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.
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.
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)
Warren Zaire-Emery
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.
Complete List of Every Confirmed 26-man World Cup 2026 squad, including Argentina, Spain, Scotland, Portugal, Belgium and more
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.
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.
Data analysts have crunched the numbers and calculated all 20 Premier League clubs’ chances of winning the title in the 2026/27 season.
The new campaign is now just a few days away. It kicks off on Friday, August 21, when reigning champions Arsenal welcome newly-promoted Coventry City to the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners, who demolished Manchester City 3-0 to win the Community Shield, will be hoping they can retain their title.
Leicester City’s miraculous Premier League triumph in the 2015/16 campaign shows that any team in English football can shock the world and lift the trophy against all odds.
Championship playoff winners Hull City have been given a miniscule 0.1% chance, as have Championship winners Coventry City and Sunderland.
The Black Cats have been given such a low chance despite finishing 7th in the 2025/26 campaign and qualifying for the UEFA Europa League.
Ipswich Town, who will be managed by Gary O’Neil this season following Kieran McKenna’s departure, have a 0.2% chance. Fulham have a 0.3% chance of becoming English champions for the first time, with Leeds and Crystal Palace (both 0.4%) following.
Nottingham Forest, now managed by Oliver Glasner, have been given a 0.6% chance of glory, the same as Keith Andrews’ Brentford. While nine-time English champions Everton have been given a 0.8% chance of winning the title.
Every Premier League Club’s Chance of Winning the Trophy in 2026/27
Rank
Club
Chance (%)
20
Hull City
0.1
19
Coventry City
0.1
18
Sunderland
0.1
17
Ipswich Town
0.2
16
Fulham
0.3
15
Leeds United
0.4
14
Crystal Palace
0.4
13
Nottingham Forest
0.6
12
Brentford
0.6
11
Everton
0.8
10-1 (
Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs
Bournemouth surprised everyone by finishing sixth in 2025/26, which was enough to see them qualify for Europe for the first time in their 127-year history.
Andoni Iraola, the man who masterminded that success, has since left for Liverpool and been replaced by Marco Rose. The Cherries have a 1% chance of taking another major leap forward and becoming champions.
Chelsea, now under the management of Xabi Alonso, have a 2.8 chance of winning the Premier League. They are sandwiched inbetween Newcastle (1.8% chance) and Aston Villa (3.7%).
Manchester United will be looking to end their wait for a Premier League trophy this season. With Michael Carrick at the helm, they arguably have their best chance (5.1%) of doing that in some time.
Liverpool were incredibly disappointing in 2025/26. They were widely expected to retain their title but finished a distant 25 points behind Arsenal in fifth. Iraola’s side have a 7.9% chance of glory this campaign.
City have the second-best chance (23.2%) to lift the trophy, with Arsenal the overwhelming favourites. The Gunners have a whopping 48.1% chance of being crowned Premier League champions once again in May 2027.
Every Premier League Club’s Chance of Winning the Trophy in 2026/27
Jeff Bezos is now inextricably linked with Premier League club Liverpool, after it was officially confirmed that a consortium including the Amazon founder has agreed a deal to acquire roughly a third of the Merseyside outfit, as Fenway Sports Group’s ownership is set to shrink for the first time since 2010.
Here, GIVEMESPORT takes a look at what is happening, what it means for Liverpool and how it works.
Is Jeff Bezos Buying Liverpool?
REUTERS/Phil Noble
A consortium including Bezos has agreed to buy a significant stake in Liverpool worth one third (33%), whilst FSG will remain majority owners. The news was officially announced via Liverpool’s website under the banner of ‘strategic minority investment’ on Friday August 14, 2026.
The group is led by Amit Bhatia, the son-in-law of steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, and also includes Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.
Liverpool’s statement explained: “The strategic investment supports Liverpool FC’s long-term growth ambitions by bringing together experts from across global business, technology and investment.
“The consortium partners will work with FSG and the club’s leadership team to evaluate opportunities that enhance the club’s objectives on and off the pitch. FSG continues to retain majority ownership and operational control of Liverpool FC.”
💰 Did You Know? Jeff Bezos has a reported net worth of $280 billion. As well as Amazon, his business interests include Blue Origin, a spaceflight start-up, and the newspaper title, the Washington Post.
Bezos has a pattern of exploring sports ownership without following through, as he reportedly looked at both the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders in past years before walking away from each deal. However, he is now committed to the Liverpool investment.
The news of the sale comes at a time when Liverpool enters a period of transition following the departure of forward Mohamed Salah and manager Arne Slot, having won the Premier League in 2025.
What is 1892 Holdings?
