This is the year you’ll learn more than you ever thought possible about players you never realised existed.
The 2026 World Cup, with its gigantic scale, expanded 48-team format and a raft of tournament debutants, is going to make household names out of a whole host of rising stars. And luckily for you, we have the inside track on those and others on their way to the top.
Our expert TOM COLLOMOSSE has been scouring the globe for the finest young talents that you haven’t yet heard of, but soon will, as they rise to prominence this year. These are the 12 names you need to know in 2026.
1. Bazoumana Toure
Age: 19 Club: Hoffenheim Country: Ivory Coast Position: Winger
Toure is a pupil of the ASEC Mimosas club in Ivory Coast and if you haven’t heard of them, you probably should have. Their academy produced some of Africa’s finest players including Kolo and Yaya Toure and Salomon Kalou.
Hoffenheim signed him a year ago from Swedish club Hammarby and he has since produed eight assists as well as a couple of goals in 27 league games.
He should get the chance to take on some of his Bundesliga colleagues this summer, as Ivory Coast will face Germany in Group E on June 20 in Toronto. Toure made his senior debut for Ivory Coast in October, playing 89 minutes of a 7-0 win in the Seychelles in qualifying, and his second cap saw him complete a dramatic fightback from two goals down to beat Gabon 3-2 at the Africa Cup of Nations on New Year’s Day.
Toure is described as a happy-go-lucky character and given his potential, it is no wonder. Like other players in this list, Toure is already attached to a prominent agency and has admirers across Europe. Another season or two with Hoffenheim should reveal the next steps.
Bazoumana Toure (right) is a product of the hugely successful ASEC Mimosas club in Ivory Coast
2. Christos Mouzakitis
Age: 19 Club: Olympiacos Country: Greece Position: Midfield
The Olympiacos prodigy bears a passing resemblance to Marco Verratti and when he takes the ball, the similarities with the former Italy playmaker are even stronger.
Mouzakitis is a class operator. Few players of his age – he turned 19 on Christmas Day – can dictate the pace of a game but this comes naturally to ‘Mouza’, who has already won seven Greece senior caps. For neutrals, it is a great shame that this generation of Greek players fell short in World Cup qualifying, but there should be many happier times ahead.
Mouzakitis has already seen his fellow Olympiacos youth product, forward Charalampos Kostoulas, move to the Premier League with Brighton, who have also snapped up 19-year-old Stefanos Tzimas from Nurnberg.
Evangelos Marinakis would not let Mouzakitis leave without a fight but one day, he will undoubtedly be playing in a top-five European league.
Christos Mouzakitis is a class operator. Few players of his age – he turned 19 on Christmas Day – can dictate the pace of a game but this comes naturally to ‘Mouza’
3. Francesco Pio Esposito
Age: 20 Club: Inter Milan Country: Italy Position: Centre forward
Top young talents have been thin on the ground in Italy for too long. While everyone in Italian football has an opinion about this, nobody appears to have the will to do anything about it.
Esposito’s emergence should give them a little breathing space. The younger brother of Sebastiano, who plays for Cagliari, Esposito has passed every test he has been set so far.
His goal against River Plate in last summer’s Club World Cup was the work of an expert No 9, and he has already struck three times in five games for Italy. In style and stature, he resembles 2006 World Cup winner Luca Toni.
If Italy can squeeze through the play-offs and qualify for the 2026 tournament, Esposito will almost certainly be on the plane.
Francesco Pio Esposito has passed every test he has been set so far, including scoring three times in his first five Italy caps
4. Jeremy Jacquet
Age: 20 Club: Rennes Country: France Position: Centre back
The omens are pretty handy. He shares a name with Aime Jacquet, who coached France to their first World Cup, on home soil in 1998. Then there are his roots. Jacquet was born in Bondy, a suburb of Paris – just like Kylian Mbappe and William Saliba.
It’s the latter that he may end up emulating most closely – Jacquet is far more likely to be trying to stop Mbappe in a high-level Champions League game than trying to emulate him.
At 6ft 2in, Jacquet has all the raw materials to become an outstanding central defender: pace, athleticism, timing, power and composure.
Crystal Palace checked on the France Under 21s international last summer and they are not the only ones, with both Arsenal and Chelsea keeping a close eye. Watch out for him this summer.
Jeremy Jacquet (right) is already one of the best young talents in France
5. Kees Smit
Age: 19 Club: AZ Alkmaar Country: Netherlands Position: Midfielder
Smit was already big business before he shone at last summer’s Under 19s Euros and his reputation has grown dramatically since.
Alkmaar know they will sell their young gem next summer and clubs across Europe are already jockeying for position. Smit’s family have spoken to a handful of Premier League clubs including Newcastle United and if anyone in England tries to sign him, they are likely to face competition from Real Madrid.
