The World Cup starts this week. Here are 20 players to watch
Turning to the data to find the next Enzo Fernández or Gonçalo Ramos
It’s been more than a week since we last laid our eyes upon top-tier, competitive football, and boy does it feel like that’s just way too long to go without it.
Thankfully, the World Cup kicks off this Thursday, less than two weeks since PSG lifted the Champions League trophy, giving us more than 105 total matches to soothe our need for the beautiful game! Who needs hamstrings, anyway?
Last World Cup feels like a lifetime ago, but it gifted us names like Enzo Fernández, the rising Argentine starlet who would move to Chelsea for €121 million a couple of months later. Fellow Benfica legend Gonçalo Ramos also showed out in Qatar and earned himself a €65 million move to PSG in the next summer, and yes that’s worked out just fine, no further questions.
Similarly, many Arsenal fans watched in awe as Nico Williams dazzled in Spain’s uptempo, attacking setup, while others admired Azzedine Ounahi’s ballcarrying prowess for Morocco.
As you can see, World Cup starlets can be a little hit or miss, as international success doesn’t always translate to the club game. But as long ago as Pele in the 1958 World Cup, this tournament has been flagging young players worth keeping an eye on. With that in mind, here are a sampling of the young names I’ll be paying close attention to in the USA/Mexico/Canada World Cup of 2026:
