mainly as an attacking midfielder by Askou, but for New Zealand he is more commonly deployed as a right-sided forward, where his creative passing and dribbling can be used to support Wood.

Shortlisted for PFA Scotland’s Premiership Player of the Year award, the former Helsingør, Horsens and SKN St. Pölten midfielder has been linked with moves to both Rangers and Celtic and this summer.

Iran: Mehdi Ghayedi

Pacy winger Mehdi Ghayedi was named the AFC Best Young Player of the Year back in 2020 and was expected to become a global superstar. A series of issues on and off the pitch meant that potential hasn’t quite materialised yet, but at 27 years old, this World Cup represents a “now or never” moment for the Al-Nasr SC forward.

Known for his blistering speed and creativity on the left flank, Ghayedi is capable of individual moments of brilliance. He boasts an impressive international record of 10 goals in 30 caps, proving he has the clinical edge to match his flair.

If he can find consistency on the world stage, he could emerge as a surprise star and alleviate the immense scoring burden currently resting on the shoulders of veteran captain Mehdi Taremi.

Belgium: Nathan Ngoy

To balance out the attacking flair on this list, the final spot goes to classy young Belgian center-back Nathan Ngoy.

A graduate of the prestigious academies at Anderlecht and Standard Liège, the 22-year-old has enjoyed a brilliant debut season in France with Lille following a €3 million transfer in 2025.

Ngoy is known for his technical ability, recovery speed, and composure on the ball—traits that saw him play 29 league games to help Lille finish third in Ligue 1.

Belgium boss Rudi Garcia has shown great faith in the prospect, and he is expected to start at the heart of the defense alongside Arthur Theate.

With Belgium tipped to go deep into the knockout stages, Lille could be set to make a massive profit on that €3 million investment if Ngoy impresses this summer.