The Under-the-Radar Wonderkids who Could Break out at the 2026 World Cup

Obviously, plenty of people will already know some of the players in this article. If you’re going to a World Cup, chances are you’re already pretty good and scouts, analysts and obsessive fans will have been tracking your career for a while.

But not every wonderkid is Lamine Yamal. Some are still relatively under the radar, and the 2026 World Cup could be the tournament that pushes them towards household-name status. So I’ve looked for the young players who aren’t quite as star-studded yet but could be very soon.

 

Caleb Yirenkyi – Ghana, FC Nordsjælland, midfielder/right wing-back

Caleb Yirenkyi will be 20 when the World Cup starts, and he might be the most Football Manager-coded player at the tournament.

He came through the Right to Dream academy before moving along the FC Nordsjælland pathway and he is now involved with the Ghana national team. The numbers are strong, too. He has won possession more often than anyone else in the Danish Superliga in 2025/26. For Ghana, across their last four friendlies, he led the squad for recoveries and interceptions.

He is not just useful off the ball, either. Among Superliga players, Yirenkyi also had the best pass completion rate.

The Danish Superliga is obviously not at the level of Europe’s top leagues, but those numbers are still impressive for a player of his age. A midfielder who can regain possession and make sensible decisions under pressure is hugely useful at international level.

The reason he remains relatively unknown is because he plays in Denmark, he is not a flashy attacker and his role can look functional rather than spectacular. Ghana have also used him at right wing-back, which may be his clearest route to minutes if they want athleticism, security and recovery speed.

He could start if Ghana leaned into those qualities. If not, he still looks like a very useful tournament squad player.

 

Keisuke Goto – Japan, Sint-Truiden, striker

Japan are not short of better-known attacking names, so Keisuke Goto may not get huge minutes. But he is still a very interesting option.

He will be 21 when the tournament starts and is on loan from Anderlecht, so he is not a household name yet. However, he has been making noise in Belgium after scoring 10 goals and adding five assists in 28 games for Sint-Truiden.

There has even been a “Japanese Erling Haaland” comparison, although Goto apparently prefers to be compared to Harry Kane. You can see a bit of both. He has Haaland’s frame, height, goal threat and physical presence, but he also wants to be seen as more than a penalty-box finisher.

At 6ft 3in, Goto gives Japan something different. He is unlikely to arrive as their first-choice striker, but tournament football often creates very specific needs. A late cross, a tired centre-back, a game that needs aerial presence, that is where Goto’s route opens up.

He could be a very effective Plan B.

 

Kento Shiogai – Japan, Wolfsburg, striker

Kento Shiogai is the deeper cut from Japan. The more hipster choice.

He will also be 21 at the start of the tournament, but his profile is less familiar than Goto’s. He has scored nine goals in 14 Eredivisie appearances for NEC and has been praised for his pace, intensity, pressing and potential.

That explains why he may appeal to Japan in a different way from Goto. Where Goto offers size and penalty-box presence, Shiogai looks more like the striker you bring on when you want movement, legs and disruption.

He is not yet a mainstream Japan name, partly because his move to Wolfsburg is recent and partly because Japan already have enough recognisable attackers to push him into the background.

That makes his tournament role more uncertain. However, if a match becomes stretched, or if Japan want a high-pressing forward to chase centre-backs rather than wrestle them, Shiogai could be their man.

 

Bara Ndiaye – Senegal, Bayern Munich/Gambinos Stars Africa, midfielder

Bara Ndiaye is the biggest swing on this list, which means he could be a big hit or a complete miss.

He is 18, and there is no point pretending he has the senior body of work of some of the others here. This one is almost entirely about potential.

Ndiaye impressed on debut by playing the full match in Senegal’s friendly defeat to the United States, with that performance helping him earn a final squad place. That is a serious marker for a player with such a limited senior profile.

Senegal’s staff and Bayern Munich have clearly seen enough to take him seriously. He is still raw, and still more prospect than established midfielder. His minutes may depend on the match state, injuries, suspensions or Senegal needing extra energy late in games.

The reason he is so interesting is precisely that uncertainty. Some players have already been rated, ranked and categorised. Ndiaye still feels like an open file.

If he gets on the pitch and looks physically ready, the conversation around him could change very quickly.

 

Assane Diao – Senegal, Como, winger

Assane Diao is much less obscure than Bara Ndiaye. Anyone who follows Real Betis closely, Serie A recruitment or Spain’s youth setup will probably have come across him already.

But he is still short of mainstream football fame.

He is 20, powerful and direct, with Serie A experience at Como. He carries the ball with purpose, attacks space and has the physical profile to make defenders uncomfortable when matches start to open up.

Senegal’s senior attacking options mean he is not an automatic starter. That may actually help him. A winger like Diao is often more dangerous when introduced into a game that has already lost some of its shape.

Tired full-backs, stretched midfields and desperate late defending could suit him perfectly.

He is known to scouts, but not yet to the casual fan. If Senegal need an impact substitute, Diao could be the game-changer who suddenly becomes very well known.

 

Obed Vargas – Mexico, Atlético Madrid, central midfielder

Obed Vargas is less hidden now than he was a year ago, but he is still worth including.

He is 20 and part of Javier Aguirre’s new generation. His Atlético transfer was a club-record move for Seattle, and he has already earned Mexico caps.

He is clearly not just a future project. He is already being treated as a player trusted at senior level.

Vargas is not a YouTube-compilation midfielder. He is more likely to catch the eye through discipline, competitiveness and ball-winning habits than spectacular attacking output. That makes him less obvious to casual viewers, but more appealing to managers and teammates.

His likely role is midfield depth. He could be used to protect leads, add legs or tighten games when Mexico need control rather than chaos.

 

Livano Comenencia – Curaçao, FC Zürich, right-back/wing-back/midfielder

Livano Comenencia is slightly older than the others on this list, but he still falls under the wonderkid cut-off point. He will be 22 at the start of the World Cup.

Curaçao are the smallest nation to qualify for a World Cup, and Comenencia’s versatility could be extremely useful. He can play right-back, wing-back or in midfield depending on the system.

For Curaçao, that flexibility could be hugely important. Tournament squads need specialists, but underdogs often survive through players who can solve more than one problem.

He is relatively unknown for obvious reasons. Curaçao’s qualification is the bigger story, the Swiss league does not dominate casual coverage, and more familiar Dutch-developed names such as Tahith Chong naturally attract attention.

His route to minutes may depend on Dick Advocaat’s shape, but he has a very useful tournament profile.

Those players often matter more than people expect.

 

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