The 2026 World Cup is set to be the biggest tournament yet, with more teams, more games, and more opportunities for players to stamp their mark.

While veterans such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will look to be among the top appearance-makers in the competition, there are those at just the start of their career who are looking to make themselves a household name.

For young players, the World Cup can take the perception of their skill to a whole new level, with performances on the biggest stage showing that they can turn up in the most pressurised of environments.

GIVEMESPORT takes a look at a few of the best young players to keep an eye out for at the 2026 World Cup.

Lamine Yamal (Spain)

Lamine Yamal will have the eyes of the world on him this summer, as many expect him to take the form he has shown for Barcelona into the World Cup with Spain.

The 18-year-old winger was a standout for La Roja when he helped the side win the European Championship back in 2024, and he could do so again in 2026.

Yamal is the clear favourite to win the Young Player award for the World Cup, and it’s clear to see why, as he brings individual quality to an increasingly system-based game.

There may be some concerns over fitness, however, as the Barcelona star picked up a hamstring injury earlier this year that made him miss the rest of the season.

While there is an expectation that he will be fit enough to feature, having been named in the Spain squad, it may take a few games for him to get back up to speed.

Nico Paz (Argentina)

Many have earmarked Nico Paz as a top player for the future, having impressed in his time at Como in Serie A, after joining the club from Real Madrid.

The forward is versatile, having played as a striker, an attacking midfielder, and a slightly deeper midfielder, and there is an expectation that he could announce himself to the wider world at the World Cup with Argentina.

The 21-year-old has made eight appearances for the national team, scoring once, with some hope that he can bring some youthful energy to the World Cup winners, who have some ageing stars in the ranks.

Paz has been tipped for a potential return to Real Madrid, due to a buy-back clause in his deal, but he will first expect to feature heavily at the World Cup.

Nico O’Reilly (England)

Nico O’Reilly’s form for Manchester City has been nothing short of excellent, and his style of play perhaps best sums up where English football is right now.

The 21-year-old can play as a left-back and as a midfielder, but he will often pop up in all sorts of different positions during the course of a match.

At six feet and four inches tall, there is a physicality to O’Reilly that makes him tough to shrug off in tight spaces, allowing his technical quality to shine, while he also has a knack for drifting into the box and scoring an odd header or two.

It’s telling that Pep Guardiola relied so heavily on the versatile ace to dig him out of so many holes over the past season, with 53 appearances to his name along with nine goals and six assists.

With England‘s left-back spot seemingly open, it’s a chance for O’Reilly to claim it as his own, and truly cement his place in the Three Lions team.

Luka Vuskovic (Croatia)

There hasn’t been much for Tottenham fans to be excited over in the past few months, but one player there are bright hopes for is defender Luka Vuskovic.

The Croatian international signed for Spurs from Hadjuk Split last summer, but they had agreed a deal even earlier than that, with the centre-back showing plenty of promise.

At 19 years old, Vuskovic already has 91 senior appearances to his name, with the latest run seeing him impress on loan at Hamburg for the campaign.

While the youngster looks to impress even further before he could muscle his way into the Tottenham team, he will be hoping to make an impact for Croatia.

Vuskovic has four appearances for the senior team, having made his debut last summer, and could make a formidable partnership with Josko Gvardiol on his return from injury.

Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast)

Few players have had a rise quite as rapid as that of Yan Diomande, with the winger playing academy football in America just 18 months ago.

Since then, he has impressed for Leganes, prompting a £17.3 million move to RB Leipzig, who have taken him on to the next level this season.

The 19-year-old forward scored 13 goals and 10 assists for the Bundesliga outfit this season, and it is no surprise that Liverpool, PSG, and Bayern Munich have all been linked with Diomande as a result.

This summer, before any of his future is decided, the winger will be at the World Cup with Ivory Coast in what is looking like a tough group against Ecuador, Germany, and Curacao.

If The Elephants have any chance of getting through, they may need Diomande to show his quality, having already bagged three goals in nine appearances for the national team.

