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Player Spotlight · 2026 World Cup

Rising Talents Under 23

Every World Cup makes new superstars, and the first 48-team edition is a bigger stage than ever. From Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi to Franco Mastantuono, Kenan Yildiz, Arda Guler, Desire Doue, Antonio Nusa and Mexico's teenage prodigy Gilberto Mora, here are the under-23 talents who could define the 2026 tournament, plus how the Best Young Player award works.

WorldCuply.com player spotlight · Published 19 June 2026 · Profiles via FIFA, clubs and national federations

8
Talents to Watch
18
Yamal's Age
2005
Award Cutoff Birth Year
48
Teams in 2026
One note on selection. This list focuses on players from nations that qualified for 2026 and who are 22 or younger during the tournament. Brazil's hugely hyped teenager Estevao misses out: a late-season injury at Chelsea ruled him out of selection, which only sharpens the spotlight on the names below.
The Headliners

The young stars everyone will be watching

A handful of under-23 players arrive in 2026 as established stars already, not prospects. These are the ones who can decide matches.

18
Lamine Yamal, Spain. A Euro 2024 winner and one of the best wingers on earth, fresh off a 40-plus goal-contribution season at Barcelona. The favourite for Best Young Player.
18
Franco Mastantuono, Argentina. The youngest official debutant for the world champions, now at Real Madrid, with a poise far beyond his years.
21
Kenan Yildiz, Turkiye. A two-footed Juventus forward involved in more than 20 goals last season, the spearhead of an exciting young Turkiye.

These three top almost every list of young players to watch, and for good reason: each is already a key man for a team with knockout ambitions. For the wider picture, see our Golden Boot race and power ranking.

The Full List

Eight under-23 talents to watch

The complete shortlist, spanning attackers, a playmaker, a defender and a host-nation teenager, each tied to a side at the 2026 World Cup.

01
Lamine Yamal
Spain · Winger · Barcelona

At 18, already a Euro 2024 winner and a global star. Direct, fearless and a match-winner from the right. He carried a hamstring issue into the tournament, so Spain managed his early minutes, but he is the headline act of this generation. See our Spain guide and Group H.

02
Franco Mastantuono
Argentina · Attacking mid · Real Madrid

An 18-year-old who moved from River Plate to Real Madrid in 2025 and became Argentina's youngest official debutant. Creative, brave on the ball and a glimpse of the post-Messi future for the champions. See our Argentina guide.

03
Kenan Yildiz
Turkiye · Forward · Juventus

A two-footed Juventus forward, 21, involved in more than 20 goals in Serie A last season. The focal point of a young Turkiye attack in Group D alongside the USA. See our Turkiye guide.

04
Arda Guler
Turkiye · Playmaker · Real Madrid

A Real Madrid playmaker who controls tempo and delivers the final pass, the ideal supply line for Yildiz. With Guler and Yildiz, Turkiye have one of the most thrilling young axes at the World Cup.

05
Desire Doue
France · Attacking mid · Paris Saint-Germain

A 2025 Golden Boy winner and Champions League winner with PSG, Doue is a direct, two-footed creator. Part of France's deep attack behind Kylian Mbappe in Group I. See our France guide.

06
Pau Cubarsi
Spain · Centre-back · Barcelona

At 19, already a Barcelona regular at the back. Composed, an excellent passer and a reader of the game well beyond his years, the standout under-23 defender of the tournament.

07
Antonio Nusa
Norway · Winger · RB Leipzig

A direct, dribbling winger who gives Norway a young spark alongside Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard on their first World Cup since 1998, in Group I with France. See our Norway guide.

08
Gilberto Mora
Mexico · Midfielder · Club Tijuana

One of the youngest players at the tournament and the brightest teen from the three hosts. Playing a home World Cup for El Tri is a vast stage for the Tijuana prospect. See our Mexico guide and Group A.

The Award

How the Best Young Player award works

FIFA hands out a Best Young Player award at every World Cup, and 2026 is no different.

For the players on this list, a strong 2026 is a launchpad. The same World Cup stage that announced Mbappe in 2018 and Jude Bellingham in 2022 is exactly what this generation is chasing. Read more on Bellingham's World Cup story and the 2026 dark horses.

