It’s safe to say that the 2026 World Cup was an excellent platform for young players to shine under the brightest of spotlights.
Many of these players laid the foundation to be dominant figures in the international game for years to come. Here are the 10 best players ages 21 and younger from the 2026 World Cup:
Age: 18
Position: Central midfielder
Club: Lille
Ayyoub Bouaddi is one of the key reasons behind Moroccos rise in international soccer. Born and raised in France, Bouaddi previously represented French youth teams but made the switch to represent Morocco shortly before the World Cup. Bouaddi has already impressed at the club level with Lille since he was 16.
One of his career highlights was starting in a win over Real Madrid in the Champions League on his 17th birthday. At the World Cup, he impressed and helped Morocco control the midfield in a 1-1 draw with Brazil. He is likely soon to be transferred to a top club for an enormous sum. For Morocco, he will ensure the Atlas Lions are a top team for years to come.Â
Age:Â 19
Position:Â Central defense
Club: Barcelona
Most fans knew of Cubarsà heading into this tournament after the 19-year-old anchored Barcelonas backline to the LaLiga title. But this World Cup has put Cubarsà on the brink of becoming a global superstar.Â
Entering the final, Spain conceded just one goal and Cubarsà has been a huge part of that. Despite being a teenager, he might be the best central defender in the world.Â
Age: 19
Position: Winger
Club: RB Leipzig
After a stellar club season with RB Leipzig where he was named the Bundesliga Rookie of the Season and is now reportedly nearing a move to Paris Saint-Germain, expectations were very high for Diomande heading into this tournament.Â
He did not score and only had one assist in a win over Curaçao. But there were plenty of times his elite dribbling was on display, and it helped to open the game up for his teammates. In particular, he was explosive in the Ivory Coasts win over Ecuador and was dangerous in the narrow loss to Germany.Â
Age: 21
Position: Winger
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Doué is one of the many top young French players to move from the 2024 Olympic team and into the 2026 World Cup team. He has won Ligue 1s Young Player of the Year twice and has won the UEFA Champions League twice. He has also won the award for the top young player in both the Champions League and the Club World Cup.Â
At this World Cup, he played well in the wins over Senegal, Norway, Paraguay, and Morocco to live up to what is already a remarkable résumé of a player of his age. He scored in Frances win over Norway and then assisted on the opening goal in the win over Morocco.Â
Age: 21
Position: Attacking midfielder
Club: Freiburg
Aside from the first game, Switzerland was very good in this World Cup. If Johan Manzambi was healthy and able to play against Argentina, it might have been a different tournament entirely. Unfortunately for Switzerland, Manzambi was injured just before the Colombia game in the round of 16 and did not play in the final two games.Â
But what Manzambi showed against Bosnia & Herzegovina, Canada, and Algeria was enough to easily make him one of the top young players of the tournament with three goals and two assists in those three games. Manzambi can play every position in the attack, and he combines elite athleticism with a high level of skill that makes him tough to defend. He is rumored to be joining Newcastle United in the near future.Â
Age: 17
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