He has the majority of AZ’s matches this season, and has performed effectively in a variety of midfield roles.
Scouts and coaches love his mentality and leadership qualities, too. Expect to see them on a grander stage soon.
Dutch star Kees Smith has interest from Real Madrid and a host of Premier League clubs
6. Love Arrhov
Age: 17 Club: Eintracht Frankfurt Country: Sweden Position: Attacking midfielder
If the Ballon d’Or judges considered first names as well as football ability when making their selections, then Arrhov would probably have won the award already. One day, he may do so simply because of his ability.
He is joining Eintracht Frankfurt this month having made only 21 senior appearances for Swedish club IF Brommapojkarna.
The Bundesliga club have always had an excellent eye for young talent and given their record of selling players to elite clubs – think Omar Marmoush (£59m to Man City), Randal Kolo Muani (£80m to PSG), Luka Jovic (£55m to Real Madrid), Hugo Ekitike (£79m to Liverpool), William Pacho (£35m to PSG), Sebastien Haller (£45m to West Ham) – Arrhov will be hopeful he can follow suit.
No World Cup for Arrhov this summer, after Sweden’s awful showing in qualifying, but the Champions League awaits him in Germany.
Love Arrhov (left) is joining Eintracht Frankfurt this month having made only 21 senior appearances for Swedish club IF Brommapojkarna
7. Matias Siltanen
Age: 18 Club: Djurgarden Country: Finland Position: Midfielder
Given the success of Nordic clubs in the transfer market, it is easy to fall down a rabbit hole when examining their players and assume every impressive young footballer is a potential Ballon d’Or winner.
Yet Siltanen is interesting. He is not yet 19 but has already played more than 100 senior games.
A technically adept midfielder who has been likened to Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall, Siltanen was on the radar of Manchester City, Bournemouth and Juventus but was sensible enough to move to the Swedish top flight instead of taking the jump to mainstream European football too early.
Is this Finnish football’s biggest star since Jari Litmanen? Far too early to say. But let’s see where he is in a year’s time. Fitness permitting, it is unlikely to be at Djurgarden.
Is this Finnish football’s biggest star since Jari Litmanen? Far too early to say. But let’s see where Matias Siltanen is in a year’s time
8. Mikkel Bro Hansen
Age: 16 Club: Bodo/Glimt Country: Denmark Position: Centre forward
Hansen has still not turned 17 but has already made nine senior appearances, with seven goals and two assists to his name.
While he was at Danish club Aarhus, Hansen had trials with Ajax and Borussia Dortmund, even attending Dortmund’s Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain in December 2023.
Hansen is an imposing, mobile striker with impressive finishing ability. Although a little raw technically, there is nothing wrong with Hansen’s mentality, which is why so many experts in the Nordic countries are so excited.
Mikkel Bro Hansen (left) has had trials with Ajax and Borussia Dortmund
9. Noah Fernandez
Age: 17 Club: PSV Eindhoven Country: Belgium Position: Attacking midfielder
Fernandez has been with PSV since he was six but in his homeland, there are those who compare him to one of the finest attacking talents Belgium has produced – Kevin De Bruyne.
The left-footed playmaker, whose father is Jamaican, is an elegant mover with excellent close control and an eye for a pass. He is among the top youth talents at PSV and made his senior debut earlier this year.
With modern football dominated increasingly by one-on-one duels, perhaps Fernandez needs to improve physically to compete regularly in the senior game. If he does, the sky is the limit.
Noah Fernandez is drawing comparisons with his Belgian compatriot Kevin De Bruyne
10. Noah Nartey
Age: 20 Club: Brondby Country: Denmark/Ghana Position: Attacking midfielder
Always highly regarded, Nartey has gone to another level since Steve Cooper took charge of Brondby in September.
In 12 games with the former Nottingham Forest, Leicester and Swansea boss, Nartey has claimed seven goals and three assists. Prior to that, his tally was 20 goals and 13 assists in 109 appearances.
Brondby would be loath to sell Nartey in January but this is the business model for clubs: identify talent, develop it, and sell at a profit. It is a matter of when, not if, Nartey moves and it would be no surprise if his next destination were the Premier League.
Nartey, whose older brother Nikolas plays for Stuttgart, was born in Denmark but is also eligible to play for Ghana and has been approached by their FA.
Noah Nartey has gone to another level since Steve Cooper took charge of Brondby in September
11. Rodrigo Mora
Age: 18 Club: Porto Country: Portugal Position: Attacking midfielder
First the good news: When Mora made his first-team debut for Porto in a Europa League tie at Bodo/Glimt in September 2024, he became the second-youngest player to appear for them in European competition.
Now the bad news: the youngest is Fabio Silva who, until last summer’s dreadful recruitment campaign, was probably the biggest transfer flop in Wolves’ history and proof that teenage success does not always lead to an elite career.
