Mohammed Kudus (Ghana)
The 22-year-old arrived in Europe as a teenager after spending his youth in the Right to Dream academy in his homeland. Nordsjælland put him in the first team at 18, quickly proving himself too good for the Danish league in the following two seasons. Ajax spotted his talents and paid €9m to bring him to the Eredivisie. Erik ten Hag used him mainly as a central midfielder but he can play further forward and already has five goals from 18 appearances at international level. Kudus possesses great close control, can dumbfound defenders in tight spaces and can drive his team forward thanks to his dribbling. He reads the game well and even when running at speed seems to know where his teammates will be, helping him become a prolific assister for his club. WU
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Rafael Leão (Portugal)
A product of the Sporting academy, the attacker has become one of the most feared forwards in Serie A, helping Milan to their first title in 11 years last season and gaining a place in the league’s team of the year. In addition to height, the 23-year-old possesses plenty of pace and is often utilised on the flanks by Stefano Pioli. Leão is as adept at creating as he is scoring, making him a threat whether out wide or down the middle. He is yet to score at international level but comes into the tournament as the joint-14th best player in the world, according to the Ballon d’Or. With Cristiano Ronaldo’s power waning and Diogo Jota absent, Leão will be expected to help fill the void and show why Europe’s top clubs are after him. WU
Gio Reyna (USA)
His 20th birthday comes only eight days before his team’s opener, against Wales, but there is considerable World Cup weight on Reyna’s shoulders. His father, Claudio, starred in the USA’s run to the 2002 quarter-finals while he is named after his dad’s pal, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who made his last ever playing appearance in the 2010 final. Pressure indeed, exacerbated by being at Borussia Dortmund, Europe’s prime finishing school. There have been injury frustrations; last season was shortened by muscle problems that he has worked hard to recover from but his talent is undoubted. His former teammate Erling Haaland calls him “the American dream”. Among fans back home, the excitement for Reyna is higher even than that for Christian Pulisic, particularly after he recently recovered his club form and starting place. JB
Enzo Fernández (Argentina)
Making a late and persuasive run for inclusion in Lionel Scaloni’s squad, Fernández had been at River Plate since he was five years old before taking the well-worn path among young South Americans to Benfica in August. He was even named after the Uruguayan River legend – and current sporting director – Enzo Francescoli. His performances as a deep-lying central midfield playmaker – also playing box to box – in Benfica’s excellent Champions League group stage showing this season are reported to have put him on the wanted lists of Barcelona and Real Madrid among others. The 21-year-old starred in Benfica’s home-and-away defeats of Juventus, dominating their midfield with his ball-winning, ball-carrying and distribution. He seems destined to be a big part of his national team’s post-Lionel Messi landscape. JB
Dusan Vlahovic (Serbia)
The prolific striker has already shown in Italy what he can do. His 44 goals in 98 Serie A games for Fiorentina made Juventus splash €70m upfront for his services to hopefully kickstart a new era in Turin. In addition to his impressive goal tally, Vlahovic can hold up the ball and bring others into play. He will probably start alongside Aleksandar Mitrovic, with Dusan Tadic behind, ensuring no defence that comes up against Serbia in Qatar will be allowed an easy time. Although he has impressed in domestic football, the 22-year-old is yet to show his capabilities in Europe, failing to help Juventus get out of their Champions League group, and will be keen to show the rest of the world that he truly is one of the best in the business. WU
Gavi (Spain)
Spain’s Euro 2020 breakout star was Pedri. From the same Barcelona stable comes a midfielder who only celebrated his 18th birthday in August. The latest, brightest flower from La Masia academy, in 2021 Gavi became his country’s youngest ever player at 17 years and 62 days, and Spain’s youngest ever scorer, against the Czech Republic this June. In October he succeeded Pedri in winning the Kopa Trophy for the world’s best player under the age of 21, his skill set bringing back memories of Barcelona predecessors such as Andrés Iniesta and Xavi, the current manager at the Camp Nou. Xavi has been as sparing as he can be with such a generational talent but Luis Enrique may not be able to resist such temptation. “We’re talking about a case that’s not normal,” said Spain’s manager. JB
Federico Valverde (Uruguay)
A key, widely unsung player in Real Madrid’s 2022 Champions League-winning team, Valverde served as the lungs for older midfield colleagues such as Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro. In Qatar, with energy levels that have had him compared to a younger Steven Gerrard, he may have to do likewise for his country’s veterans such as Luis Suárez, Diego Godín and Edinson Cavani. This season he has added goals to his repertoire, including in October’s 3-1 clásico win, making a typical surge to crash home. Signed as a teenager from Peñarol, Valverde made his way into the Madrid first team via the Castilla reserve side but at 24, with his development and authority ever increasing, he has become a vital performer for club and country. JB
Takefusa Kubo (Japan)
At 18 the winger already had Barcelona and Real Madrid on his CV, meaning his potential is undoubted. He did not make a first-team appearance for either but now has more than 100 appearances under his belt in La Liga, mainly out on loan at Mallorca, Villarreal and Getafe. Kubo finally has a permanent home in San Sebastián after joining Real Sociedad in the summer, scoring the winner on his debut against Cádiz. He has plenty of tournament experience; Kubo went to the Under-20 World Cup aged 15, travelled to the Copa América in 2019 and scored at the Olympics two years later. More than a million people follow the 21-year-old on Instagram, an indication of his prominence and popularity in Japan, although it also shows the pressure he is under to produce on the biggest stage this winter. WU
