Rising stars to watch at World Cup 2026

Last Updated on 22 May 2026

Every four years, a World Cup creates new global icons. In 1998, a teenage Thierry Henry announced himself. In 2018, Kylian Mbappe became football’s new face overnight.

World Cup 2026, the biggest ever, expanded to 48 teams across the USA, Canada and Mexico, will do the same. Beyond the Mbappes and Haalands, a new wave of players is ready to steal the show.

These are the hidden gems primed to turn one summer into a career-defining moment.

Nico Paz (Argentina)

Start with Argentina’s most exciting creative talent. At just 21, Nico Paz has put together one of Serie A’s most eye-catching seasons,12 goals and 6 assists for Como in 2025/26. Paz trained through Real Madrid’s academy before Cesc Fabregas unlocked his genius at Como.

The technical range is extraordinary: free kicks, line-breaking passes, long-range strikes. Even Francesco Totti called him the most intriguing player he had watched in years. With Scaloni expected to manage Lionel Messi’s minutes carefully, Paz steps into that creative void.

Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast)

The story alone earns attention. Diomande arrived in Florida at 15, speaking no English, family half a world away in Abidjan. Less than two years later, he’s one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting teenagers. He plundered 12 goals and seven assists in his debut campaign.

Diomande become the fourth-youngest player ever to reach double figures for goals in a single campaign. Explosive, unpredictable and a constant one-v-one threat, his dribbling is his most eye-catching weapon. He’s already attracting interest from the best in the Premier League.

Ibrahim Maza (Algeria)

Born in Berlin, chose Algeria over Germany, and that decision looks inspired. The 20-year-old had only played 70 minutes of top-flight football before joining Bayer Leverkusen in summer 2025, yet Kasper Hjulmand started him regularly, particularly in the second half of the season.

This season he recorded 3 goals and 4 assists across 25 Bundesliga appearances, earning a consistent rating of 7.24, as per FotMob. Maza threads passes others don’t see, presses relentlessly and carries the kind of composure that looks borrowed from a much older player.

Antonio Nusa (Norway)

Norway return to a World Cup for the first time in 28 years, and Erling Haaland naturally grabs headlines. However, Nusa may end up as the tournament’s most explosive individual. The winger recorded the highest dribbling volume of any wide player in the Bundesliga this season.

He became the second-youngest scorer in Champions League history at Club Brugge. Crucially, Nusa creates the space Haaland thrives in: when defenders double-team Haaland, Nusa punishes them; when defenders track Nusa, Haaland scores freely.

Ibrahim Mbaye (Senegal)

At 18, Ibrahim Mbaye has already written himself into the record books. In January 2026 at AFCON, the PSG teenager became the youngest Senegalese goalscorer in the tournament’s history, and the youngest player to score at the Africa Cup of Nations in the 21st century.

Mbaye comes from the bench at PSG, where the competition for places is fierce, but with Senegal he takes every chance and shines. Remarkably, Senegal’s opening group game at this World Cup comes against France, the country where Mbaye grew up and developed.