The sophistication of modern-day scouting means that the days of the World Cup providing a genuine breakout star out of the blue may be in the past, but the tournament still provides an incredible opportunity for young players.
After all, Kylian Mbappé was already a French Ligue 1 title-winner when he became the first teenager since Pelé to score in a World Cup final. Mbappé was already known in 2018, but World Cup success took him to another stratosphere.
The 2022 World Cup offers another class of rising talent. This list contains the brightest talents at the tournament under age 22 (all eligible players must be under 22 at the start of the competition). Some have not yet played in any of Europe’s top five leagues, while others have already won the Champions League. But what they all share in common—aside from mouth-watering talent—is the desire to make their mark over the next month in the world’s biggest sporting event. This is their moment, their time to shine. Remember their names.
Jamal Musiala, Rodrygo, Gio Reyna, Jude Bellingham and William Saliba are all headed to the World Cup
12. Rodrygo
National team: Brazil
Club: Real Madrid
Position: Forward
Age: 21
Some bets take a while to cash in, and in the case of Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, it can be worth the wait. The Brazilian winger, signed from Santos at 17 for €54 million, was in his third campaign in Spain when Real saw the payoff. He had scored four goals in his first 79 matches before hitting form at the end of last season, just when it mattered most. His six goals in six games included the dramatic equalizer in the come-from-behind Champions League quarterfinal win over Chelsea; two goals in a win over Espanyol that sealed a La Liga title; and two goals in the UCL semifinal win over Manchester City.
The versatile forward can play across the front three, is a willing runner, superb dribbler and elite finisher. He has carried on his scoring run this season and is loved by his Brazil teammates, especially Neymar, who has tipped him to take his No. 10 shirt one day.
Brazil coach Tite has a wealth of wide talents from which to choose; just by being in the squad, Rodrygo has done well. On his current run of form, you wouldn’t put it past him to go even further and make an impact in Qatar.
What they say:
“He is a special striker because he can play in all the positions. He is quick, clever without the ball, effective in one-on-ones.” — Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid coach
11. Pedri
National team: Spain
Club: Barcelona
Position: Midfielder
Age: 19
His club coach compares him to Andres Iniesta, and he should know: Barcelona boss Xavi played alongside Iniesta for club and country, winning the 2010 World Cup together for Spain. In Pedri, Spain now has a worthy successor: a two-footed inside midfielder who plays with bravery and can take out a whole defensive line with the right pass.
Pedri claims his skills are partly down to his upbringing on the Canary Islands (like David Silva), saying it taught him about patience and unpredictability. Spain coach Luis Enrique, who gave Pedri his Barcelona debut, knows just how exciting the young talent can be.
Three Spanish clubs passed on Pedri as they thought he was too small, yet within one month of making his debut for Las Palmas at 16, he had agreed to join Barcelona, and at 17 won Tuttosport’s 2021 Golden Boy award as the world’s top young talent. That came at a cost: he played 73 games in the ’20-21 season, but last season could only manage 12 league games for Barcelona. His fitness is vital for club and country.
What they say:
“Pedri gives us that pause, he doesn’t lose the ball, he’s always well positioned, he uses both feet. He dominates space and time perfectly: he’s a superlative player. If we’re talking pure talent, he’s the best in the world.” — Xavi
10. Nuno Mendes
National team: Portugal
Club: PSG
Position: Defender
Age: 20
Nuno Mendes started out as an attacking midfielder but has played left back for two title-winning sides in the last two seasons: Sporting in 2021 and PSG in 2022. Not bad for a player who only left his teens this summer.
Mendes was Sporting’s youngest debutant since Cristiano Ronaldo and, playing as left wingback in a 3-4-3 system, had a crucial role in its first title success in 19 years. His bursts upfield, dribbling past opponents and excellent (and early) crossing ability in tight spaces were an important part of Rúben Amorim’s team.
