Ten World Cup breakout stars you might have missed

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is now consigned to the history books, with the tournament in Mexico, Canada and the USA obtaining mixed reviews. Hydration breaks, in particular, were a source of some consternation, whilst a series of rule changes generally proved popular.

As ever with such a global showpiece, new names came to the fore. New Zealand’s Tim Payne and Cabo Verde’s Vozinha became social media stars, the latter following a superb goalkeeping display against eventual champions Spain.

Were there any other standout performers who might have gone under the radar? Well, here are ten breakout stars that caught our eye:

MAXIMILIANO ARAUJO – URUGUAY

It would be fair to say that Uruguay had an abysmal campaign, crashing out in the group stages after failing to record a single victory. One man who stood out for Marcelo Bielsa’s men, however, was Maxi Araujo, with the Sporting Lisbon left-back scoring two of his country’s three goals from a more advanced wide position. Unlike many of his teammates, the 26-year-old seemed to relish working under the former Leeds manager, bringing real energy to the left flank with his pressing and willingness to get up and down. Primeira Liga clubs are renowned for cashing in on their top talent, so any tipster suggesting a future Premier League move might not be too far wide of the mark.

AYYOUB BOUADDI – MOROCCO

It is a sign of the rapid development of Ayyoub Bouaddi that, by the time you read this, he may already be a Manchester City player. A relative unknown to most casual observers, the 18-year-old turned heads at the tournament with his performances at the heart of the Moroccan midfield. Composure personified when on the ball, it is easy to see why the Citizens would regard him as a perfect fit for Enzo Maresca’s possession-based approach. What’s more, despite his tender years, the Lille teenager has already featured in 63 games in Ligue 1, as well as appearing in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

BRIAN CIPENGA – DR CONGO

Where has this guy been hiding all these years and, more pertinently, where was he in DR Congo’s first two outings at the World Cup? A right-footed left winger who terrorised both Uzbekistan and England, opening the scoring against the Three Lions, the 28-year-old left Castellon before the tournament to sign for fellow Segunda Division side Almeria. Quick, tricky and extremely direct, the DR Congo man is the sort of wide player that gets supporters off their seats. Given his age, an immediate switch to one of the top European leagues seems unlikely, but, when it comes to football predictions, the Championship could be a feasible destination.

PAPE GUEYE – SENEGAL

Pape Gueye is a box-to-box midfielder with a penchant for scoring important goals, getting the extra-time winner against Morocco in the final of the most recent edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, as well as a brace in the 5-0 success against Iraq that saw Senegal sneak into the knockout stages of the World Cup. Heavily linked with a move to Everton, the 27-year-old would appear to be ideally suited to life in the fast-paced world of English football, though the Toffees are unlikely to be his only admirers. Extremely athletic and powerful, the Villarreal man is in the prime of his career and will feature in the Champions League if he opts to remain with his current employers.

HAISSEM HASSAN – EGYPT

Based upon Haissem Hassan’s performances against Australia and Argentina, Egypt would appear to have found the natural successor to Mo Salah on the right wing. An extremely skilful dribbler with a wand of a left foot, the Paris-born 24-year-old played a starring role in the Pharaohs’ memorable disallowed goal against the eventual runners-up, looking like peak Lionel Messi as he danced his way from one end of the pitch to the other. Having been relegated from La Liga with Real Oviedo, both Marseille and Trabzonspor are said to have shown an interest in securing his services, though he may well be a Celtic player by the time that you read this article.

LUCAS HERRINGTON – AUSTRALIA

Lucas Herrington is a huge talent, finding his way into the Australian starting XI at the age of just 18 for the latter two of their World Cup matches. It can surely be no coincidence that the Socceroos only conceded a single goal in the 210 minutes of football for which the youngster was on the pitch, as he exuded a real sense of calmness on the biggest stage that football has to offer. Standing at around 6′3″, the Colorado Rapids centre-back is quick across the ground and shows all the hallmarks of becoming a top player, both at international and club level. It is no surprise, therefore, to see teams of the stature of Barcelona taking a keen interest in securing the services of this genuine prospect.

JULIAN QUINONES – MEXICO

Much of the pre-tournament hype surrounding Mexico focused on their 17-year-old starlet Gilberto Mora, but it was 29-year-old Julian Quinones who ended up playing the starring role. Adept at drifting inside from a starting position on the left wing, the powerful Colombian-born forward was on target against South Africa, Czechia, Ecuador and England. Hitting the back of the net is certainly not something that is new to the Al-Qadsiah man as he beat off some serious competition to finish as the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League last season with 33 goals. Although the Mexican international will turn 30 next March, the best football tips would surely have him contemplating a move to Europe?

MARVIN SENAYA – GHANA

When it comes to finding bargains in the transfer market, Marvin Senaya has to be right at the front of the queue. Regular watchers of the NFL will have heard of the term ‘shutdown corner’, used to describe an elite defensive player (cornerback) who is capable of restricting the impact of their direct opponent (wide receiver). To this end, the Ghanaian international could justifiably be labelled as a ‘shutdown right-back’, with Anthony Gordon in particular finding him impossible to get the better of. Currently on the books of Auxerre, the 25-year-old is in the process of recovering from surgery on the hamstring injury that cut short his World Cup, so any move will likely come close to the end of the summer transfer window. 

DJED SPENCE – ENGLAND

I must admit that, like many others, I was surprised to see Djed Spence named in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad ahead of the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold. The 25-year-old more than justified his inclusion, however, biting into tackles and marauding forward at every opportunity as he earned playing time in all eight of England’s matches at the tournament. Capable of operating on either side of the defensive unit, the presence of Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie and new-signing Andy Robertson could make securing a regular starting berth at Tottenham somewhat challenging, so a move to either Inter Milan or Everton may well be on the cards if some football betting predictions are to be believed.

DENIZ UNDAV – GERMANY

Brighton don’t get too many things wrong in the transfer market, but the decision to cut ties with Deniz Undav definitely appears to be one of them. A super-sub for Germany in the mould of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Divock Origi, the 30-year-old boasts 46 goals in 86 Bundesliga appearances since arriving at Stuttgart, initially on a season-long loan. Somewhat of a ‘fox in the box’, it will be interesting to see whether or not Jurgen Klopp views him as a starter for the national team, but there are certainly plenty of clubs who would covet his signature. Given his age and the fact that his current employers will be playing Champions League football next season, however, the stars may not align for a transfer this summer.

SUMMARY

As you can see, we have not been bound by age or valuation constraints when making these player-based footy tips, with 12 years between our youngest and oldest selections and a €77m gap between the estimated values of our least and most valuable stars.

We will certainly be keeping a close eye on these ten players in the upcoming campaign, whether or not they move or remain where they are. All have the potential to do great things, but will any of them use the World Cup as a launching pad to future success?