The 2026 World Cup will not only be the last major international stage for legends like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but also the tournament where many young talents will have their first experience at the highest level.
Below are the 10 youngest players who will participate in the World Cup that starts on June 11, 2026.
Their age is calculated on the opening day of the tournament.
10. Rayan Elloumi (Tunisia) – 18 years, 8 months, 25 days
The Vancouver Whitecaps forward made his international debut for two different national teams in 2026. He initially played for Canada in January, before deciding to represent Tunisia, with whom he will participate in the World Cup.
Elloumi stood out with Vancouver’s reserve team in MLS Next Pro, showing great potential despite having yet to fully break through into professional soccer.
9. Kerim-Sam Alajbegovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – 18 years, 8 months, 21 days
One of the most promising talents in Bosnian football, he left Bayer Leverkusen’s academy for Red Bull Salzburg last summer for just two million euros.
After 9 goals and 3 assists in the league, Leverkusen activated his buy-back clause for eight million euros. In his debut for Bosnia, he scored a goal and provided an assist against San Marino.
8. Ayyoub Bouaddi (Morocco) – 18 years, 8 months, 9 days
The talented Lille midfielder rose to prominence at the age of 17 after impressive performances in the Champions League against clubs such as Real Madrid, Juventus, Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund.
He has spent over 3,000 minutes this season with Lille and is expected to be an undisputed starter with Morocco at the World Cup.
7. Mladen Jurkas (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – 18 years, 8 months, 4 days
The new Borac Banja Luka goalkeeper is a little-known name to the general public, but not to scouts.
In 31 league matches, he conceded only 19 goals, kept 16 clean sheets and led the team to the championship title. He even held the captain’s armband in several matches.
6. Bara Ndiaye (Senegal) – 18 years, 5 months, 21 days
The central midfielder joined Bayern Munich in January 2026 and immediately impressed coach Vincent Kompany.
After making his Bundesliga debut in April, he played in three consecutive matches and also secured his first call-up with Senegal to the World Cup.
5. Hamza Abdelkarim (Egypt) – 18 years, 5 months, 10 days
The talented striker moved to Barcelona’s academy and has impressed with his instincts in front of goal.
At the World Cup, he will compete with Omar Marmoush for playing minutes, while it is reported that captain Mohamed Salah has taken him under his wing to help him in his first steps with the national team.
4. Ibrahim Mbaye (Senegal) – 18 years, 4 months, 18 days
The young Paris Saint-Germain winger did not play in the crucial stages of the triumphant Champions League season, but accumulated over 1,000 minutes in other competitions.
With Senegal he has been much more productive, recording 8 goal contributions in just 10 matches.
3. Lennart Karl (Germany) – 18 years, 3 months, 20 days
Another Bayern Munich star, he registered 9 goals and 8 assists in all competitions, attracting the attention of coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Karl even left out some well-known names like Karim Adeyemi and Kevin Schade, earning his place in Germany’s final list.
2. Hugo Sochurek (Czech Republic) – 18 years and 4 days
Just a few months ago, he was playing for Sparta Prague’s U-19 team and the Czech Republic’s U-17 national team.
His progress was so rapid that he became a regular in the first team and earned his first call-up to the senior national team. At the World Cup, he will be one of the youngest players in the tournament.
1. Gilberto Mora (Mexico) – 17 years, 7 months, 28 days
The youngest player of the 2026 World Cup is Mexican talent Gilberto Mora.
He debuted with the Mexican national team at the age of 16, and by the age of 17 he had already played over 50 games with Club Tijuana.
Mora is considered one of the greatest talents that Mexican football has produced in recent years.
Thanks to his ability to play in several attacking positions, he is expected to be part of Mexico’s starting lineup in the 2026 World Cup.
