New generation shines at World Cup alongside Messi and Ronaldo

It's not just World Cup veterans Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo who have made their mark at the 2026 tournament — the next generation is also making a huge impression. Of the 85 players aged 21 or under selected to feature in the United States, Mexico and Canada, many have seized the moment and are playing without fear.

Senegal's Ibrahim Mbaye, aged 18 years and 143 days, became the fourth youngest goalscorer in World Cup history when he scored a late consolation for the Lions of Teranga in a 3-1 defeat by France in New Jersey on 16 June. Five days later, Lamine Yamal (18 years and 343 days) popped up with Spain's first in a 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in Atlanta.

Other youngsters have flown under the radar. Mexico's teenage attacking midfielder Gilberto Mora was not even born when Messi, Ronaldo and Luka Modric played at the 2006 World Cup. Mora became the youngest player to represent a home nation at the World Cup (17 years and 240 days) when he came on as a substitute in a 2-0 win over South Africa, the very first game of this tournament on 11 June.

We already knew Lamine Yamal would be a key player at the World Cup. But who are the young breakout stars to emerge from the group stage? BBC Sport looks at five who have caught the eye.

Ayyoub Bouaddi (Morocco, aged 18)

On his World Cup debut against Brazil on 13 June, Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi became the second youngest player this century to record 50-plus passes in a World Cup game (66) during an eye-catching display. Former England captain Alan Shearer, working at the Brazil game for BBC Sport, was impressed. "Bouaddi was composed on the ball and tried to dictate things in the middle of the park," he said. The teenager later became the first player aged 18 or under to have two games since 1966 with 50-plus passes (64 v Scotland).

Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast, aged 19)

Paris St-Germain are interested in Yan Diomande. So too are Liverpool. And it's not hard to see why when you study this master-dribbler at this World Cup. The RB Leipzig teenager created five chances in the 1-0 win over Ecuador before registering two key passes in a 2-1 defeat by Germany. "Diomande is the talk of the town for everyone at the moment," former Tottenham and Brentford boss Thomas Frank told BBC Sport. "What he can do is stored in the hard disk in my head." Ivory Coast failed to get out of the group stage in their previous three World Cup appearances. Diomande is one of the reasons why they have reached the knockout stages for the first time.

Johan Manzambi (Switzerland, aged 20)

Johan Manzambi was once a goalkeeper for his youth team — and his first footballing idol was Germany's Manuel Neuer. Now he's a creative midfielder who enjoys going forward — and scoring goals. Three of Switzerland's seven group stage goals came from Manzambi, who at the age of 20 years and 247 days, became the youngest player in World Cup history to score two goals or more in a game as a substitute — and the first ever player to do so for Switzerland at the tournament. That happened against Bosnia-Herzegovina on 18 June. It was 0-0 when he came on in the 71st minute, with the Swiss running out 4-1 winners. Manzambi is also one of only three players aged under 21 with four or more goal involvements (three goals and one assist) at a World Cup tournament this century, after Kylian Mbappe in 2018 (4) and Thomas Muller in 2010 (8).

Kerim Alajbegovic (Bosnia-Herzegovina, aged 18)

Aged 18 years and 276 days old, Kerim Alajbegovic became the youngest player on record (since 1966) to score a World Cup goal from outside the box — surpassing Kylian Mbappe against Croatia in 2018 (aged 19 years and 207 days) — when his stunning strike gave Bosnia-Herzegovina the lead against Qatar on 24 June.