10 Best Young Players to Watch at WC 2026

1. Lamine Yamal (Spain, 18)

Club: Barcelona. Position: Right winger. International caps: 28. International goals: 14.

The face of the next generation. Yamal became the youngest scorer in European Championship history at Euro 2024 (16 years and 362 days) when he curled in a goal against France in the semi-final. Spain went on to win the tournament. He is the most-discussed teenage talent since Lionel Messi and the Ballon d'Or 2024 third-place finisher behind Rodri and Vinicius Junior.

His Barcelona 2025-26 season produced 18 La Liga goals and 14 assists. The combination of dribbling (top 1% in Europe per StatsBomb), shot conversion (24%) and creative output is unmatched among players under 20 in football history. Yamal is the favourite for the 2026 World Cup Best Young Player award and a Golden Ball contender at +800.

2. Endrick (Brazil, 19)

Club: Real Madrid. Position: Striker. International caps: 19. International goals: 7.

Brazil's next great striker. Endrick joined Real Madrid in summer 2024 after Palmeiras paid him the maximum until his 18th birthday. His 2025-26 La Liga season produced 14 goals as a rotation option behind Mbappe, an impressive return given the limited minutes.

Endrick's tactical fit at the 2026 World Cup is the central striker for Brazil, with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo as inverted wingers. The trio is the most-anticipated young attacking trio at the tournament. Endrick's aerial threat (won 67% of aerial duels at Real Madrid 2025-26) plus the supply line from his more-decorated teammates suggests a high goal output potential.

3. Arda Guler (Turkey, 21)

Club: Real Madrid. Position: Attacking midfielder. International caps: 27. International goals: 9.

Turkey's creative spark in Vincenzo Montella's 4-2-3-1. Guler joined Real Madrid in 2023 from Fenerbahce and has gradually established himself as a rotation option in the Bernabeu midfield. His 2025-26 season produced 11 La Liga assists in limited starts, indicating elite chance-creation ability.

For Turkey, Guler plays as the free 10 behind Cenk Tosun with Kenan Yildiz wide left. The Guler-Yildiz combination is the foundation of Turkey's 2026 World Cup attacking strategy. Both are 21, both are top-club regulars, and both grew up alongside each other in Turkey's youth setup before earning their European moves.

4. Kenan Yildiz (Turkey, 21)

Club: Juventus. Position: Left winger. International caps: 22. International goals: 8.

Juventus' star wing-forward and Turkey's most prolific young goalscorer. Yildiz's 2025-26 Serie A season produced 14 goals and 8 assists, the breakout campaign that established him as a top-club regular. His preferred shot is the curling effort from the edge of the box, a signature finish that has produced 11 of his 14 Serie A goals.

Yildiz's combination with Arda Guler in Turkey's attacking trio is the headline matchup at the tournament. Their international understanding is well-developed from years of playing together at U-21 and senior level. Both could be high-profile transfers to top-six Premier League clubs after the 2026 World Cup depending on tournament performance.

5. Estevao (Brazil, 18)

Club: Chelsea. Position: Right winger. International caps: 11. International goals: 5.

Brazil's teenage prodigy who joined Chelsea in summer 2025 from Palmeiras. Estevao's 2025-26 Premier League season produced 9 goals in his debut campaign, an exceptional return for a 17-year-old in his first European season. His dribbling, shot variety and acceleration draw comparisons to a young Neymar.

Estevao's tactical role for Brazil is the right winger alongside Vinicius (left) and Endrick (centre). The trio gives Brazil the youngest attacking unit of any major contender. Whether Dorival Junior trusts Estevao with starting roles in the knockout rounds (vs more experienced options like Raphinha) is one of the tournament's tactical questions.

6. Antonio Nusa (Norway, 21)

Club: RB Leipzig. Position: Right winger. International caps: 23. International goals: 6.

Norway's wide creative spark and the player who unlocks Haaland's scoring through stretching defences. Nusa's 2025-26 Bundesliga season produced 11 goals and 9 assists, his best European return to date. His ability to attack defenders one-on-one creates the space Haaland needs to operate centrally.

Nusa's development from Belgian Pro League prospect to Bundesliga regular has been one of the most efficient career trajectories in modern football. He was signed by Brugge as a teenager, moved to Leipzig in 2023, and is now in the top tier of European football at 21. His ceiling, if the 2026 World Cup goes well, includes a potential top-six Premier League move.

7. Nico Paz (Argentina, 21)

Club: Como. Position: Attacking midfielder. International caps: 8. International goals: 2.

Argentina's breakthrough midfielder who joined Lionel Scaloni's 2026 squad after a breakthrough season at Como (Italian Serie A). Paz's 2025-26 season produced 9 goals and 7 assists in 32 Serie A matches, an exceptional return for a 21-year-old in a mid-table Italian club.

Paz's tactical role for Argentina is as a rotation option in midfield behind De Paul, Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez. The 2026 tournament is his first major international experience and the chance to position himself as a long-term Argentina starter for the post-Messi era.

8. Kendry Paez (Ecuador, 18)

Club: Chelsea (loan at Strasbourg). Position: Attacking midfielder. International caps: 13. International goals: 3.

Ecuador's teenage attacking midfielder who has been a senior international since age 16. Paez was signed by Chelsea in 2024 (his contract activated at 18) and was loaned to Strasbourg for the 2025-26 Ligue 1 season. His 8 goals in 28 Ligue 1 starts demonstrated the talent that prompted Chelsea's long-term commitment.

For Ecuador at the 2026 World Cup, Paez plays as the central attacking midfielder behind Enner Valencia. He provides the creative spark that Ecuador's 4-3-3 needs to break down deep blocks like Curacao's. The first World Cup at 18 represents one of the youngest tournament debuts among the next-generation talents.

9. Pau Cubarsi (Spain, 19)

Club: Barcelona. Position: Centre-back. International caps: 18. International goals: 0.

Spain's teenage centre-back and one of the most composed young defenders in Europe. Cubarsi made his Barcelona debut at 17 and is now a rotation option behind Aymeric Laporte and Robin Le Normand for Spain. His passing range (95% pass completion at Barcelona), tactical reading and one-on-one defending are all elite for his age.

Cubarsi is the future Barcelona captain. His combination with Lamine Yamal as the youth spine of both club and country represents Spanish football's long-term central project. The 2026 World Cup may not feature significant Cubarsi starts (with Laporte and Le Normand established) but his squad presence and potential late-tournament impact are noteworthy.

10. Adam Wharton (England, 21)

Club: Crystal Palace. Position: Defensive midfielder. International caps: 12. International goals: 1.

England's breakthrough deep midfielder under Thomas Tuchel. Wharton's 2025-26 Premier League season at Crystal Palace established him as one of the most press-resistant English midfielders of the post-2020 generation. His 91% pass completion rate plus willingness to receive in tight spaces between the lines is the profile Tuchel wanted to add to England's midfield.

Wharton's tactical role for England is the defensive midfielder alongside Declan Rice. Together they form the foundation of Tuchel's 4-3-3, with Jude Bellingham as the free 10 in front. Wharton's breakthrough into the senior England squad came in March 2025 just months after Tuchel's arrival; the trust the German has placed in him reflects high expectations for the 2026 tournament.

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