Gilberto Mora (Mexico)

One of the youngest players at this summer’s World Cup will be Mexico‘s Gilberto Mora, who has broken onto the scene at the age of just 17.

The forward has already made over 50 appearances for Club Tijuana and seven appearances for the senior national team, underlining how talented he is.

Mora scored six goals in 20 appearances during Liga MX’s three different phases this season, with games played at striker, attacking midfield, left-wing and right-wing.

With Mexico among the hosts for the competition, it would be no surprise to see one of their stars for the future make a name for himself in the here and now.

Arda Guler (Turkey)

Arda Guler has been a well-known name in international football for some time now, but this summer will be the 21-year-old’s first appearance at a World Cup.

The Real Madrid playmaker has been a regular for Turkiye since 2023, with his European Championship performances in 2024 remaining memorable.

In the time since, the youngster has helped the nation qualify for this summer’s tournament, picking up wins over Romania and Kosovo in the play-offs.

If Turkiye are to fulfill their tag of dark horses, as has so often been thrown onto them, then they will need Guler to be the one who steps up and impresses.

Desire Doue (France)

France continues to produce impressive talent, and Desire Doue is simply the next in line to make an impression for Les Bleus on the big stage.

The 20-year-old winger has become a regular for PSG in recent seasons, becoming an important part of the side who have won back-to-back Champions League titles.

Doue debuted for France in March 2025, and has made six appearances with two goals to his name. The summer will be his first chance to feature at a major tournament for the side.

France remain the favourites to win the World Cup, having done so in 2018, before losing the final to Argentina in 2022. Doue will face stiff competition for his role on the right, but could add some magic that the nation needs to get over the line this time.

Nestory Irankunda (Australia)

Australia will be looking to make their way through a group that looks wide open, as they take on the USA, Turkiye, and Paraguay in hopes of making a deep run in the competition.

If they do get there, a mixture of solid defending and flair up front is needed, and one player who can certainly provide the latter is Nestory Irankunda.

The 20-year-old former Bayern Munich forward is now plying his trade with Watford in the English Championship, where he managed nine goal involvements this season.

Watch out for Irankunda’s wicked free-kicks, with the star capable of whipping one into the top corner from quite a way away.

Esmir Bajraktarevic (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Bosnia and Herzegovina upset the odds when they beat Italy to a place at the World Cup through the play-offs, and now they’ll be looking to do the same in the finals in North America.

One star who has made their way into the team in the past two years is Esmir Bajraktarevic, a 21-year-old winger who currently plays for PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

Bajraktarevic was actually born in the United States and came through with New England, before his move to PSV, and played for the USMNT back in 2024, before switching allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The forward has impressed in the past 18 months, making 41 appearances for PSV with 12 goal involvements to his name in that time. While Bajraktarevic is earmarked as one for the future, he has been relied on by his national team since his debut, making 15 appearances.

Warren Zaire-Emery (France)

Another impressive young talent from France will be featuring for the national team this summer in the form of Warren Zaire-Emery.

The midfielder has been a reliable presence for PSG in recent seasons, despite being just 20 years old, and has played a huge role in winning the Champions League in successive campaigns.

Zaire-Emery faces tough competition for a place in the central ranks with France, but he has ten caps to his name, including some key games in qualifying.

While he is yet to stamp a guaranteed place in the team, the PSG youngster could do so this summer with some impressive displays.

Findlay Curtis (Scotland)

Scotland are back at the World Cup for the first time since 1998, and they will be hoping that they can beat being knocked out in the group stages, as has happened so often in major tournaments.

A core of experienced players such as Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney, Scott McTominay, and John McGinn have taken the Tartan Army so far, but there may be a look to the future with some options within the squad.

Findlay Curtis is one of those, with the 19-year-old winger called up to help provide pace and skill when games get stretched late on.

The forward made his debut for Scotland earlier this year, following his loan at Kilmarnock from Rangers, where he put up some impressive performances.

While he may not be one of the first names on the team sheet, Curtis could be a decisive player when it really counts for his national team late in games.