The 10 Youngest Players at the 2026 World Cup

While Ronaldo, Messi, Neuer, and Modric prove that age in football is just a number, a new generation is preparing to take over the game. The 2026 World Cup will be a stage not only for legends but also for teenagers who not long ago played for youth teams and are now vying for a place among the best footballers on the planet.

This ranking includes the youngest players of the 2026 World Cup. All of them are not even 19 years old, but it is such tournaments that turn promising talents into world stars worth hundreds of millions of euros. Perhaps, a few weeks after the World Cup, even those who are hearing their names for the first time today will know the names from this list. The age is indicated as of the start of the 2026 World Cup.

The youngest participants in the 2026 Football World Cup

Gilberto Mora (Mexico) – 17 years 7 months and 28 days

At 17, Gilberto Mora will be the youngest participant in the 2026 World Cup. The midfielder of the Mexican club Tijuana will also become the sixth-youngest player in the history of the tournament if he takes the field in the debut game against South Africa. Mora is considered the main young talent of the country. Many Mexican experts call Gilberto the player around whom the Mexican national team will be built in the coming decade.

Hugo Sochurek (Czech Republic) – 18 years and 4 days

The graduate of Prague's Sparta only recently celebrated his 18th birthday. The central midfielder is already in the top 30 most expensive footballers in the Czech Republic. Sochurek has only played one match for the national team, so the call to the World Cup is a huge advance for Hugo.

Ibrahim Mbaye (Senegal) – 18 years 4 months and 18 days

Ibrahim Mbaye is among the most discussed young players in Senegal ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Teen Vogue included the PSG winger in the list of young stars of the tournament and noted that the forward has already set several age records in national football. By the age of 18, he already has seven trophies with the Parisian club.

Hamza Abdelkarim (Egypt) – 18 years 5 months and 10 days

Potentially the main replacement for Mo Salah as Egypt's brand in the football community for the next decade and a half. Hamza only debuted for the national team two weeks ago. Before that, he had already attracted the attention of Barcelona, which took him on loan to strengthen their youth team.

Bara Ndiaye (Senegal) – 18 years 5 months and 11 days

Bara Ndiaye is one of the most unexpected participants in the 2026 World Cup. The Bayern Munich midfielder was recently considered a candidate for the future, but he made a strong impression at the Senegal national team training camp and ultimately earned a place in the final squad. The central midfielder from Africa has already played four matches for Bayern's first team, but it is unlikely that the 18-year-old defensive midfielder will be trusted in important matches at the World Cup.

Mladen Jurkas (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – 18 years 8 months and 4 days

The 18-year-old graduate of the Bosnian club Banja Luka is going to the World Cup as the third goalkeeper. Great for experience, but it's unlikely that the youngest goalkeeper at the something extraordinary is happening in the tournament. The past club season was the first full one for Jurkas in the national championship - he played more than half (16) of their 31 matches without conceding a goal.

Ayyoub Bouaddi (Morocco) – 18 years 8 months and 9 days

Many European scouts consider Ayoub Bouaddi the most talented player in this ranking. The Lille midfielder made his professional debut at 16, setting the club's age records in European competitions and is already valued at €50 million. Ayoub is the fifth most expensive player born in 2007 worldwide. The Moroccan has played 99 matches at a professional level.

Kerim Alajbegović (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – 18 years 8 months and 21 days

After moving to Austria, the Salzburg winger immediately became an important part of the Austrian club. The 18-year-old winger from Bosnia and Herzegovina played 44 matches with 13 goals - an impressive record. Alajbegović is almost certain to get some playing time in the upcoming tournament, becoming the youngest Bosnian in the World Cup history.

Rayan Elloumi (Tunisia) – 18 years 8 months and 25 days

The call-up of the Tunisian forward to the World Cup is a huge leap of faith, considering that Elloumi has only played 30 professional games. But Ryan didn't have to go anywhere - he probably knows the fields of the USA and Canada better than the rest, having adapted to the heat in North America.

Lucas Herrington (Australia) – 18 years 9 months and 6 days

Another MLS player rounds out the top 10. The central defender of the Australian national team won't break the national age debut record at the World Cup. But Herrington is stable in defense - he already has 40 professional matches under his belt.

Bonus: Lamine Yamal (Spain) – 18 years 10 months and 29 days

In the ranking, the world's most expensive footballer Lamine Yamal is only 12th - in addition to the ten youngest players, he also gave up a spot to Behruz Karimov from Uzbekistan. But unlike the other names on this list, Yamal is already a legend of his generation. Multi-million dollar contracts, media attention and public anticipation before his debut World Cup - Yamal lives for this. The national record of Spain will still be held by Gavi, who made his debut in Qatar at 18 years 3 months and 18 days, for at least another four years.

Predictions for all the 2026 World Cup games are available in the tournament section.