Five young players tipped as possible breakout stars of the 2026 World Cup

LONDON: World Cups have often provided the stage for emerging footballers to turn into global names, and AFP Sport has identified five players who could make that leap at the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The list includes prospects from Argentina, France, England, Brazil and Spain, with each player arriving at the finals after notable progress at club or international level.

Nico Paz

Argentina midfielder Nico Paz, the son of former Argentine international Pablo Paz, chose to represent the world champions despite being born and raised in Spain. After developing in Real Madrid’s academy, he has advanced significantly during two years under Cesc Fabregas following his move to Como in Italy.

According to AFP Sport, Madrid are expected to activate their buyback clause for the 21-year-old. His technique and ability to score from distance have also drawn attention from other leading European clubs.

Paz may be asked to take on a bigger role for Argentina as coach Lionel Scaloni is expected to manage the minutes of Lionel Messi, who is now 38, during the team’s title defence.

Desire Doue

France’s Desire Doue has already made an impact on a major club stage. The 20-year-old was named man of the match and scored twice when Paris Saint-Germain beat Inter Milan heavily in last year’s Champions League final.

The upcoming World Cup, however, will be his first major international tournament. AFP Sport noted that he still faces competition to secure a starting place in Didier Deschamps’ side, which also includes Kylian Mbappe, Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele and Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise.

Doue strengthened his case in France’s most recent outing in March, scoring his first two international goals in a 3-1 friendly victory over Colombia.

Nico O'Reilly

England’s Nico O'Reilly, 21, has already become a trusted option for Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. He scored twice from left-back in City’s League Cup final win over Arsenal in March, although he began his career as a midfielder known for scoring goals.

Guardiola has used his combination of height, pace and technical quality as an attacking threat from deeper areas, and that development may also help England coach Thomas Tuchel address a long-running issue at left-back.

England reached the Euro 2024 final without a natural left-back for much of the competition because of Luke Shaw’s fitness problems. Guardiola praised the player directly, saying: "What a player. He has made an incredible step up and he has had a lot of minutes, but he deserves it."

Endrick

Brazil forward Endrick, still only 19, was regarded as a prodigy after making his Palmeiras debut at 16 and securing a move to Real Madrid before turning 18. His hopes of making a major impact at the World Cup have been revived by what AFP Sport described as a successful loan spell at Lyon in France.

He first made a major impression internationally when he scored the winning goal against England at Wembley two years ago, becoming Brazil’s youngest scorer since Ronaldo.

After finding himself behind fellow Brazil international Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe following his move to Madrid two years ago, Endrick has rediscovered his scoring form since joining the French club in January. AFP Sport said he is often compared to Romario because of his compact but powerful build, and will aim to emulate the former striker, who scored five goals when Brazil won the World Cup in the United States in 1994.

Pedri

Spain midfielder Pedri has emerged as one of the country’s leading playmakers and, according to AFP Sport, has shown himself to be a worthy successor to Xavi Hernandez for both club and country.

He first came to wider attention at Euro 2020 as an 18-year-old. He then played an important role in Spain’s European title-winning campaign in Germany two years ago, although injury kept him out of the semi-finals and final.

At club level, Pedri has overcome earlier fitness issues under Hansi Flick and has been a central figure for Barcelona as the club won back-to-back La Liga titles over the last two seasons.

With the 2026 World Cup approaching, AFP Sport’s selection reflects a group of players seen as capable of using football’s biggest tournament to elevate their standing further on the international stage.