That earned him a Portugal call-up in March 2021 and since then he’s been putting pressure on Raphaël Guerreiro at left back. It’s helped that he spent last season on loan at PSG, where training sessions against Mbappé, Neymar and Messi have tightened up his defensive skills. He was named in Ligue 1’s team of last season and nominated for France Football’s Kopa Trophy, another honor recognizing the world’s top young player.
Mendes plays best in attacking teams that like to push forward; that works for PSG, which made his loan move permanent with a $43 million signing this summer, but restricts his role in Fernando Santos’s more cautious Portugal setup. Given the chance, Mendes will make things happen.
What they say:
“There aren’t many left backs in the world with that quality. He is strong physically and in his head. He has an excellent left foot and he has very good pace. And he has so much time to improve.” — Costinha, former Portugal midfielder
9. Bukayo Saka
National team: England
Club: Arsenal
Position: Winger
Age: 21
Saka is a rarity in modern football: a player who had his international breakthrough during a major tournament. His dynamic performances, at just 19, helped England reach the Euro 2020 final. The Arsenal winger missed England’s decisive penalty in the final shootout defeat to Italy, but he has bounced back to become one of Gareth Southgate’s most important players.
He is versatile, too. He started at left wingback in a September defeat to Italy, and a few days later came on at right wing to help England turn a 2–0 deficit into a 3–2 lead against Germany. His direct running, close control, acceleration, awareness, quick passes between the lines and two-footed crossing ability to the far post make him a great attacking threat in Southgate’s 3-4-3 system.
Lesser players might have been cowed by the Euro experience; Saka seems to have grown from it. He was voted England’s Player of the Year for 2021–22 by the England fans, as well as Arsenal’s player of the season for two years running. Despite his tender years, he has over 100 Premier League appearances to his name. Saka faces competition for an England place from Phil Foden and Mason Mount but is expected to get his chance under Southgate.
What they say:
“He needs to win football matches on his own, he needs to be living this profession: Tomorrow I’m going to kill the opponent. And that’s what I want from him. He has this ability now he’s going through a place in his career and he needs to go to the next level right now. He has the right people around him to do it and he’s very willing to do it.” — Mikel Arteta, Arsenal coach
8. Enzo Fernández
National team: Argentina
Club: Benfica
Position: Midfielder
Age: 21
The latest River Plate academy recruit to land in Benfica, Fernández has been a key part of the Portuguese giant’s sensational start to the season—13 consecutive wins to kick things off and first place in a Champions League group featuring PSG and Juventus.
There, playing in a two-man midfield as though he’s been there for years (and not five months) is Fernández, a metronome of a passer and the type of player, like Toni Kroos, beloved by coaches for constantly progressing the play. Fernández is also a data lover’s dream. No player in Europe’s top six leagues averages more passes per game than his 93.7. He also switches the play with raking long balls, is a dynamic dribbler and happy to push forward and make final-third incisions.
Benfica paid €18 million last summer for him. Already that valuation has tripled, and Benfica again has the potential to make an eye-watering profit on a player. Fernández only made his Argentina debut in September, but on current form—and with Giovani Lo Celso out injured—coach Lionel Scaloni should have no doubts that he’s ready.
What they say:
“He has a big future. Enzo is very intelligent. He is a player with a lot of personality, a good pass. Spectacular.” — Messi
7. William Saliba
National team: France
Club: Arsenal
Position: Defender
Age: 21
Saliba only made his France debut earlier this year but is already knocking on the door for a starting spot after following last season’s stellar performances for Marseille with an equally impressive start to his career in Arsenal’s first team. Three years after signing from Saint-Etienne and going on loan he is already a fan favorite. He’s strong in physical battles and composed on the ball, happy to dribble past challenges in his own half before launching an attack. He is also rapid. His highlights reel includes a dramatic chase-down of Mbappé to make a last-ditch tackle against PSG.
Saliba developed into a leader while at Marseille, whose coach at the time, Jorge Sampaoli, gave him more minutes than any other player and described him as a “future great of French football.” He is also a threat at the other end, with his aerial ability helping him bag two Premier League goals.
