After 104 matches, the 2026 World Cup has officially closed. The tournament is remembered for the top performances of superstars, and also closed with the deserved championship of Spain.
Besides names that have affirmed their class such as Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi or Jude Bellingham, the 2026 World Cup is also a launching pad to help many young or unknown players step into the limelight. Below are 5 most impressive faces.
Ayyoub Bouaddi (Maroc)
Before the 2026 World Cup, Ayyoub Bouaddi was not a well-known name. However, the 18-year-old midfielder quickly proved his talent when he was given a starting spot by the coach right in the opening match against Brazil.
Amidst the opponent's experienced midfield, Bouaddi still played confidently with a pass accuracy rate of 90.7% (60/66 passes). He became the second youngest player since 1966 to successfully make more than 50 passes in a World Cup match.
Bouaddi's ability to receive the ball, dribble and regulate his playing style helps Morocco control the midfield effectively. Those performances make Manchester City said to be willing to spend about 100 million Euros to recruit this young talent.
Gustavo Puerta (Colombia)
After contributing to helping Racing Santander return to La Liga, Gustavo Puerta continues to affirm his progress in Colombia's colors.
This midfielder achieved a pass accuracy rate of 92%, and successfully executed 88.3% of passes in 1/3 of the opponent's field, both of which are among the highest in the Colombian national team.
Puerta is also very active when he has the ball. Only Davinson Sanchez has more dribbles than him, while seven dribbles ending with shots or chances created are the team's best achievement. In addition, he also leads the Colombian team in the number of times he put pressure on the opponent with 61 times.
World Cup 2026 continues to show that Puerta is developing in the right direction and is ready to reach a higher level.
Orlando Gill (Paraguay)
Paraguay's tight defensive style could not have been successful without goalkeeper Orlando Gill.
Before the tournament, Gill had only once worn the Paraguay national team jersey in an official match. However, he quickly became the most reliable stopper of the South American team.
The 26-year-old goalkeeper made 23 saves at the World Cup, the most in the tournament. Including 15 saves from shots in the penalty area, equal to Gregor Kobel and Eloy Room.
Gill achieved a save rate of 78.6%, much higher than top goalkeepers such as Alisson, Emiliano Martinez or Thibaut Courtois.
His peak came in the round of 32 against Germany, when he made six saves in 120 minutes and then successfully saved two penalties from Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade.
Pedro Vite (Ecuador)
Although Ecuador stopped in the round of 32, Pedro Vite is still considered the most outstanding player of this team.
The 24-year-old midfielder impressed with his ball control, passing and defensive support ability. At the end of the group stage, only 4 players created more chances than Vite from live balls. He also ranked third in the number of tackles, third in the number of ball recoveries and in the group of 5 players with the most passes in the tournament.
In the victory against Germany, Vite won 11 tackles and made nine tackles, all of which were the highest stats of the match.
Those performances are said to have attracted the attention of many European teams.
Keito Nakamura (Japan)
Kaoru Mitoma's absence opened up opportunities for Keito Nakamura, and this winger took advantage of them very well.
Nakamura scored his first goal for Japan at the 2026 World Cup in the draw against the Netherlands, before assisting in the victory against Tunisia with a speed dribbling on the left wing.
In the group stage, he completed five out of seven dribbles and directly participated in nine finishing situations, including five shots and four chances created.
