With the friendlies well underway, the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is officially around the corner, and how better to get ready than by paying close attention to the young stars poised to steal the show during the summer competition?
For the first time since 1994, North America is hosting the World Cup, one of the most anticipated events—if not the most—in soccer (or football, if you will). Players from around the world are making the trek for over a month of matches that will take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Thousands of players, veterans and otherwise, are making the pilgrimage to North America. With almost 900 players debuting (including 22 teenagers), you are going to want to keep an eye on the younger stars.
To make your pre-FIFA World Cup 2026 homework a little easier, we've rounded up info on some of the top young soccer players from around the world.
Lamine Yamal, 18, Spain
At this point, Lamine Yamal needs almost no introduction, but we shall give you one anyway. By far the best-known teen in the World Cup (and perhaps sports, in general), the left-footed forward will once again represent Spain in this, his World Cup debut, and will do so fresh off his second consecutive La Liga win with Barcelona FC. Spain, affectionately referred to as “La Roja” for the color of their kits, will be looking to take home the country's second World Cup.
Yamal, who will turn 19 before the final, goes into the World Cup as defending champion of La Liga and will be joined on the field by many of his fellow Barça players, including 19-year-old Pau Cubarsí. Yamal and Cubarsí are the two youngest players on the team and, alongside 14 others, are the reigning Euro 2024 champions.
Listing all of Yamal's accolades could take forever, but in 2024, he set the Guinness World Record as the youngest player to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or, at 17, surpassing the previous record holder, Kylian Mbappé. Despite wearing the iconic number 10 for Barça this year, following in the steps of Messi (one of his role models) and Ronaldinho, he will rock the number 19 with the Spanish football team. Keep an eye out for him on the pitch—though, thanks to his creatively sharp style of play, we have a feeling he'll be hard to miss.
It's worth noting that Yamal will skip warm-up matches due to a hamstring injury sustained during the La Liga season, but according to Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, he's expected to play in Spain's opener against Cape Verde in Atlanta on June 15.
João Neves, 21, Portugal
Midfielder João Neves, who wears the number 87 for Paris Saint-Germain and 15 for Portugal, is another player you'll want to keep on your radar. Neves comes into the World Cup fresh from a stellar season with PSG, as the team just won the UEFA Champions League in a penalty shootout against Arsenal, making them two-time defending winners.
Neves made his Ligue 1 debut with PSG during the 2024–25 season. Aside from the UEFA Champions League, the club also won its fifth-consecutive Ligue 1 title this year—the second one with Neves in its lineup.
Like Yamal, Neves will make his World Cup debut with the Portuguese national team after years of playing in the youth categories. That's not to say Neves's international career is just getting started, though; the 21-year-old was also part of Portugal’s 2025 UEFA Nations League Finals squad, where he played as a right-back, and Portugal took home the crowd after a penalty shootout against Spain.
In the World Cup, Neves will play alongside football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the most veteran players in the cup, and will be looking to take home Portugal's first title.
Désiré Doué, 21, France
Neves's fellow Paris Saint-Germain player, French-Ivorian forward Désiré Doué, is also set to make his first FIFA World Cup appearance in 2026. Freshly 21, Doué is not France's youngest player—that honor goes to midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery, 20, who also plays for PSG—but he's still one to watch, and his palmarès proves it. In recent years, Doué has won the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year and Champions League Young Player of the Season awards.
Praised for his pace and agility, Doué trained in the youth academy of Rennes, his first team in the Ligue 1, before transferring to PSG in 2024. As a player for the French national team, Doué played in the under-17, under-19, and under-21 categories before making his senior debut in 2024.
He also represented his country in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where the team won silver. The team, with Doué, also ranked third in the 2025 UEFA Nations League Finals, after Portugal and Spain. If France wins the World Cup, it will be the country's third win overall.
Kobbie Mainoo, 21, England
Born and raised in Stockport, Greater Manchester, 21-year-old Kobbie Mainoo is one of the youngest players on the English national team, alongside Nico O'Reilly, 21, of Manchester City, and Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham, 22.