France’s defense has been ravaged by injuries, with recent casualties including Benjamin Pavard, Raphaël Varane and Jules Koundé. There may be a starting spot available, and while Saliba’s inclusion a year ago looked unlikely, he could prove to be a late and timely savior for the reigning champion.
What they say:
“He is a true defender. He has this ability in duels, he is quick and he is a good header of the ball. He’s someone who is calm, unfazed, and has a lot of maturity.” — Didier Deschamps, France coach
Josko Gvardiol is a bright young talent on an older Croatia team
Gvardiol is an in-demand player, and for good reason, after rising to prominence with RB Leipzig.
Johannes Friedl/GEPA Pictures/Imago Images
6. Joško Gvardiol
National team: Croatia
Club: RB Leipzig
Position: Defender
Age: 20
Following in the talented footsteps of Mateo Kovačić and Luka Modrić as Dinamo Zagreb academy talents, Gvardiol can use this World Cup to show what the fuss is all about. Tottenham and Chelsea wanted to sign him from RB Leipzig last summer but were quoted a €90 million fee until he ultimately signed a contract extension.
That price tag might increase after the tournament. Gvardiol, compared in Croatia to Virgil van Dijk, is a left-sided center back who loves coming forward into midfield and starting attacks. He broke into the Croatia team at Euro 2020, when he played as a left back, but now he is a regular in the center.
Excellent on the ball and a progressive passer, Gvardiol’s combination of aggression and technique embodies the Croatian skill set that helped the side reach the 2018 World Cup final.
What they say:
“At the club [Chelsea], they asked me about Joško, I told them all the best. I don’t need to say anything about his football, they know what kind of player he is, and his character is excellent. I have seen in the national team how eager he is to play; he has a great career ahead of him, and I hope that one day we will play together in the club.” — Kovačić, Croatia teammate and Chelsea midfielder
5. Moisés Caicedo
National team: Ecuador
Club: Brighton
Position: Midfielder
Age: 21
You’re 19, it’s your international debut and the coach gives you one job: to man-mark Messi. That’s what happened to Caicedo, and he stuck to his task so well (Ecuador lost 1–0, the only goal coming from a penalty) that Alfaro, the Ecuador coach, declared him a world-class player after the match.
Premier League fans are beginning to say the same thing. The Brighton midfielder has been an outstanding replacement for Yves Bissouma in the club’s excellent start to this season. Caicedo has played in a deep-lying two-man pivot for Brighton, but he plays on the left in a midfield three for La Tri. With his passing, tackling ability, box-to-box running and underrated finishing ability, he is a versatile player and a coach’s dream.
He was already on Manchester United’s radar before Brighton, which is making a habit of picking up exciting young talents from around the globe, swooped. Caicedo developed under the canny coaching of Potter (before he left for Chelsea) and looks set to follow the well-worn path from England’s south coast to an elite club—for a huge fee.
What they say:
“Moisés hadn’t had the chances I thought he deserved when I got the job of Ecuador’s manager. … He will turn into a world-class player.” — Alfaro
4. Eduardo Camavinga
National team: France
Club: Real Madrid
Position: Midfielder
Age: 20
Camavinga’s family fled the war in Congo, and he was born in a refugee camp in Angola before moving to France at 2. When he was 11, his house in Fougères burned down and left the family with nothing. Camavinga was at football training the next day. Even then, at such a young age, he carried the family’s hopes on his shoulders. And he has delivered on that promise.
Real Madrid’s run to winning the 2022 Champions League was in large part down to the teenage midfield phenom, even though he didn’t start a single game. How so? Three times he was brought on as a substitute with Madrid losing, and three times his midfield presence and control helped the team come from behind to beat PSG, Chelsea, then Manchester City.
Capable of winning the ball high up the pitch and spreading the play with aggressive passing, he has the golden quality of breaking the lines to drive his team forward—and the vision and speed to make it count.