1892 Holdings is the name of the consortium behind the investment in Liverpool and it is led by British-Indian business entrepreneur Amit Bhatia, who will become Liverpool’s new vice-chairman.
Investments within the consortium come from Bhatia and the Mittal Family Trusts (the Mittal family are successful steel tycoons).
Bezos’ involvement comes through K5 Sports (part of the K5 Global investment group), with the Amazon founder being K5 Sports’ lead investor.
Further investment will come via EE Capital, which is described in Liverpool’s statement as “the family office” of Elaine and Eduardo Saverin.
The name ‘1892 Holdings’ is a nod to the year that Liverpool Football Club was founded.
How Much Money Could Be Involved?
Adrian Dennis/Pool via REUTERS
The figures being reported are eye-watering even by modern football standards. The consortium’s investment reportedly values the club at around $5.9 billion (£4.3bn), which would rank among the largest football club valuations ever recorded. A one-third stake at that valuation would put the transaction in the region of $1.9 billion (£1.4bn).
Placed against the rest of the Premier League’s recent ownership curn, the figure still stands out compared to other recent sales. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS paid roughly $1.6 billion for a 28% stake in Manchester United in 2024, implying a valuation near $6 billion. Chelsea’s 2002 forced sale to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital went for £2.5 billion, plus a pledged £1.75 billion in further investment. Newcastle’s Saudi-backed takeover cost roughly £305 million for an 85% stake.
Beyond football, the figure sits comfortably alongside recent US sports sales: the Denver Broncos went for a then-record $4.65 billion in 2022, while Bezos himself once walked away from a Washington Commanders bid pegged at around $6 billion. He’s long been seen as a natural buyer for a major franchise given his massive fortune.
A “stake sale” like this is fairly simple; it’s not new money going into Liverpool’s bank account for transfers or infrastructure. It’s a purchase of part of FSG’s existing ownership, meaning FSG gets a payout and hands over a portion of control, whilst day-to-day running of the club stays largely as it is, at least initially.
FSG, led by John Henry and chairman Tom Werner, has been the controlling shareholder since 2010, backed by minority investors including RedBird Capital Partners and Dynasty Equity, plus LeBron James’ small personal stake, going all the way back to 2011.
A Bezos-backed consortium buying roughly a third of the club would become one of the largest voices in that ownership structure without necessarily taking day-to-day control, similar in spirit to how Ratcliffe’s minority stake still handed him command of football operations at Manchester United.
Prior to the bout, Makhachev was tied on 16 straight wins with fellow UFC legend and former middleweight champion Anderson Silva. However, the Brazilian’s streak was ended when he was knocked out in round two by Chris Weidman during the main event of UFC 162.
Since Makhachev’s record-breaking bout, he has revealed to the press what his longtime friend and UFC legend, Khabib Nurmagomedov, told him as they prepared in his corner for the final round of the title fight.
Islam Makhachev Defeats Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330
Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Heading into the final round, many people had the bout tied at two rounds a piece, with Makhachev taking the opening two and Garry taking the following two. However, it was later revealed that two of the judges had awarded round four to the champion, despite the overwhelming public opinion that it was a Garry round.
The pressure was building for Makhachev as his opponent was building all the confidence thanks to his incredible takedown defence in rounds two and three, along with his magnificent submission defence in rounds one and four.
Garry had spent almost the entirety of round one against the cage after he failed to defend his opponent’s first takedown attempt. After that, Makhachev wasn’t able to find much success, and it was Garry whose confidence on his feet was growing as his hands dropped, and he began to let more shots go.
However, despite Garry’s success, the stat sheet tells us that Makhachev was able to pin the challenger down for 12-and-a-half of the 25 total minutes they shared in the Octagon, which included seven successful takedown attempts.
What Khabib Told Makhachev Before Round Five
When asked what Khabib Nurmagomedov told him in his corner, Makhachev said: “I feel I won three rounds before the last round, you know, but Khabib in our corner said ‘you have to win the last round.'”
Makhachev also gave an insight into his game plan as he said: “In the last round, I felt I could take him down and do something more because the third and fourth round weren’t very tough, and I had the power to go and show a good performance at the end of the fight.”
The champion was able to control the majority of the final round as he was able to claim the back of Garry with two minutes and 40 seconds left of the round after attempting multiple takedowns in the two minutes prior.
Makhachev spent the remainder of the round with his arms locked around his opponent, who was completely unable to break the Dagestani’s grip, and secured himself the unanimous victory, which was scored 49-46 by two judges and 48-47 by one judge.
As a result, Makhachev extended his win streak to 17 fights and retained the UFC welterweight championship, despite a valiant effort from Ian Machado Garry.
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