In every World Cup, a number of outstanding emerging players stand out; in 2010, players like Alexis Sánchez, Mesut Özil, and Luis Suárez rose to stardom. In 2014, James Rodríguez became a household name after leading Colombia to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in their history.

The last two tournaments saw the brilliance of Benjamin Pavard (France), Hirving Lozano (Mexico), Enzo Fernández (Argentina), and Azzedine Ounahi (Morocco), among others. The emergence of a star during the World Cup does not necessarily guarantee future brilliance. Lozano and Ounahi are the most prominent examples of players who delivered dazzling performances in the World Cup and continued their careers successfully, but they did not capture attention this time as they did in 2018 and 2022 respectively.

The same applies to Rodríguez, who had a brilliant first season with Real Madrid in 2014-2015, but his subsequent career was greatly affected by injuries and inconsistent performance. And of course, there is also a player like Luis Suárez, who later became one of the best players of the past decade at Liverpool and then Barcelona.

Perhaps the 2026 World Cup did not witness dazzling performances from emerging stars as we saw in previous tournaments. Instead, the most prominent feature was the brilliance of a number of already shining stars - Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Erling Haaland - who are playing at very high levels. However, according to ESPN, we have seen some talents that surprised some with what they offered:

Diomandé showed his potential to become a top-class striker (Reuters)

Yan Diomandé: Leipzig left winger (Ivory Coast)

Some may consider him unsuitable for being on this list; in the 2025-2026 season, when he was 18 years old, he scored 20 goals and provided 20 assists in the German Bundesliga with Leipzig, who finished the season in third place. Even in a league that allows attacking talents to shine, young emerging players rarely deliver such impressive performances, and he fully deserved to participate in the World Cup amid great anticipation for what he would offer in the tournament. However, for those who saw Diomandé for the first time, he showed his potential to become a top-class striker. His most important characteristics are that he may already be one of the most exciting dribblers in European football, and he has amazing acceleration and tremendous physical strength, despite being only 19 years old. Add to that his skill with both feet, which makes him a tough opponent for any defender.

According to analysts at Opta, French star Kylian Mbappé is the only player who created more chances than Diomandé in the World Cup through dribbling (9 chances for Mbappé vs. 8 for Diomandé), noting that the French star played 3 additional matches. The best example of Diomandé's abilities was in Ivory Coast's opening group match against Ecuador in Philadelphia, where we saw his brilliant dribbling and chance creation, including his wonderful pass to Elye Wahi in the first half. When Diomandé was positioned on the right wing, he exhausted Arsenal defender Piero Hincapié with his constant changes of pace. Later in the second half, he moved to the left wing to become more aggressive in shooting. Diomandé's performances in subsequent matches before Ivory Coast's elimination by Norway in the round of 32 did not reach the level of his stunning debut, although he showed some exceptional flashes. But it is not surprising that a big club like Paris Saint-Germain is seeking to sign him this summer. Given his continuous development, it would not be surprising if by 2030, Diomandé is regarded as one of the best players in the world.

American Alex Freeman's header shakes the Australian net (AP)

Alex Freeman: Villarreal defender (United States)

During its first four matches in the 2026 World Cup, the US team performed well without any notable gaps. It achieved convincing victories over Paraguay and Australia in the group stage, before defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in the round of 32. Even considering the strength of the opponents, it could be said that this was the best run of matches the US team has ever had. What made the US team look better than expected was its optimal exploitation of its strengths; Sergiño Dest and Antonee Robinson occupied advanced positions as attacking full-backs to pose a threat to the opponent. The US team also focused on direct attacking through the runs of Weston McKennie and Malik Tillman through midfield. These two factors helped it successfully break through the opponent's defenses in the middle of the pitch.

To make this strategy work, the US team needed a defender capable of playing in multiple positions and providing the necessary support in different areas, and Freeman was the ideal choice for that. He often played as a third centre-back on the right side, but he had the flexibility to move forward when the US team had possession in the final third. Among the wonderful passes we saw throughout the US team's World Cup campaign was Freeman's pass to McKennie as he sprinted down the right side into space. Freeman topped the list of defenders with the most forward passes with 28 passes.

Freeman is also the type of defender who covers large areas of the pitch, which helps correct mistakes in various parts of the field. This included covering spaces on the flanks and defending in one-on-one situations when needed. It also required him in some situations to make decisive interceptions to deny clear chances. Of course, these good performances from the US team did not last, as they suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat against Belgium. This loss (especially since the current Belgium team was the weakest in over a decade) sparked a debate about the strength of the US team, including the lack of enough emerging stars. But if there is one player who can hold his head high despite this result, it is Freeman. While it is true that the chances of him becoming one of the stars the US team needs by 2030 are slim, he showed in this tournament signs of being a complete top-class defender.

Yohane Manzambi: Freiburg playmaker (Switzerland)