Jude Bellingham (UK)
If England appear in the 2026 World Cup, Jude Bellingham will have his 4th big tournament with the "Three Lions". Bellingham was just 22 years old last summer and was still considered the brightest star in Thomas Tuchel's hands.
The biggest challenge for Bellingham at the World Cup is not whether he can shine or not. It all depends on how Tuchel will arrange him in the squad to be able to play to his strengths at Real Madrid.
Bellingham is the type of attacking midfielder who can press very strongly right in the opponent's half. He often had the ball out of the back of the opponent's defense to score. If England's strikers are stuck, Bellingham is always one of the brightest options.
Lamine Yamal (Spain)
Lamine Yamal's age of 17 is no longer a problem. At the 2026 World Cup, he will turn 18 and is expected to become a hurricane on North American turf.
At the age of 16-17, Lamine Yamal is the EURO 2024 champion and has just won the domestic treble against Barcelona. No player in Europe's top five leagues has had more touches than Yamal in the opposition half last season. No player has completed more than 161 touches in the opponent's third than Yamal.
Compared to Lamine Yamal, only Kylian Mbappe has had more shots and Mohamed Salah has had more assists in open play in the last season. It is hard to believe that Lamine Yamal is only 17 years old.
Not only does Barcelona's excellent striker skills often shine in big matches, it is a very important factor in cup competitions such as the Champions League or the World Cup. Therefore, coach Luis de la Fuente will have to make the most of the potential of this fearsome striker.
Florian Wirtz (Germany)
Look at the 2025 Nations League campaign to see how important Florian Wirtz is to the German team. Without teammate Jamal Musiala, Wirtz is considered the only creative explosive in Julian Nagelsmann's hands. Once he has space to play football, the "Tankers" will benefit and vice versa.
Florian Wirtz's most outstanding ability is to recognize the weaknesses of the opponent's defense. He can pour the ball into that position or run smartly to receive the ball. The goal against Portugal in the recent Nations League semi-finals was the clearest proof.
In the 2026 World Cup journey, Nagelsmann was forced to have Wirtz to realize his ambition. In addition, he must find more surrounding factors to share the fire with the Leverkusen midfielder.
Desire Doue (France)
After the Champions League final, Doue came to light as one of the best young strikers in the world. At the age of 19, he was capable of starting for Les Bleus and was trusted by Didier Deschamps.
Doue can play well on both wings, possessing all the skills to penetrate the opponent's defense. With Kylian Mbappe still in charge, if Desire Doue maintains his form, along with Ousmane Dembele, the "Go-loa Drum" will own a heavy-duty trio at the 2026 World Cup.
Doue not only creates dangerous situations himself, he can also play a bridge between the attacking stars of the French team. Doue will be a bridge between Michael Olise, Ryan Cherki and the remaining stars.
