The FIFA Men’s World Cup is undoubtedly the biggest prize in world football – a trophy every big player wants to add to their glittering collection. With Lionel Messi fulfilling his long-awaited dream with Argentina in 2022, it would be very exciting to see which nation will hold the trophy aloft in 2026. The World Cup is not just a stage for the experienced players to shine but also a great opportunity for the young guns to make a mark on the biggest stage.
This World Cup edition shouldn’t be any different as a host of top young talents will participate in the coveted tournament to set the tournament ablaze with their incredible skills, talent and match-winning performances.
P.S. The current market valuation and stats for each player has been taken from www.transfrmrkt.co.uk.
Hence, we take a look at the most valuable Top 10 young talents who will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup –
The Brazilian wonder kid Estêvão made a move from SE Palmeiras to Chelsea FC for £29 million (€34 million) ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League season and the signing is proving to be a masterstroke so far. His current valuation in the transfer market is already €80 million which is superb for an 18-year-old but the Brazilian winger has undeniable talent and with further experience his market valuation could soar even higher.
Estêvão preferably plays on the right wing but he can also be deployed as an attacking midfielder (AM) or right central midfielder (RCM). Estêvão has already represented the Brazil Senior Team, making 11 appearances for the Seleção since his debut in November 2024.
Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has been seemingly very impressed with the youngster and there is a strong possibility that Estêvão will feature regularly at the FIFA World Cup for Brazil. He has already impressed one and all in the Premier League. It would be particularly exciting to watch him light up the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
One of Liverpool’s best players in their title-winning season in 2024/25, Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch is also a crucial part of the Oranje. Gravenberch joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich for €40 million in 2023. Being out-of-favour at Bayern, Gravenberch made the move to Liverpool but didn’t get much game-time under Jürgen Klopp. However, his fortunes changed under new manager Arne Slot in the 2024/25 season where he played a new role and impressed in the makeshift defensive midfield position. Due to his consistent performances last season, not only did Gravenberch win the league title with Liverpool but also became a Dutch national team regular. As a result, we also saw a tremendous rise in his transfer market valuation at €90 million.
This will be Gravenberch’s first appearance at the FIFA Men’s World Cup for his country as he wasn’t a part of the Netherlands squad in 2022. A product of the famous Ajax academy, Gravenberch has already made 24 appearances for his nation’s senior team since his debut in 2021.
Gravenberch is a technical midfielder who can receive the ball on the turn under pressure and escape the opposition press with ease. He can also score from long-range and from outside the box as well. As Netherlands are one of the contenders for the World Cup trophy, Gravenberch will have a huge role to play in their midfield to help his team in becoming the World Champions.
Portugal will be led by the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo next year which may be his last appearance at the FIFA World Cup. Os Navegadores possess a host of top talents in world football currently. João Neves is one of those super talented footballers who plays in midfield for club and country. At only 21 years of age, the central midfielder has already won many trophies with his club Paris Saint-Germain and also won the 2024/25 FIFA Nations League with his country Portugal. Neves joined PSG in the summer of 2024 from Portuguese club Benfica for a reported fee of €60 million plus €10 million in add-ons.
Due to his on-field success and contributions at club and country level, his transfer market value has risen to €90 million. Neves is a tenacious midfielder who might not be physically strong but possesses great technical ability, composure and work-rate – all attributes of a top-class midfielder. He also represented Portugal at the 2024 Euro Championships but this will be his first World Cup appearance and if Ronaldo wants to fulfill his dream of a World Cup trophy, Neves might have to put in a huge shift in that Portugal midfield.
Florian Wirtz has been touted as one of the best talents produced in Germany in quite a while. Deployed mainly as an attacking midfielder, Wirtz won the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal with Bayern Leverkusen in the 2023/24 season with his side only losing one game all season which was the Europa League final. The talented German caught the eye of many top European clubs but decided to move to Liverpool ahead of the 2025/26 season for a whopping £116 million (€125 million) – £100 million plus £16 million in add-ons. His current market valuation is lower than the transfer fee, though he is still valued at a high valuation of €110 million.
Wirtz is a playmaker who contributes heavily with assists and goals for club and country. Though he has struggled at Liverpool so far, his form for country has remained unaffected and Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann considers him one of the most crucial players in his national team setup. Wirtz will definitely be one of the players to watch at the upcoming FIFA World Cup. His form and contributions would be critical to Germany’s chances at the World Cup.
Moisés Caicedo is currently one of the best defensive midfielders not just in the Premier League but also in world football. Caicedo first gained attention when he played for Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League. His consistent performances for Brighton alerted many top English clubs and Chelsea had to engage in a bidding war with Liverpool to get their man for £100 million plus £15 million in add-ons which was a British record fee for a player in 2023. The Ecuadorian midfielder is currently valued at €110 million.
