11 Jun 2026 12 min read SkillCorner

10 World Cup Breakouts to Watch

The future of football set to be discovered this summer

The World Cup is bigger than ever. 1,248 players from all corners of the globe are about to take to the largest stage of them all. We’ve picked ten breakouts for you to watch.

To do so, we’re debuting our brand new product: SCOUTED Pro. This is the project we’ve been working on quietly all year: an editorial product designed for clubs, agencies and football professionals, that represents the culmination of our decade of experience in scouting and analysis.

All 10 players below are accompanied by our brand-new report card, which forms the backbone of SCOUTED Pro. Powered by SkillCorner data, Pro aims to be the gold standard in marrying video and data scouting by translating hundreds of complex metrics into Archetypes and Superpowers - SCOUTED’s proprietary profiling tools - so key footballing stakeholders can deepen and validate their existing processes, and make smarter, faster and more confident decisions.

SCOUTED Pro will enter full launch in July and further details will be available soon. If you’re an industry professional and would like to register your interest, please email pro@scoutedftbl.com.

For now, enjoy the players!

Support SCOUTED

Subscribe for free

🇲🇽 Gilberto Mora

The youngest of all the 1,248 players at the FIFA World Cup 2026 is a great place to start. Ahead of the tournament, Gilberto Mora signed a contract extension with Liga MX side Club Tijuana which saw him rewarded with the No.10 shirt. Now, even more eyes will be on him and we can expect a lot of release clause speculation.

To be clear, Mora is not a centre-forward. However, playing in the frontline has proven to be the best way to integrate a literal child into senior men’s football in Mexico. As such, he is a complete outlier for his position when viewed through data; it’s worth noting Mora is at least five years younger than any of the other 32 players in this Liga MX Center Forward pool.

The Club Tijuana teenager is a perpetual mover, focused on creating passing options all over the pitch, securing and circulating possession in every phase. That’s his superpower. At the right moment, he will accelerate play with razor sharp touches or speedy passes but he acts principally as the bridge into the final third. He is a midfielder playing up front and we’re not going to see him up top for Mexico at the World Cup.

He may not even start. But when he does play, Pedri comparisons will be rife. There are similarities with how the Spaniard began his career as a left-midfielder; young creative midfielders are usually protected by being deployed out wide in the earliest stages of their career. They also share the ability to leave no blade of grass unturned in their quest to control and dictate the flow of the game. An 18-year-old Pedri was named Young Player of the Tournament at EURO 2020, his first major international competition; Mora has the minerals to make an early claim to do the same at his.

🇨🇭 Johan Manzambi

The youngest player in Switzerland’s squad, Johan Manzambi has a burgeoning reputation as one of Europe’s most exciting prospects to live up to at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 20-year-old comes into the tournament after a breakout season in the Bundesliga, playing over 2,000 minutes, contributing to 10 goals, and driving SC Freiburg to the UEFA Europa League final.

Manzambi is an all-phase midfielder that excels at sequencing actions together. He can turn defence into attack in an instant, stretching a leg in to win the ball back before pivoting forward, bursting past a defender, riding a challenge, then progressing into space either with a driving carry or punchy pass. Once in higher areas, he has the technical invention to take players on and combine through them to access the box, often resulting in shots. He has personality and presence in abundance, as well as a smooth yet shifty athleticism that underpins his game and belongs at the highest level.

The Genevan has the qualities to be the x-factor player for Switzerland. His multi-faceted skillset has the capability to break open games, be it in deeper areas, through midfield, or around the penalty area. You can expect a moment that will thrust him further into the limelight.

🇨🇮 Bazoumana Touré

Côte d'Ivoire have the youngest squad by average age at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and one of three 2006-born players in their cohort is Bazoumana Touré. He was a Secret of Scandinavia - exploding into Swedish football at Hammarby after moving from the famous ASEC Mimosas - but has now broadened his appreciation by starring for a young and exciting Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga.

Still just 20 years old, Touré is a left-footed left winger—somewhat or a rarity in modern football. The first thing you’ll notice is the sheer speed and directness of his game: he is a ball-carrying winger that attacks straight, and attacks fast. His explosiveness is reflected in off-the-charts SkillCorner data, and enables him to consistently create separation against defenders over short and long distance before hitting the byline and delivering vicious crosses across the face of goal. That’s his bread and butter.

