In every World Cup, a number of exceptional emerging players stand out; in 2010, players such as Alexis Sánchez, Mesut Özil, and Luis Suárez shone. In 2014, James Rodríguez became a prominent name after leading Colombia to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in its 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 did not capture the spotlight this time as they did in 2018 and 2022 respectively.

The same applies to Rodríguez, who had a superb first season with Real Madrid in 2014-2015, but his subsequent career was greatly affected by injuries and inconsistent performance. 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 rising stars in the way we saw in previous tournaments. Instead, the most prominent feature was the brilliance of a number of already illustrious stars - Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Erling Haaland - who are playing at very high levels. However, according to ESPN, we saw some talents that surprised some with what they offered:

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

Yann Diomande: Left winger for Leipzig (Ivory Coast)

Some may consider him unsuitable for inclusion in 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 Diomande 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, along with amazing bursts of speed and tremendous physical strength, despite being only 19 years old. Add to that his proficiency with both feet, making him a tough opponent for any defender.

According to analysts at Opta, French star Kylian Mbappé is the only one who created more chances than Diomande in the World Cup through dribbling (9 chances for Mbappé vs 8 for Diomande), noting that the French star played 3 additional matches. The best example of Diomande's abilities was in Ivory Coast's opening group match against Ecuador in Philadelphia, where we saw his brilliant dribbling and chance creation, including a wonderful pass to Elye Wahi in the first half. When Diomande was positioned on the right wing, he exhausted Arsenal defender Piero Hincapié with his constant speed changes. Later in the second half, he moved to the left wing and became more fierce in shooting. Diomande's performance in subsequent matches before Ivory Coast's exit against Norway in the round of 32 did not match his stunning performance in his first match, although he showed some exceptional glimpses. 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, Diomande is regarded as one of the best players in the world.

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

Alex Freeman: Defender for Villarreal (United States)

During its first four matches in the 2026 World Cup, the US national team performed well without any noticeable 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 taking into account the strength of the opponents, it can be said that this was the best run of matches the US team has ever played. What made the US team look better than expected was its optimal use 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 successful, the US team needed a defender capable of playing in multiple positions and providing the necessary support in different areas, and Freeman was the optimal choice for that. He often played as a third center-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 ran 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 crucial interventions to clear clear-cut chances. Of course, these good performances by the US team did not continue, as it suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat against Belgium. This loss (especially since the current Belgian team is the weakest in more than a decade) sparked a debate about the strength of the US team, including the lack of enough rising stars. But if there is one player who can hold his head high despite this result, it is Freeman. True, the chances of him becoming one of the stars the US team needs by 2030 are slim, but he showed in this tournament signs of being a complete top-class defender.

Johan Manzambi: Playmaker for Freiburg (Switzerland)