Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane … essentially the most well-known stars in soccer will probably be entrance and middle on the 2026 World Cup this summer time as 48 groups vie for glory.
However past these family names, who’re the newcomers to the worldwide scene that might have a giant say on who lifts the trophy in July?
We have combed by the potential squads and picked out a collection of gamers who look set to play a key position on the match or maybe have an effect off the bench, however have solely earned 10 caps or fewer for his or her nation up to now.
– Who’re the perfect U21 males’s gamers on the earth?
– USMNT massive board: Is Pochettino’s squad already determined?
– World Cup equipment rating: Each jersey we’ll see this summer time (launched up to now)
– O’Hanlon: Rating all 48 nationwide groups at this yr’s World Cup
STARTERS
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Elliot Anderson, CM, England – 7 caps
Key stat: Has the third-most tackles and interceptions (90) within the Premier League this season.
There’s little doubt who Declan Rice‘s first-choice central midfield associate will probably be for England this summer time. Anderson has loved two distinctive seasons with Nottingham Forest and has seamlessly transferred that kind to the nationwide workforce.
Regardless of having simply seven caps to his title, he looks like an skilled, regular presence within the center. His all-round recreation is extraordinarily sturdy — he’s energetic and defensively energetic, but he’s additionally snug in dealing with an enormous quantity of passes in a managed possession system. There is a good motive he has already been repeatedly linked with summer time switch strikes to Manchester Metropolis and Manchester United.
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Luka Vuskovic, CB, Croatia – 4 caps
Key stat: He has a 75.3% aerial duel win price within the Bundesliga.
“Vuskovic shouldn’t be regular.” That was the evaluation of Croatian media after the 19-year-old’s man of the match efficiency in opposition to Colombia final week. There’s a rising clamor not solely to incorporate him within the World Cup squad, however to call him as an everyday starter.
Each problem that’s thrown his manner, he aces. On mortgage at Hamburg from Tottenham Hotspur, he has already been named “Bundesliga Younger Participant of the Month” 4 occasions this season — and pipped Kane to the Bundesliga’s “Participant of the Yr up to now” award in January. He has been equally spectacular in his first senior worldwide video games, too.
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Luis Suárez, ST, Colombia – 10 caps
Key stat: He has scored 24 objectives in 25 league video games for Sporting CP this season.
The final time Colombia attended a World Cup (2018), their strike drive consisted of Radamel Falcao, Carlos Bacca and Luis Muriel. All three at the moment are lengthy retired from the worldwide scene, that means Los Cafeteros‘ assault will carry a really totally different really feel this time round.
On the middle of it seems to be Suárez, who has loved an enormous glow-up in 2025-26. He’s the participant Sporting CP selected to interchange Arsenal-bound Viktor Gyökeres with and he has responded with a formidable 24 objectives in 25 league video games up to now. He has 4 objectives in 10 video games for the nationwide workforce and has surpassed Jhon Durán within the pecking order.
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Nico O’Reilly, LB, England – 3 caps
Key stat: He has received essentially the most duels (132) for Manchester Metropolis within the Premier League.
Regardless of which configuration supervisor Thomas Tuchel decides upon, England’s protection goes to look extremely inexperienced.
Nothing exemplifies that higher than the very fact O’Reilly, who has simply three caps and has solely been enjoying left again for a couple of yr, seems to be a robust guess to play a major half on the left flank. He has blossomed below Manchester Metropolis boss Pep Guardiola and deserves this opportunity, and can be ok with beating Tino Livramento (5 caps) and Lewis Corridor (4 caps) to the beginning position.
ROTATION
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Deniz Undav, ST, Germany – 7 caps
Key stat: Solely Bayern striker Kane (31) has extra objectives within the Bundesliga than Undav’s 18 for VfB Stuttgart.
Undav is essentially the most pure striker and finisher in Germany supervisor Julian Nagelsmann’s plans, and is barely behind Kane within the Golden Boot standings.
He most likely will not begin many, if any, video games for Germany this summer time — Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade are forward of him within the pecking order — however he provides one thing very totally different off the bench and will play a giant super-sub position.
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Nico Paz, AM, Argentina – 8 caps
Key stat: He has 16 objective contributions in Serie A this season.
At 38-years-old, Lionel Messi can solely play so many minutes on the high stage. Others might want to step in and relieve him — both as a starter or a substitute — and proper now the most probably candidate seems to be Paz.
The 21-year-old is having an unbelievable, Participant of the Season-worthy marketing campaign in Serie A with Como. He’s a inventive, intelligent, ingenious attacking midfielder who additionally excels from set-piece conditions.
