There have been 44 games played at the 2026 World Cup so far, with records being broken and history being made.
But as ever, the World Cup provides the perfect stage for players to put themselves in the shop window and impress ahead of the summer transfer window.
In this article, we’ll cover
Felix Nmecha
Felix Nmecha has been an important piece for Julian Nagelsmann’s side already at this World Cup, giving Germany the pace and power they lack in other areas on the pitch.
The 25-year-old only has 10 appearances for his country, scoring his first goal in the opening game of the World Cup and providing assists in both games.
Starting alongside Aleksandar Pavlovic in a double pivot, Nmecha is tasked with pushing slightly higher, forming a 3-1-6 on the ball and helping to create central overloads between the lines.
But even more important than his in-possession dynamics, Nmecha has been pivotal for Germany as a transition killer.
Germany’s rest defence unit is often a 3-1 base of Nico Schlotterbeck, Jonathan Tah, Joshua Kimmich and Pavlovic, which lacks top tier athetlisicm.
Nmecha’s ability to cover ground, win duels, break up play and make tackles is key and it has been on show in the first two games.
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Christ Inao Oulai
Staying in midfield, Ivory Coast have a few talented youngsters in their ranks, with Yann Diomande being the cream of the crop.
However, Christ Inao Oulai has also shown his class, coming from the bench against Ecuador in the opener before earning a start against Germany.
The 20-year-old midfielder already has 11 caps for his country, having played four times and impressing at the Africa Cup of Nations already this year.
Standing at 5’6, Oulai’s game is based around mastery of the ball, being fleet-footed in tight spaces, using his hips to deceive when carrying and passing the ball.
Despite being slight in frame, the young midfielder is still snappy at the opposition’s toes, looking to sweep up second balls and make life difficult for the opponent.
Barcelona are now being linked with a move for the 20-year-old star, which is exactly the exposure the World Cup offers for these breakout stars.
Ayyoub Bouaddi
This feels like the World Cup of breakout midfield stars, as we are staying in midfield to speak about Morocco’s young star, Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Bouaddi was born in France, playing for them through the youth ranks of international football, before making his switch to Morocco on May 15th, just weeks before the start of the World Cup.
The 18-year-old midfielder then went on to boss his first ever game at a major tournament, getting man of the match in Morocco’s 1-1 draw against Brazil.
Bouaddi gives you a complete midfield profile on and off the ball, using different rhythms on the ball to dictate tempo and manipulate his opponent.
Off the ball, Bouaddi has a large zone of influence, covering large distances well, lunging into and winning challenges and having good agility to twist his body and regain possession against good dribblers.
Plenty of top European sides have already been tracking him at Lille prior to the World Cup, but bossing the midfield for Morocco is bound to have his suitors even more impressed.
Alexander Freeman
USA have been one of the surprise packages of the tournament so far, with the host nation recording two big victories and securing top spot in Group D already.
But one of the breakout stars come in the shape of 21-year-old defender, Alexander Freeman, currently playing his football over in Spain for Villarreal.
Playing at right-back, Freeman has a very interesting profile, as the 6’2 defender has the build of a central defender, while having the industry and technical quality of a full-back.
This makes him a brilliant profile for the modern game, as full-backs are often used to offer tactical versatility.
Freeman has the ability to tuck inside to form a back three as a right centre-back, the comfort to invert into midfield and the quality to arrive further forwards combining with his winger.
The 21-year-old already has 19 caps for his country, scoring three goals including one in this tournament, but with all eyes on him now at the World Cup, this could be his real breakout moment.
Johan Manzambi
Lastly, we have a young attacker who has already been stealing headlines in Germany this season, playing for Freiburg, reaching the UEFA Conference League final and contributing 16 goals and assists in 47 appearances in all competitions.
Johan Manzambi was the difference maker for Switzerland from the bench in their second World Cup game, beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1 with all four goals coming in the final 15 minutes.
The 20-year-old replaced Dan Ndoye at the 71 minute mark, taking up a free role off the left and scoring the first and third goal to secure three points for his country.
Manzambi has largely played in attacking positions for Switzerland, either from the wing or as a number nine, but at club level, he is also been used as an all-phase midfielder.
His long stride, ability to manipulate the ball in tight spaces and power to drive with it over larger distances make him a nightmare to defend against.
Constantly looking to find creative solutions, Manzambi stands out on the pitch, making things happen and always looking to be involved.
His long limbs also help him when covering ground defensively, lunging in to win challenges and having a large zone of influence, dominating in duels and 1v1s both on and off the ball.
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