After a stellar 2024-25 season, and a first senior Portugal call-up during the Nations League finals in June, Mora has found the going tougher under Porto’s latest coach Francesco Farioli, though he has forced his way back into the starting XI recently.
With such dazzling creative gifts, it is surely only a matter of time before Mora’s star shines again.
Rodrigo Mora (right) has dazzling creative gifts and is a rising star of Portuguese football
12. Yarek Gasiorowski
Age: 20 Club: PSV Eindhoven Country: Spain Position: Centre back
If Yarek – as he was known at Valencia – reaches the top, he owes a little to divine intervention.
When Yarek was just five, the priest in his home town of Polinya del Xuquer spotted him playing in a local game. Don Antonio asked Yarek’s mother, Rosario, her son’s name and alerted a Valencia scout.
With his hairstyle and imposing presence, Yarek was occasionally mistaken for Sergio Ramos as he walked around host city Belfast in his Spain tracksuit during the Under 19 Euros in 2024 – even though there are 19 years between them.
A few wobbles in his first senior campaign for Valencia saw Yarek join PSV last summer. He was part of the side that won 4-1 at Liverpool in the Champions League – valuable experience for one of Spain’s most intriguing prospects.
With his hairstyle and imposing presence, Yarek was occasionally mistaken for Sergio Ramos as he walked around Belfast during the 2024 Under 19 Euros
13. Aleksandar Stankovic
Age: 20 Club: Club Brugge Country: Serbia Position: Defensive midfielder
Club Brugge are smart. They have built their reputation for improving young footballers carefully. That means they often move to the front of the queue when these players are available and then they work their magic.
Charles De Ketelaere, Ardon Jashari and Igor Thiago were all sold for more than £30m. Antonio Nusa and Maxim De Cuyper generated more than £40m combined. Stankovic may be the next cab off the rank.
The son of former Inter Milan midfielder Dejan, Stankovic left Inter last summer for what looks like a short stay in Belgium.
More defensively minded than his dad, Stankovic has gained valuable Champions League experience this term and should have plenty more in the coming years.
Aleksandar Stankovic has valuable Champions League experience under his belt and could be the next big-money sale out of Club Brugge
14. Ayyoub Bouaddi
Age: 18 Club: Lille Country: France/Morocco Position: Central midfielder
Bouaddi already has his breakout performance, against Real Madrid in the Champions League nearly a year ago. At just 17, Bouaddi went toe to toe in central midfield with some of the best in the world and outshone them for much of the evening.
He is comfortable in the spotlight off the pitch, too. Aged 15, Bouaddi won a public speaking contest open to young academy footballers across France. First Lady Brigitte Macron was in the audience as he did so.
Bouaddi signed a new deal at Lille in December, which runs until summer 2029, but nobody expects him to be with his hometown club for that long.
Bouaddi also has a flair for mathematics and, sooner or later, one of Europe’s elite will make sure the numbers add up.
Ayyoub Bouaddi already has his breakout performance, against Real Madrid in the Champions League nearly a year ago
15. Caleb Yirenkyi
Age: 19 Club: Nordsjaelland Country: Ghana Position: Central midfielder
A few interesting details about Yirenkyi. Like Tottenham attacker Mohammed Kudus, he is a product of Ghana’s Right to Dream academy. Right to Dream own Danish club Nordsjaelland and send their best talents there.
One of those is Yirenkyi, who is now represented by one of the world’s leading agencies. That is usually a good clue about what the future may hold.
Yirenkyi has strong technical and physical traits and can play both as a holding midfielder or further up the pitch.
Denmark to England would be a big jump and, just as Kudus moved to Ajax before the Premier League, Yirenkyi might take a similar route. But England’s strongest clubs are watching closely.
Caleb Yirenkyi has strong technical and physical traits and can play both as a holding midfielder or further up the pitch
16. Christian Kofane
Age: 19 Club: Bayer Leverkusen Country: Cameroon Position: Forward
Any young forward from Cameroon carries significant expectation. This is, after all, the country that produced Samuel Eto’o and, from the last century, cult World Cup hero Roger Milla.
Kofane is only just starting his international career but is performing well at the Africa Cup of Nations and has also made an encouraging start to life at Bayer Leverkusen.
This time last year, Kofane was with Albacete in the Spanish second tier. He scored eight times in 17 starts and moved to Leverkusen for about £5m.
That is already looking money well-spent: the mobile centre-forward has already scored three times in the Bundesliga and once in the Champions League.
If comparisons with Robert Lewandowski and Alexander Isak feel a little bold at this stage, they nonetheless say everything about the size of Kofane’s potential.
If comparisons with Robert Lewandowski and Alexander Isak feel a little bold at this stage, they nonetheless say everything about the size of Christian Kofane’s potential
17. Matias Satas
Age: 17 Club: Boca Juniors Country: Argentina Position: Centre back
The Premier League market is changing. Instead of waiting for the best South American prospects to prove themselves in Europe, English clubs are going straight to the source, where they can locate top talent at lower prices.