As a defender, Touré’s speed frightens players into making mistakes and his overall range of mobility makes him a flexible and valuable asset. He gives his team the ability to shift shapes during matches, which often is an invaluable tool in knockout football. Keep an eye on his ball-striking too, which looks surprisingly effortless.

In Bazoumana Touré and Yan Diomandé, Côte d'Ivoire have two of the Bundesliga's most electrifying wingers.

🇧🇪 Matías Fernandez-Pardo

Matías Fernandez-Pardo’s career has been characterised by change. Born in Belgium to a Spanish father and Italian mother, he bounced around various club academies in his native country and switched between nations. After a brief stint with Spain’s U-21 set up, the Brussels-born forward is now the wildcard option in the Red Devils’ squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

It takes little to no time at all to pinpoint his superpower: lightning-quick speed. The 21-year-old is an extremely fast runner, as corroborated by SkillCorner data. He has the change of speed over every distance to leave defenders in his wake and that is extremely differential when playing against high defensive lines and/or in transition. Those are the situations in which Fernandez-Pardo is most likely to make a telling impact at this tournament; latching onto passes played over or through disorganised defensive lines. Once in shooting areas, there is a snappiness to his finishing that catches goalkeepers by surprise.

He can play off the left or through the middle, which gives Belgium options. If deployed out wide, we’ll get more opportunity to watch his quick feet in dribbling situations and high-speed, progressive ball-carrying—but his threat is off the last line, sprinting into space. Fernandez-Pardo is different to any other forward Belgium have at their disposal.

🇪🇸 Víctor Muñoz

At 22 years old, Víctor Muñoz is one of the older players on this list. That being said, only Barcelona’s trio of Golden Boy winners are younger within the Spain squad.

Muñoz is much younger in terms of senior experience, however. Born in Barcelona, he spent three years at La Masia between the age of 11 and 14 before joining neighbouring side CF Damm and then ultimately Real Madrid. At La Fábrica, he grew to prominence in the Castilla side, making first-team appearances in the 2024/25 season. However, at the start of this season, he joined Osasuna for €5 million and has earned a World Cup call-up to the European Champions after his full debut season in senior football. That demands attention.

After a quick look, it’s easy to see why. The key to Spain’s success at EURO 2024 was their wing duo of Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal. In Muñoz, they have added a serious speedster that can deputise as a Roadrunner on either flank to help protect the first-choice duo from the gruelling heat and extra games. In this sample of Wide Attackers from the 2025/26 season, Muñoz scores highest for both the Carrying Progression - Nico ranks second - and Pressure Progression Performance Indices.

Given the chance, Muñoz’s pace and directness will turn heads, as will his ability to single-handedly progress the ball up the pitch. According to reports, Newcastle have already picked up the phone to discuss a move.

🇲🇦 Ayyoub Bouaddi

Ayyoub Bouaddi was the next big thing in French football. Now, that honour belongs to Morocco. After a strong season with LOSC Lille in Ligue 1, the teenager switched allegiance to the country of his heritage after being left out of Didier Deschamps’ final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. France’s loss is yet another significant gain for Morocco.

What sets Bouaddi apart - and has done since breaking into senior football - is his unflappable maturity. He looks like a player that has over 500 matches to his name, and that manifests in multiple ways on the pitch. Chief among them is his physicality: he’s tall and lean with long legs that carry him effortlessly across the pitch, packing an intensity that is indicative of his elite-level credentials. Then comes his composure and decision-making in possession which is stable if not spectacular, moving the ball with speed and competency and often with a punch. Progressive ball-carrying is where he moves the needle in possession, as highlighted in SkillCorner data, with the propensity to evade pressure before driving the ball forward into space. His leginess is a significant advantage in his ability to chase down attackers and stretch in to win the ball back.

Given the anticipation surrounding him, this tournament could be a launchpad for the 19-year-old. He has the tools to be a commanding presence in Morocco’s midfield, putting in performances that are difficult to ignore—particularly with eye-catching meetings with Brazil and Scotland.

🇭🇷 Luka Vuskovic

It was three years ago that a 16-year-old Luka Vušković was linked to Manchester City. At that time, we highlighted his imposing physical frame, potential as a ball-player and significant set-piece threat.

The Croatian joined Spurs, not City, in 2023 and although he is yet to make a competitive appearance for the north Londoners, the talent he has displayed on loan at Westerlo in Belgium and more specifically HSV in the Bundesliga - he was named in the 2025/26 Team of the Season - has made him a fan favourite.