Camavinga, who became France’s youngest international in more than 100 years, is a worthy heir to Modrić’s throne at Real Madrid and, given that injury will sideline Pogba and N’Golo Kanté, he could play a key role in Qatar for France.
What they say:
“Every day that he trains with Modrić, Kroos or Casemiro is a master’s degree. Camavinga is the present and the future of this club.” — Ancelotti
3. Gavi
National team: Spain
Club: Barcelona
Position: Midfielder
Age: 18
Like Fati, Gavi is another graduate of Barcelona’s La Masia academy. He made his Barcelona debut at 16 and smashed an 85-year-old record for youngest Spain debut at 17—and he had played only five league matches for Barcelona at the time!
Gavi has all the tools of previous Barça heroes: the first touch, the turn of the body, the sharp passing, the constant scanning, the ability in tight spaces and interpretation of those spaces. He can play on either side in a midfield three, and with his movement, vision and passing it sometimes looks as though he is being remote-controlled by Xavi.
He’s already a regular for Barcelona and looks like a lock for Spain’s World Cup midfield. The winner of the 2022 Kopa Trophy, Gavi will still be a teenager by the time Euro ‘24 is over.
What they say:
“It’s not normal that someone performs like this at 17. Gavi has personality, enviable physique and athleticism and he plays our style of football. When you watch him it’s as if he’s at school or in his garden. What a pleasure to have a guy with that quality and character with us. Gavi is the national team’s present, not merely our future.” — Luis Enrique
2. Jamal Musiala
National team: Germany
Club: Bayern Munich
Position: Midfielder
Age: 19
Musiala was born in Germany, moved to England at 7 and played for Chelsea and England youth teams before joining Bayern Munich at 16. He became Bayern’s youngest player ever in the Bundesliga, and its youngest scorer, when he was 17.
As recently as 2020, he played for England’s U-21s before then-Germany coach Joachim Löw convinced him that he would get opportunities in the senior team. “I listened to the feeling that over a long period of time kept telling me that it was the right decision to play for Germany, the land I was born in,” Musiala explained.
And so, the skinny No. 10 with silky dribbling skills and a habit for popping up in front of goal is the first German star created in England. Now a regular under Hansi Flick, his former boss at Bayern, Musiala is already a key part of the team and seen as a long-term successor to Thomas Müller.
What they say:
“Jamal’s already very good but can become world-class. He’s very advanced for his age. He’s full of tricks, unpredictable and also very dynamic when it comes to controlling the ball—especially with his first touch.” — Joshua Kimmich, Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder
1. Jude Bellingham
National team: England
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Midfielder
Age: 19
Bellingham looks likely to become England’s most expensive footballer next summer, as Real Madrid and Liverpool jostle to sign the elegant Dortmund midfielder. Before then, he is likely to start in England’s midfield two, after impressing both on and off the pitch in warm-up matches.
Bellingham is composed on the ball, masterful at interceptions and deceptively quick when driving forward. He has added timing to his game, making runs into the opposition area that defenders are slow to pick up. He drifts into pockets of space in the attacking third and racks up more assists than you might expect.
This will be no surprise to fans of Birmingham City, where Bellingham became the club’s youngest player ever. They even retired his No. 22 shirt once he moved to Dortmund—a number he got only because he was the best 4, 8 and 10 in the team (add them up).
He made his England debut at 17, has played more minutes than any other teenager in Europe since 2021 and, because he can do so much, it remains hard to pin down his precise role. All his coaches agree that his composure and leadership set him apart, even at this young age. An England starter for the present, a potential captain for the future.
What they say:
“The biggest thing is that he’s got a top-level mentality to compete. Yes, he’s got technical ability of course, and he’s got athletic prowess, but the thing that makes the difference with top players is the mentality that they’re never beaten and they drive the game. They don’t look like they're phased by any occasion, and that’s what we’re seeing with him.” — Southgate