The World Cup has a habit of making players’ careers. James Rodriguez in 2014, Paul Scholes and Michael Owen before him.
One moment is all it can take for a player to get their dream move, and this summer gives more opportunity than ever before.
With 48 nations crammed into North America, there are more players than ever primed for a breakout.
But which ones could use this World Cup as the launchpad for a Premier League move? Here are 10 names to look out for.
1. Yan Diomande – Ivory Coast | Age 19
A name that keeps cropping up. At just 19, Yan Diomande enjoyed a stunning breakout season with RB Leipzig, scoring 12 goals and providing eight assists in 33 Bundesliga appearances as the club secured Champions League football.
At 19 years and 114 days, he became the fourth-youngest player ever to reach double figures for goals in a single Bundesliga campaign.
He has also been clocked as one of the fastest players in Europe’s top leagues, reaching 22.6mph.
Having already emerged as a leading target for Liverpool in their bid to strengthen wide attacking positions following Mohamed Salah’s departure, a strong World Cup with Ivory Coast and the bidding war for his signature could be quite spectacular.
2. Joel Ordonez – Ecuador | Age 22
Liverpool came within a whisker of signing the Club Brugge defender in January.
At 22, Joel Ordonez – a 6ft 2in ball-playing defender – has proven himself across the Belgian Pro League, winning the league title, Belgian Super Cup and Belgian Cup.
Club Brugge are openly hoping Ordonez will increase his value at the World Cup and are banking on a bidding war emerging, particularly in England.
Tottenham have now joined Liverpool in the race, and Chelsea have also been linked. Whoever gets him will get a player who could anchor a Premier League backline for a decade.
3. Ibrahim Mbaye – Senegal | Age 18
Ibrahim Mbaye broke Warren Zaire-Emery’s record as the youngest player to start a game for PSG.
The winger featured 23 times in all competitions for PSG this season, including 10 starts, establishing himself as a credible option despite fierce competition for places.
Aston Villa are accelerating their interest, with discussions understood to be at an advanced stage and a deal worth around £35m in the pipeline. Chelsea and Liverpool have also been watching.
His involvement with Senegal at the World Cup could significantly increase his market value if he performs well on the global stage.
4. Johan Manzambi – Switzerland | Age 20
Born in Geneva to parents from Angola and DR Congo, Johan Manzambi left Servette’s youth academy at 17 to join Freiburg.
In the 2025-26 Bundesliga season he racked up five goals and four assists in the league and was part of Freiburg’s run to a Europa League final.
Johan Manzambi of Switzerland
A Swiss newspaper described him as a “fast box-to-box player who is dynamic and energetic”, and the stats back it up. Switzerland’s 2026 squad leans hard on European top-flight talent, and Manzambi earned his spot as the youngest name in the group at 20.
5. Gilberto Mora – Mexico | Age 17
Mexico starlet Gilberto Mora will be 17 years and 240 days old when the 2026 World Cup kicks off, making him the youngest player at the entire tournament.
He is not there to make up the numbers either. In August 2024 he became the youngest player ever to start and score in the Mexican first division at age 15.
In January 2025, he was the youngest ever to debut for Mexico at 16. He then started for Mexico as they won the Gold Cup.
The attacker can comfortably play in midfield, as a No.10, a winger that cuts inside, or up front.
Some of the top clubs reportedly scouting him already include Real Madrid, Barcelona and Premier League sides.
6. Kendry Paez – Ecuador | Age 19
Technically already a Chelsea player. But he has never played in England. The World Cup is his audition.
Kendry Paez joined Chelsea from Independiente del Valle in July 2025, two months after his 18th birthday, after the deal had been agreed two years earlier.
He spent the season on loan, first Strasbourg, then River Plate, developing away from the glare of English football.
By March 2026 he had 24 caps and two international goals, including becoming the youngest South American to score in a World Cup qualifier.
If Paez turns this World Cup into his James Rodriguez moment, Chelsea’s next number 10 might already be on their books.
7. Keisuke Goto – Japan | Age 20
There has been a “Japanese Erling Haaland” tag doing the rounds, though Keisuke Goto himself apparently prefers to be compared to Harry Kane.
You can see both. The 6ft 3in striker began making waves at Anderlecht, scoring in both the Belgian Pro League and the Europa League, before a loan move to Sint-Truiden to get consistent first-team minutes.
At Sint-Truiden, he scored 10 goals and provided five assists, with a goal or assist coming every 208 minutes.
8. Yan Diomande (Ousmane) – Ivory Coast | Age 22
Not the same Diomande. The other one. At 22, Ousmane Diomande is one of the brightest young talents in both Africa and Europe, having signed for Sporting in January 2023.
His outstanding skill set is his passing ability as a centre-back, completing a 93% pass accuracy and 68.77 successful passes per 90 minutes in Liga Portugal.
In an era where ball-playing defenders command eye-watering fees, those numbers are the stuff of boardroom dreams.
He is exactly the type that Premier League clubs overpay for.
9. Luka Vuskovic – Croatia | Age 19
Another one already in the Premier League system, but yet to play in it. The 19-year-old central defender excelled for Hamburg in the Bundesliga on loan from Tottenham and was even voted the best player in Germany halfway through the 2025-26 campaign, ahead of Harry Kane.
He has also scored six goals in the league for Hamburg and scored the equaliser in a March friendly against Colombia.
He will face England in Dallas in the group stage. If he makes Kane look ordinary, every Spurs fan will want him in the first team immediately.
10. Ibrahim Maza – Algeria | Age 20
The passing of the torch is well underway within the Algeria camp as Ibrahim Maza takes the spotlight from Riyad Mahrez.
Bayer Leverkusen’s No.10 had as many goal involvements across the Bundesliga this season, and now is ready to light up the world stage in North America.
Should he show his quality in front of a much bigger audience, it could attract a whole host of Premier League suitors.