Caicedo was instrumental in Chelsea winning the UEFA Conference League, the FIFA Club World Cup and most importantly qualifying for the UEFA Champions League after two seasons. He has also helped the Ecuador national team to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
At just 24-years-old, he is a regular starter for club and country and has already made 58 appearances for his country since making his senior team debut in 2020. Caicedo would most definitely be another player to watch out for at this World Cup as its always the big tournaments where a top player needs to make a mark and be termed as a world class talent.
Cole Palmer’s redemption at Chelsea after not making it to the Manchester City first team has been quite a remarkable story in the last few seasons. Palmer joined Chelsea in 2023 for a sum of £40 million with £2.5 million in add-ons. Since then, he has become one of the most crucial players for Chelsea and the Three Lions.
Palmer has been instrumental in Chelsea winning major silverware in the past season, making a telling contribution in their FIFA Club World Cup win this year. Palmer was also a part of the English squad for the Euros Championships in 2024 where they ended the tournament as runners-up. Palmer was also ranked in eighth place at the 2025 Ballon d’Or – a fantastic achievement for the England international. As a result, Palmer’s current market valuation has risen to €120 million which is a massive surge since his transfer to the Blues. Palmer is also a versatile player who can play in several positions.
With the FIFA World Cup around the corner, England coach Thomas Tuchel will expect Cole Palmer to stay fit and contribute heavily for England to help them win the one trophy that has eluded them for a long time.
Michael Olise is yet another young talent who will participate at the FIFA World Cup next year as part of the French National Team squad. Olise garnered praise and attention in the Premier League for Crystal Palace. As a result, the big clubs came calling and he made the move to the Bavarian giants Bayern Munich in 2024 for €60m plus add-ons. Since then, the French winger has made waves in the German Bundesliga, turning up with incredible contributions for his current club. Olise has represented France right from Under-18, Under-21 and Under-23 to the Senior team setup. Since making his senior team debut in 2024, Olise has played 19 games for Les Bleus.
His consistent performances and contributions in terms of Goal/Assists (G/A) over the last year has seen his market value soar to a mammoth €130 million. In the ongoing season as well, Olise continues to impress for both club and country.
Olise is a complete winger who has pace, close control, dribbling skills and finishing skills. Even in a highly talented French team with the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Hugo Ekitike and Ousmane Dembélé, Olise could prove to be a vital player who can make a difference at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Jamal Musiala is yet another talented and highly valued young talent who will participate in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. Though, Musiala was part of the England youth setup until 2020, he decided to represent the German National team in 2021 and was then included in the German national squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Musiala initially trained at the Chelsea Academy but moved to Bayern Munich in 2019 to join their youth ranks. The Bayern coaching staff soon recognized his prodigious talent and Musiala became a regular first team player at Bayern Munich. Musiala’s current market valuation is an incredible €140 million.
Though there have been speculations around his participation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to an unfortunate long-term injury sustained ahead of the 2025/26 league season, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann is quite certain that Musiala is still a vital part of Germany’s plans for next year’s World Cup. If Musiala recovers well and gets regular match practice before June next year, we could be in for a treat as he is one of the most exciting talents in world football right now.
Jude Bellingham rose through the ranks for Championship club Birmingham City, becoming their youngest player to start for the senior team. From there on, his journey to Real Madrid and the England National team has been a quick one due to his tremendous skill and talent. Real Madrid procured the services of the talented English midfielder in the summer of 2023 for a transfer fee of €103 million with the potential to rise to €133.9m with add-ons.
With Bellingham securing major silverware in his first season at Real Madrid while also making an impact with the Three Lions at the 2024 Euros Championships, his market value has reached a massive €180 million. Bellingham has already made 46 appearances for the England senior team and if he continues to perform for his country in the big tournaments, he could surely be England’s next captain.
Bellingham is one of the most talented young midfielders in the world right now and his presence will certainly make an impact for England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Undoubtedly, Lamine Yamal is one of, if not the most talented young player in the world right now. At just 18 years old, he secured second place at the 2025 Ballon d’Or. The Spanish international is one of the most exciting young players to break through from the famed ‘La Masia’ academy at Barcelona. At just 16 years old, the teenager made a massive impact for Spain at the 2024 Euros Championships helping them win the coveted trophy. At club level, his extraordinary performances in the 2024/25 season led Barcelona to secure a domestic treble and also reach the Champions League semi-final last season.
Yamal is the most valuable player in the world right now with his current transfer market value at a staggering €200 million. The youngster has already made more than 100 appearances for the Blaugrana and 23 appearances for the Spain senior team – an unbelievable achievement for someone so young. It’s a scary proposition how much better he can become when he is already terrorizing opposition defenders at 18.
This will be his first World Cup appearance and with Spain being one of the top contenders for the title, Yamal will be one to watch for La Roja.
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