Every World Cup has its wave of revelations. In 2014, the big discovery was James Rodríguez, from Colombia. In Russia, Kylian Mbappé stole the show in the 2018 French title. Enzo Fernández, from Argentina, and Josko Gvardiol, from Croatia, were the two main promises revealed at the last World Cup, in Qatar.
The current edition is full of talented young people. Below, we list some of those who could be decisive for their teams and reach another level under the spotlight of the World Cup. The first name is obvious, but there are many others to note.
Lamine Yamal (Spain)
He is considered one of the greatest talents in world football of his generation. A graduate of Barcelona’s youth teams, he debuted in the main team at the age of 15 and quickly impressed with his maturity, creativity and one-on-one ability.
Left-footed, he usually plays on the right wing, from where he uses his speed and dribbling ability to create chances and unbalance opposing defenses. Yamal became an important part of the Spain national team at an extremely early age, leading the team to win the 2024 Euro Cup.
During the season, he scored 24 goals and provided 18 assists. He is the most valuable player in the world, valued at €200 million (R$1.1 billion), according to the German portal Transfermarkt.
He has already scored his first goal in the competition, against Saudi Arabia, and surpassed Messi in the ranking of youngest players to score in World Cups, occupying eighth place.
Desiré Doué (French)
He is one of the biggest promises in French football. Developed by Stade Rennais FC, the 21-year-old attacking midfielder drew attention for his combination of technique, speed and versatility, playing both on the sides of the field and in more central positions. He is often compared to Neymar.
After establishing himself as a standout at Rennes, Doué took a step forward in his career by moving to Paris Saint-Germain, where he won the starting line-up even at a very young age. He has 13 goals and 11 assists this season.
Endrick (Brazil)
Called up by Carlo Ancelotti thanks to his successful loan to Lyon, a team for which he scored 8 goals and provided 8 assists since arriving in January. Endrick is already very well known, but at the World Cup he will have the chance to consolidate his star status.
The striker, who will turn 20 on July 21, two days after a hypothetical final, missed almost all of his 2025 call-ups due to injuries and the fact that he was little used by Real Madrid.
Overshadowed by Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior in the Merengue team, totaling just over a hundred minutes on the field during the first half of the season, he regained confidence in Lyon.
In the first weeks of the World Cup, he saw campaigns from Brazilians on the internet asking for his place in the national team.
Nico Paz (Argentina)
Born and raised in Spain, 21-year-old Nico Paz decided to follow in the footsteps of his father, Pablo, who was called up to the Argentina squad for the 1998 World Cup, and chose to wear the Argentina shirt instead of the ‘Roja’.
Revelation of Real Madrid’s youth teams, he moved to Como in 2024. In Italy, he has stood out under the command of Cesc Fàbregas, with 12 goals and 7 assists in Serie A this season.
Pau Cubarsí (Spain)
Olympic champion in Paris 2024 with Spain, Pau Cubarsí has established himself in the last two seasons at the heart of Barcelona’s defense, winning two Spanish championship titles with the club.
Now 19 years old, he has been called up eleven times and has the trust of coach Luis de la Fuente, thanks to his sense of positioning and his ability to play with the ball from the back. Scored one goal this season.
He is one of the greatest passers of the ball in the World Cup so far: the Spanish team’s game construction depends a lot on his feet.
João Neves (Portugal)
The 21-year-old midfielder stood out for his tactical intelligence, intensity and quality in game distribution. Revealed by Benfica, from Portugal, he quickly gained space in the main team and came to be seen as one of the most promising players in Portuguese football.
He quickly attracted interest from Paris Saint-Germain, where he transferred. In two seasons in France, he is already a two-time Champions League champion and is an absolute starter. He should lead the renewal of the Portuguese midfield in the coming years. He scored 7 goals and provided 4 assists last season.
He ended up getting involved in a controversy with Cristiano Ronaldo after the disappointing draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Rayan (Brazil)
He is one of the main promises of Brazilian football. Revealed by Vasco’s ranks, the 19-year-old striker drew attention from an early age due to his physical strength, speed and finishing ability. He can play both as a center forward and on the attacking sides.
Rayan was crucial in Vasco’s campaign in the Brazilian Championship and the 2025 Copa do Brasil. In January of this year, he transferred to Bournemouth, in England, where he was also decisive in the club’s historic campaign in the English Championship (6th place, best position in the club’s history).
In the match against Haiti, he became the youngest player to take the field for Brazil since 1994.
With Raphinha’s injury, he is one of the main candidates to take over on the right wing of the Brazilian team. He has scored 7 goals and provided 2 assists since arriving at Bournemouth.
Gilberto Mora (Mexico)
He is one of the great promises of Mexican football. Revealed by Club Tijuana’s youth teams, the 17-year-old midfielder caught attention very early on due to his maturity on the field, technical quality and ability to organize the game. He mainly plays as an attacking midfielder, but can also play more advanced roles.
Gilberto Mora had a rapid rise in professional football: in 2025, he became the youngest player to play in a Gold Cup final (Concacaf’s “Copa América”). During the season, he scored 6 goals and provided 1 assist in 20 games.
Ibrahim Mbaye (Senegal)
Revealed by Paris Saint-Germain’s youth teams, the 18-year-old striker stands out for his speed, one-on-one ability and versatility in the offensive sector. He can play on both sides of the attack and also in more centralized positions.
Mbaye quickly gained space in PSG’s main squad and was a constant presence in France’s youth teams. Before the World Cup, he decided to defend Senegal. He only scored 3 goals and provided two assists in 31 games this season, but he has already scored an important goal against France in this World Cup, in a 3-1 defeat.
Ayyoub Bouaddi (Marrocos)
Bouaddi is a second midfielder for Lille, in France, the country where he was born. He became a naturalized Moroccan on the eve of being called up for the World Cup, and is 18 years old.
He is tall (1.86m), fast and good at short dribbling and tackling. In the match against Brazil, he dominated the midfield and was praised for his coolness and technique, even though he was still very young.
Yan Diomandé (Costa do Marfim)
With 13 goals and 10 assists, the speedy 19-year-old Ivorian striker shone last season for RB Leipzig, in Germany.
He is an excellent dribbler, something he already demonstrated in the World Cup during the duel against Ecuador. In the match against Germany, he scored the African goal and gave Kimmich a hard time. Off the field, he moved fans with a letter dedicated to his late sister that he published during the World Cup.
Nico O’Reilly (England)
He is one of the main promises in English football. Revealed by Manchester City’s youth teams, the 21-year-old midfielder stands out for his versatility, physical strength and technical quality. He is a left back, but can play as a midfielder. He is 1.93 m tall, which makes him stand out in the air.
O’Reilly gained space in Pep Guardiola’s squad last season, when he scored 9 goals and provided 6 assists in 53 games.