Playing as a midfielder, Mainoo began his career in Manchester United's youth system before joining the first team in the Premier League in 2023. As far as his international career goes, Mainoo joined England in the under-17 category before making his senior debut in 2024. He was part of the main national squad for UEFA Euro 2024 and was in the starting lineup in the final against Spain, which went on to win the title. Still, Mainoo made headlines for having the best overall pass accuracy (96%) of any midfielder at a European Championship since 1980.
With such stats, he's surely one to watch in the World Cup, where England, like Spain, is looking to take home its second title. Speaking about his involvement in the World Cup, Mainoo said in a statement: “It’s a dream come true. My earliest memories are [of the tournaments] in South Africa, Brazil, and Russia. To finally be in the team for that is an unbelievable feeling.”
Ibrahim Mbaye, 18, Senegal
Ibrahim Mbaye, a forward for Paris Saint-Germain, will also make his World Cup debut, but— unlike his teammates Warren Zaïre-Emery and Désiré Doué—Mbaye will be wearing the Senegalese jersey.
Despite being born in France and having started his international career with Les Bleus in his youth, Mbaye's request to switch to Senegal's national team was approved by FIFA in December. Chelsea player Mamadou Sarr, also part of the same national squad this World Cup, followed suit by trading France for Senegal just a few days later.
Mbaye, who has been part of the PSG academy since he was 10, made his first-team debut in 2024. As an international, he reportedly became the youngest Senegalese goal-scorer in history and the youngest player to score at the Africa Cup of Nations in the 21st century, at just 17. He helped Senegal reach the final before losing to Morocco.
Mbaye heads into the World Cup as one of the youngest members of the Senegalese team, alongside fellow 18-year-old Bara Sapoko Ndiaye, a midfielder for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.
Lennart Karl, 18, Germany
Also a player for Bayern Munich, 18-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl enters the World Cup as the youngest member of the Germany national team. Having turned 18 in February, Karl is one of the youngest players in the World Cup. In fact, he only made his first-team debut for Bayern Munich in April 2025, having been part of the team’s academy just a year prior.
This season has been a major year for the midfielder, with nine goals and eight assists. He’s won his first Bundesliga and DFB Cup and will participate in his first World Cup.
Like Yamal, Karl is also left-footed and considers Lionel Messi his role model.
At 17, Karl also surpassed Kylian Mbappé’s record, reportedly becoming the youngest player to score in three consecutive Champions League games.
Alex Freeman, 21, United States
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Born in Baltimore and raised in Fort Lauderdale, 21-year-old Alex Freeman, son of former-NFL player Antonio Freeman, is the youngest player on the US National Team. (He will turn 22 in August, shortly after the World Cup.)
Freeman started his career as a winger and forward in Orlando City, first on the B team and then on the first team, where he transitioned to right-back defender. In 2026, he transferred midseason to Villarreal CF, which finished third in La Liga behind Barcelona FC and Real Madrid.
Before his transfer, he was awarded the MLS Young Player of the Year Award in 2025 for his contributions to Orlando.
Freeman has been a US youth international player for years and finally made his senior-team debut in 2025. He will make his World Cup debut during the tournament. Though we don’t yet know if he will be part of the starting 11, the USA, as part of Group D, is scheduled to face Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 13, meaning his debut will likely be on home turf.
Gilberto Mora, 17, Mexico
Last but definitely not least on our list: 17-year-old midfielder Gilberto Mora, who will be the youngest player in the tournament. Mora, currently playing in Mexico’s top league, Liga MX, for Club Tijuana, will represent the Mexico national team, wearing number 11.
In 2025, Mora, who will turn 18 in October, also reportedly became the youngest-ever player to debut for Mexico, at 16. Soccer runs in his blood as he is the son of former player Gilberto Mora, who also played in Club Tijuana.
Mora made his Liga MX debut in 2024 and has been dubbed one of Mexico’s most promising stars since his days as a youth international. In the U-20 World Cup, he scored three goals and landed two assists in five matches. During the 2025 Gold Cup final, which Mexico won against the United States, he was in the starting lineup. Mora is often praised for prowess beyond his years, which has allegedly put him on the radar of many European teams.
As part of Group A, Mexico will face South Africa in the very first opening match for the World Cup on June 11 at the Mexico City Stadium, which means Mora will also probably make his official senior international debut on home soil.