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Tomás Araújo, CB, Portugal – 3 caps
Key stat: He has dedicated simply six fouls in 20 Primeira Liga video games.
Araújo is having fun with a real breakout marketing campaign with Benfica, the place he has leapfrogged former wonderkid António Silva to a constant place in José Mourinho’s beginning XI. Ought to the Eagles keep away from defeat within the ultimate seven league video games, they may full a exceptional unbeaten season.
That has earned the 23-year-old a look-in at worldwide stage and he has made a very good first impression. Given Rúben Dias has struggled with harm in 2026, perception is rising in Portugal that Araújo might find yourself being fast-tracked into a large position in protection this summer time.
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Dean Huijsen, CB, Spain – 7 caps
Key stat: He made 11.38 passes into the ultimate third per recreation — third-most in LaLiga this season.
The cornerstone of Spain’s fashion of play is possession, so it’s important they’ve slick passers within the defensive position. Huijsen is definitely that; he can flow into the ball cleanly, push passes into ahead areas and even embark on mazy dribbles.
There’s a whole lot of competitors in his place, although, with the skilled Aymeric Laporte seemingly locking up one middle again slot, leaving Huijsen to battle it out with Barcelona‘s Pau Cubarsí for the opposite. The truth is they may most likely share it, given the quantity of video games Spain anticipate to play.
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Igor Thiago and João Pedro, ST, Brazil – 7 and a pair of caps, respectively
Key stat: They’re the second and third high objective scorers within the Premier League with 19 and 14 objectives, respectively.
Carlo Ancelotti is understood for fielding tactically fluid, attacking groups, so Pedro looks like a pure choose up entrance for this model of Brazil. He has developed as a objective scorer however can hyperlink play brilliantly too, that means he is an incredible choice outdoors of Matheus Cunha up entrance.
Then there’s Thiago, who scored his first objective for his nation on Tuesday in what was simply his second look. He’s an even bigger, brutish, extra conventional choice and there’s at all times a spot for that. How Ancelotti strikes between his No. 9 choices will probably be fascinating.
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Hugo Ekitike, ST, France – 8 caps
Key stat: He has 23 objectives and assists in all competitions in his debut season for Liverpool.
France‘s depth runs deep within the ahead line, and when you may have international stars (like Kylian Mbappé) and reigning Champions League winners (like Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué) within the group, it may be laborious to get a glance in.
That’s most likely why a participant of Ekitikes high quality has been used so sparingly by his nation up to now, however he’s in good kind and appears set to nab a spot within the squad. From there? You by no means understand how issues may fall in the course of the chaos of a match.
SHOCK CALL-UPS
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Lennart Karl, AM, Germany – 2 caps
Key stat: He has 13 objective contributions within the Bundesliga and the Champions League
Karl’s breakout season with Bayern has snowballed into a global callup and a late run on the World Cup squad. He debuted for Germany throughout this window and impressed.
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Paul Wanner & Carney Chukwuemeka, CM, Austria – 2 caps every
Key stat: Wanner has 4 objective contributions in 14 league begins on mortgage at PSV; Chukwuemeka scored on his Austria debut.
Two promising abilities, from Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, respectively, have declared for Austria and earned their first caps in March. They clearly have their eyes on this summer time’s match.
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Rayan, FW, Brazil – 1 cap
Key stat: He has 0.4 objective contributions per recreation performed, the fifth-most amongst Brazilian-born gamers within the Premier League this season.
What a 2026 it has been for Rayan. In January, he made the transfer from Vasco da Gama to the Premier League with AFC Bournemouth, and now he has made his Brazil bow. He’s on the fringes of Ancelotti’s squad and may but win a World Cup place.
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Max Dowman, FW, England – Uncapped
Key stat: He’s the Premier League’s youngest-ever objective scorer (16 years, 73 days).
Tuchel resisted the urge to name up Dowman in March, following the 16-year-old’s heroics in Arsenal‘s latest 2-0 win over Everton. He didn’t, nevertheless, rule out choosing him for the World Cup, and there’s nonetheless an opportunity that occurs if the teenage decides extra video games in the course of the Premier League title run-in. However he is not even performed for the U21s… he has 9 caps for the U19s and lately scored a wide ranging objective in opposition to Portugal.
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Senny Mayulu, CM, France – Uncapped
Key stat: He has 10 objective contributions in Ligue 1 and the Champions League.
Didier Deschamps is famously cautious in his choices, that means Mayulu is but to be capped by France regardless of having scored a objective in a Champions League ultimate and placing collectively a breakout season at PSG. Nevertheless, he might but win the veteran coach’s belief.
