While it is a pleasure to watch the World Cup during every one of its renditions, something even more satisfying might be seeing a young player’s talents on full display in front of a global audience.
During the 2022 EURO tournament, soccer fans were introduced to Spanish youngster Lamine Yamal in an international format, and the team’s Golden Boy did not disappoint; he may have somehow exceeded expectations thus far.
The game of soccer has been getting younger and younger in terms of talent pool, and fans will be introduced to players as young as 16 years old at this summer’s tournament.
Here are the phenoms at the top of the charts as the World Cup’s best young players, from Lamine Yamal to Yan Diomande.
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Top 10 soccer prospects to watch at 2026 World Cup
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1. Lamine Yamal, FW, Spain
- Age: 18
- Club: Barcelona
- International caps: 25
Surprise, surprise. Spain’s best young talent tops this year’s list of under-21 talent at this year’s tournament. Despite being the 12th-youngest player in the entirety of the World Cup field, Lamine Yamal is already near the top of the tournament ranks overall. In 45 matches across all competitions this season for Barcelona, the 18-year-old put up 24 goals and 17 assists. The numbers do speak for themselves, but the level of control and maturity the youngster possesses just can’t be seen on the scoresheet. Watching Lamine play in his first World Cup already at a high enough level worthy of domination will be a pleasure for soccer fans around the world.
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2. Joao Neves, CM, Portugal
- Age: 21
- Club: Paris Saint-Germain
- International caps: 21
Coming in at the No. 2 spot is the man quietly behind a large part of Paris Saint-Germain’s vast success during the 2025-26 season, both in Ligue 1 and their back-to-back Champions League trophy hoists. Neves completed 91.4% of his passes this year, according to Fotmob, and will quietly complement Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes for the Selecao das Quinas. Despite only being 21, he is already up there in Portuguese talent and is in the upper echelon of talent for their squad.
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3. Desire Doue, FW, France
- Age: 21
- Club: Paris Saint-Germain
- International caps: 7
Rounding out the podium of top young talents is another PSG player, Desire Doue. With only seven international caps under his belt for Les Bleus, Doue is destined for a long career with the national squad. The youngster has already shown in France’s friendlies that he can take over a game when opportunities present themselves, including a two-goal match against Colombia on March 29. While Mbappe and Dembele get a lot of spotlight for France, Doue is slowly but surely climbing the French ranks.
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4. Arda Guler, CAM, Turkey
- Age: 21
- Club: Real Madrid
- International caps: 30
Arda Guler sits just outside the top three on this list, but he does have the most international caps across the board. Guler has gotten a lot of press as one of Real Madrid’s most promising prospects, and for good reason. His attacking stats have consistently improved during his brief time with Madrid, including a doubled assist total this season with 16 across all competitions. For Turkey, a large part of Guler’s game plan will be controlling the tempo and setting up fellow 21-year-old Kenan Yildiz on the attack.
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5. Pau Cubarsi, CB, Spain
- Age: 19
- Club: Barcelona
- International caps: 12
Barcelona fans will rant and rave about Cubarsi’s defensive prowess, and it’s well deserved. Now, the Spanish wonderkid will get to display his skills on the biggest stage in the world. Catalonian fans can describe just how composed Cubarsi is with the ball at his feet. As a center back, the 19-year-old accumulated 3,084 touches (102.5 touches per 90 minutes, according to Fotmob). Spain’s possession-oriented gameplay isn’t the tiki-taka it once was, but its scheme does need some setup for their wingers in Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams.
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6. Nico O’Reilly, LB, England
- Age: 21
- Club: Manchester City
- International caps: 4
To begin the second half of this list is the 2026 Premier League Young Player of the Year, Nico O’Reilly. On England’s World Cup roster, O’Reilly is labeled as a defender, but the 21-year-old has shown he is more than capable of playing more of a midfield role on one of the best teams in Europe. The youngster’s transfer value doubled this season, and he could be a difference-maker while running down a sideline this summer for the Three Lions.
7. Nico Paz, CAM, Argentina
- Age: 21
- Club: Como
- International caps: 9
While on loan from Real Madrid in Como, Paz used his time in superior fashion. Along with being in the top two of both the team’s scoring (13 goals) and assists (seven), the 21-year-old gave Como their first Champions League berth in the club’s 119-year history. Lionel Messi gets a lot of spotlight in terms of Argentinian success, but Paz could be La Albiceleste’s X-factor in how far they go four years removed from lifting the 2022 trophy.
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8. Kenan Yildiz, FW, Turkey
- Age: 21
- Club: Juventus
- International caps: 28
While it was an underwhelming year for Juventus during the 2025-26 Serie A campaign, one of the team’s lone bright spots came in Kenan Yildiz. The Turkish prodigy has more than tripled his transfer value this season, and finished in the Italian league’s top 10 in goals (10) and assists (six). Yildiz and Guler give Turkey the best 1-2 punch in their country’s history, and their youth signifies an attack that is set for years to come.
9. Warren Zaire-Emery, CM, France
- Age: 20
- Club: Paris Saint-Germain
- International caps: 11
Rounding out the French and PSG mentions on this list is none other than Warren Zaire-Emery. While the youngster may not play all 90 minutes for a loaded French squad that is vying to return to its third-straight World Cup final, he does provide a youthful look at the country’s future. He may not appear massively on the scoresheet after a game’s conclusion, but France will be at their best when Zaire-Emery makes his presence known in controlling the ball on both ends of the pitch.
10. Yan Diomande, FW, Ivory Coast
- Age: 19
- Club: RB Leipzig
- International caps: 10
In the No. 10 spot of this list is RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande. The Ivory Coast native has proven he can get past just about anyone in front of him with his blistering pace. In January, the Bundesliga clocked Diomande running at 22.56 mph, which at the time was second in the league. In 36 matches this season for Leipzig, the 19-year-old finished with 21 G/A (13 goals, nine assists) and was ranked within the top two in those statistics for his team.