In Brazil, they have cottoned on to this and valuations are rising quickly. But bargains can still be found, particularly in Argentina – and Satas, a left-footed centre back, is among them.
At the start of the year he was promoted to Boca’s Under 20s and is already part of the Argentina squad at junior levels, captaining the Under 15s.
While he idolises Lionel Messi, Satas has said in interviews that he models himself on Tottenham defender Cristian Romero and recruitment experts from across the globe are weighing up whether Satas he the ability to emulate him.
While he idolises Lionel Messi, Matias Satas has said in interviews that he models himself on Tottenham defender Cristian Romero
18. Djylian N’Guessan
Age: 17 Club: Saint-Etienne Country: France Position: Winger
Once upon a time, Chelsea showing interest in a little-known teenager would make the football world sit up and take notice. Now it seems to happen several times a week and therefore makes the talent of the players in question harder to judge.
Across Europe, however, they have been intrigued by N’Guessan for some time. He made his senior debut only this season but Saint-Etienne, a famous club now in the second division, already value him at close to £10m.
N’Guessan prefers to play through the middle but has also operated on either flank. This is exactly the sort of versatility so many modern coaches prize.
Don’t be surprised if he pitches up at Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg in the next 12-18 months.
19. Konstantinos Karetsas
Age: 18 Club: Genk Country: Greece Position: Attacking midfielder/winger
Karetsas is another reason why it is such a shame we will not see Greece at next summer’s World Cup. Though he does not turn 19 until November, the left-footer has already won nine senior caps and scored three times.
World Cup or no World Cup, Karetsas is heading for the mainstream sooner or later. Karestas was born in Belgium and was with Genk for the majority of his youth career though given his family are Greek, there was never any doubt about which country he would choose.
Karetsas is just as comfortable on the wing as he is in the No10 space and is closing in on 100 senior appearances. A switch to the Bundesliga is maybe the best option but do well there and the Premier League will beckon.
Konstantinos Karetsas is another reason why it is such a shame we will not see Greece at next summer’s World Cup
20. Rafael Quintas
Age: 17 Club: Porto Country: Portugal Position: Central midfielder
Success at youth level is no guarantee of victory in senior football yet Portugal are understandably excited about their 2008 generation.
Earlier this year, the Under 17s added the youth World Cup to the European title they claimed only last summer and Quintas was their captain.
As Quintas has yet to make his senior debut, we should still be wary. There are some important indicators, though.
He is a star academy pupil at Benfica, one of the best clubs in the world at spotting and developing young talent. He already belongs to one of the world’s top agencies. And he has drawn comparisons with Vitinha, one of the very best in his position.
Quintas still needs to develop physically but assuming he does, the future looks exciting. If he does not make his senior debut for Benfica soon, there will be plenty of clubs ready to satisfy that ambition.
Rafael Quintas is a star academy pupil at Benfica, one of the best clubs in the world at spotting and developing young talent
21. Tylel Tati
Age: 17 Club: Nantes Country: France/Senegal Position: Centre back
Ligue 1 is in a pickle. The collapse of television revenue is likely to have a severe impact on all French clubs – except for PSG, of course, who continue to benefit from huge Qatari investment. Everywhere else, there is trepidation.
Lucky, then, that Ligue 1 is unmatched across Europe’s top five leagues for producing interesting young players. For some time the competition marketed itself as ‘the league of talents’ and Tati is yet another player who justifies that label.
Despite making only a handful of senior appearances, Tati is already being tracked by the usual suspects and Nantes have valued him at close to £50m.
Tati ticks all the boxes. He’s quick, left-footed, composed, smart and strong. There’s a long way to go but plenty of clever judges are convinced already.
Despite making only a handful of senior appearances, Tylel Tati (left) is already being tracked by the usual suspects and Nantes have valued him at close to £50m
22. Yan Diomande
Age: 19 Club: RB Leipzig Country: Ivory Coast Position: Winger
The Ivorian flier nearly did not make this list because after four months in the Bundesliga he is possibly already too ‘mainstream’, and has drawn interest from Tottenham. On balance, though, it would have been incomplete without him.
Yan Diomande’s form may level off a little as full backs become wiser to his style but there is so much to be excited about
Leipzig have plateaued a little since reaching the last four of the Champions League in 2020 under Julian Nagelsmann. Their eye for talent remains as sharp as ever, though.
Last season, Diomande played 10 times for Spanish strugglers Leganes, and there was little in the raw numbers to suggest a star in the making.
Leipzig saw differently. Halfway through the season, Diomande has six goals and three assists in the league. Though right-footed, he can play on either flank.
His form may level off a little as full backs become wiser to his style but there is so much to be excited about.