Vušković’s physical dominance is undeniable, but what often slips under the radar is his technical prowess. At Westerlo in 2024/25, he won the award for the most beautiful goal of the season with a bicycle kick against Club Brugge. At the start of this year, he was awarded Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2025 for a backheel finish against Hamburg’s northern derby rivals, Werder Bremen. His feet are as lethal as his head and his confidence in his technique means he’s just as keen to take set-pieces as he is throwing any body part at them.

It’s ridiculous to think he’s 19 years old. That fact in itself might mean that we don’t see him in every game. But for a seemingly endless list of possible reasons, if you don’t see him make an appearance, you will most certainly hear about it.

🇬🇭 Caleb Yirenkyi

We love Caleb Yirenkyi at SCOUTED. Anyone that has read our stuff for long enough will know that. The youngest player in Ghana’s squad arrives at the tournament as one of its most exciting prospects, a status cemented by another multidimensional season at FC Nordsjælland.

‘Multidimensional’ may be the perfect word to encapsulate the 20-year-old Ghanaian. After establishing himself as a regular last season in central midfield, Yirenkyi has expanded his repertoire to include centre-back and full-back this season. His positional versatility is unlocked by a rock-solid platform of technical and athletic fundamentals; he mixes poise with power, combining high-floor basics coached into him by Right to Dream with an inherent ability to get around the pitch. He has the capabilities to prop up possession from behind the ball, receive on the turn ahead of it, as well as drive play forward with marauding carries. You can mix and match Yirenkyi depending on what the situation demands, and his generalism is reflected in his SkillCorner dashboard.

Expect to see Yirenkyi playing at right-back for Ghana - a role he’s predominantly played at international level since his debut last summer - but, as mentioned, he gives options. Wherever he plays, you’ll quickly notice a skillset that is primed for the next stage of his career.

🇧🇦 Kerim Alajbegović

If you enjoy silky, aesthetic, maverick attacking midfielders then Kerim Alajbegović should be at the top of your World Cup watchlist. His dribbling is buttery smooth, throwing defenders with tidy feints and step-overs all with the aim of letting fly as soon as he has a yard of space. If you subscribe to the theory that football is quickly becoming overrun with robots, Alajbegović will restore your faith in the game.

The 18-year-old loves the ball. That’s why he ranks highest as a Matador. This is a kid that goes looking for the ball and only gets rid of it to reset his touch. He possesses the ball for long periods and he roams up, down and across the entire pitch with it. Among the X Wide Attackers in this dataset, he ranks first for Possession Average Duration and Drawing Pressure Per 30 Tip. A quirk that further illustrates his taunting style is that he also has the largest difference between Opposition Players Beat by Movement and Opposition Players Beat by Possession. He drops out of pressure to receive in space, setting up a gauntlet of opponents to beat himself. And he backs himself to succeed.

At international level, he scored and assisted on his debut for Bosnia and Herzegovina (albeit against San Marino). But the fact he stepped up to bury the winning penalty against Wales in the play-off for this tournament before netting again in the shootout against Italy tells you everything you need to know about his fearless personality.

One season at Red Bull Salzburg was all he needed to convince Bayer 04 Leverkusen they needed to buy him back. As things stand, he’s set to link up with our next pick when he returns to Die Werkself for the 2026/27 campaign.

🇩🇿 Ibrahim Maza

Ibrahim Maza is a hyper-technical attacking midfielder that feels at home in the half-space in the final third. His technical security is the most effective in smaller spaces which is the environment most often found in the Finish phase: opposition teams are more compact, space between the lines is tighter. So, in that situation, you need a player that is comfortable receiving the ball under pressure and then manipulating it to create advantages for the team.

Maza was doing just that for Hertha BSC in the 2. Bundesliga last season, most definitely did it for Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Germany’s top flight this season, and now he's going to do it on the world stage. Whether deployed as a wide midfielder or slap bang in the middle, Maza’s tendencies are the same: beat players and make shots. That is the epitome of the Shotsmith Archetype that celebrates players capable of creating shooting angles in any amount of space. Lose sight of them for one second and it could cost you. But mark them too tight and they will punish you.

As a bonus ball, one of the highest-ranked Shotsmiths during the 2025/26 Bundesliga season was Türkiye’s Can Uzun. If you can, keep a close eye on him and his fellow 2005-born compatriots this summer.

This newsletter was produced under a commercial collaboration with SkillCorner, SCOUTED’s official data partners. Their tracking and performance data is used by more than 150 of the world’s biggest clubs, leagues and confederations.

Learn more