Questions & Answers

Frequently asked questions

Who is the best young player at the 2026 World Cup?
Spain's Lamine Yamal is the clear favourite. At 18 he is already a Euro 2024 winner and one of the best wingers in the world, fresh off a season at Barcelona with more than 40 goal contributions. He leads the betting for the Best Young Player award. The main rivals are Argentina's Franco Mastantuono, Turkiye's Kenan Yildiz and Arda Guler, and France's Desire Doue.
How does the FIFA Best Young Player award work?
FIFA gives a Best Young Player award at each World Cup to the standout player born on or after a set cut-off date. For 2026 the award is open to players born on or after 1 January 2005, so any eligible player is 21 or younger during the tournament. The winner is chosen by FIFA's Technical Study Group based on performances across the finals.
How old is Lamine Yamal at the 2026 World Cup?
He is 18. Lamine Yamal was born on 13 July 2007 and turns 19 just after the tournament. He is already a senior Spain international and a Euro 2024 winner, and is widely seen as the face of the next generation. He carried a hamstring issue into the tournament, so Spain managed his early-game minutes carefully.
Who is Franco Mastantuono?
He is an 18-year-old Argentine attacking midfielder who moved to Real Madrid in 2025 from River Plate. He became the youngest official debutant for Argentina and one of Real Madrid's youngest scorers, and brings a maturity rare for his age. He is part of the new generation around the established core in Lionel Scaloni's squad.
Which young players should I watch from Turkiye?
Two. Kenan Yildiz, born in 2005, is a two-footed forward who was involved in more than 20 goals for Juventus last season. Arda Guler, also a 2005-era talent, is a Real Madrid playmaker who sets the tempo and supplies the final pass. Together they give Turkiye one of the most exciting young attacking pairings at the World Cup in Group D.
Is Estevao playing at the 2026 World Cup?
No. The Brazil forward Estevao, one of the most hyped teenagers in the world, misses the 2026 World Cup after a late-season injury at Chelsea ruled him out of selection. His absence is a blow for Brazil and for the wider crop of young stars, and it shifts the spotlight onto the other under-23 talents on this list.
Are there any teenage players from the host nations?
Yes. Mexico's Gilberto Mora, a midfielder at Club Tijuana, is one of the youngest players at the tournament and the brightest teenage talent from the three hosts. Playing a home World Cup as a teenager is a huge stage, and he is the kind of breakout prospect who can announce himself the way previous generations of young players have.
What counts as under 23 at this World Cup?
On this page, under 23 means a player who is 22 or younger during the tournament, roughly anyone born from mid-2003 onwards. That is a slightly wider net than FIFA's official Best Young Player cut-off of players born on or after 1 January 2005. Both framings point at the same thing: the wave of young talent shaping the 2026 World Cup.
Which young defender is worth watching?
Spain's Pau Cubarsi. At 19 he is already a regular centre-back for Barcelona, known for his composure on the ball, his passing range and a reading of the game well beyond his years. Young defenders rarely get the attention that attackers do, but Cubarsi is the standout under-23 centre-back at the tournament.
Why does the 2026 World Cup matter for young players?
Because it is the biggest World Cup ever, with 48 teams, 104 matches and a global audience, and it doubles as a launchpad. A strong tournament at this age can define a career, just as Kylian Mbappe in 2018 and Jude Bellingham in 2022 used the World Cup to announce themselves. For this generation, 2026 is the stage to do the same.
Keep Reading

More 2026 World Cup coverage

The young stars are scattered across 48 teams. Explore the rest of the WorldCuply.com guide:

Spain Squad

The Euro 2024 champions with Yamal, Cubarsi, Pedri and Rodri, and why they are favourites.

See the squad ›

Bellingham's Story

From teenage sensation at Qatar 2022 to England's number 10 in 2026, the template for this generation.

Read it ›

Golden Boot Race

Yamal, Kane, Mbappe, Haaland and more: the contenders for the 2026 top-scorer prize.

See the race ›

Who Will Win?

Our data-led power ranking of the 2026 contenders, with the favourites and the bolters.

See the ranking ›
Sources

Sources and further reading

Ages, clubs and squad details were checked against official and authoritative sources:

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