Lionel Messi. Cristiano Ronaldo. Luka Modrić. The old guard needs no introduction at what is expected to be their last 2026 FIFA World Cup. But what about the youngest players at the tournament?
For nearly 100 years, the FIFA World Cup has been a launching pad for soccer’s young stars, with Brazil’s Pelé famously scoring at the tournament as a 17-year-old. Here is a list of the youngest players at this year’s tournament:
Mora became the youngest player for Mexico since Manuel “Chaquetas” Rosas, who represented the team at the inaugural World Cup in the 1930 World Cup. Playing for Club Tijuana, he’s already been linked with moves to top European clubs.
Sochůrek plays for Sparta Prague, one of his country’s top clubs. The talented midfielder will be a player to watch for a bigger move should he get his chance to put in any minutes at the World Cup.
The French-born player plays for PSG but represents the country where his parents are from and has already made his mark at the World Cup. He scored his team’s lone goal in its loss to France, no doubt a bittersweet moment for him. He became the youngest African ever to score at a FIFA World Cup, a record that had stood since 2018.
The 18-year-old participated in Egypt’s match against Belgium, coming on as a substitute for Mohamed Salah – with whom he compared in terms of potential. Abdelkarim, who plays in Barcelona’s youth system, became the youngest Egyptian and Arab player to participate in a World Cup match.
Ndiaye is a player to watch for both his club and country. He is one of two teenagers (along with Mbaye) on Senegal’s World Cup squad. He made a move to Bayern Munich earlier this year.
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