The World Cup is now just hours away from beginning, and football fans across the globe are ready for a five-week feast of summer action.
Who’ll fire their team to victory at the tournament? Who will claim the Golden Boot? And which young talents will light up the tournament and become a household name overnight? In years gone by, the likes of Michael Owen, Thomas Muller and even Pelé have announced their arrival on the big stage.
Lamine Yamal is one of the teenage talents who have already exploded on the world stage, playing a crucial role for both Spain and Barcelona in recent years, though other young starlets will enter the tournament with little fanfare but leave as superstars.
Here are the 15 young players heading to the World Cup that we’re tipping to have big futures:
5. Warren Zaire-Emery - France
The 20-year-old midfielder is a regular starter for Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, and will head to his second successive major tournament this summer after being named in Didier Deschamps squad for the World Cup. A central midfielder who has everything in his locker, he will be tasked with breaking up play and starting France's attacking moves. Recorded a quite frankly ridiculous 93.7 per cent passing accuracy rate in Ligue this season. Top, top talent. | AFP via Getty Images
6. Luc de Fougerolles - Canada
One of the rising stars of Canadian football, the versatile centre-back will be looking to make his mark on home soil for the co-hosts this summer. Currently with English Premier League side Fulham, the Cottagers allowed him to join Belgian Pro League side Dender on loan last season, where he flourished, showing his technical strengths, explosive speed and ability to build up play from the back. | Getty Images
7. Nico O'Reilly - England
The versatile defender is expected to line up as England's first-choice left-back at the tournament after an excellent campaign with Manchester City. Capable of playing in a variety of positions, O'Reilly is a real offensive threat for the Three Lions, finding the net eight times at the Etihad this season. Tall and athletic, he's defensively solid too and provides a real aerial threat in both boxes. | Getty Images
8. Pau Cubarsi - Spain
If Lamine Yamal is Spain's most exciting young attacker, then Barcelona centre-back Cubarsi is its most talented young defender. A regular starter at the Nou Camp despite just recently turning 19. A product of the famed La Masia academy, he broke Sergio Ramos' record as the youngest player to be capped by Spain when he was handed his debut at the age of 17 in 2024. | Getty Images