Since its inception, the World Cup has served as a platform for a number of young players to make their international debuts.
The quadrennial tournament has always produced young heroes who step up for their teams at the grandest stage, from Brazil’s Pele in 1958 to France’s Kylian Mbappe in 2018.
Here are five young players who made an impact at this World Cup
which will come to an end in Qatar in 2022.
Aurelien Tchameni
A midfielder for Les Bleus, has stood out among France’s numerous talented players at the Qatar World Cup.
The 22-year-old midfielder, who plays for Genuine Madrid, was expected to be one of the most astonishing adolescents to look out for in this World Cup, alongside his Madrid colleague, Eduardo Camavinga.
Tchouameni was given a lot of attention prior to the tournament due to the injury of France’s key midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante. Any reasonable person would agree that the youth has adapted to the consideration genuinely well.
On December 10, 2022, during the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarterfinal football match between England and France at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of Doha, Aurelien Tchouameni celebrates scoring the first goal for his team.
Tchouameni is a solid midfielder for France. He has mastered the art of commanding the proceedings and played a crucial role in nipping opposition attacks in the bud. From open play up until this point, he has made six chances. He has 35 recoveries in the defensive phase, which speaks volumes about his work rate.
In the quarterfinal match against England, he scored his first and only goal of the tournament, a brilliant long-range strike that completely beat Jordan Pickford.
Tchouameni will continue to play a crucial role in the Les Bleus midfield for many years to come, and it is safe to say that France is holding a treasure trove of talent. His immediate focus would be the final on Sunday, where he would need to perform at his absolute best in order to assist France in defending its title against Argentina.
Josko Gvardiol (Croatia)
The 20-year-old center back Josko Gvardiol represented Croatia at the World Cup in Qatar. He started the World Cup as the player who was noticed for the face mask he was wearing as a precaution for an injury he had sustained while playing for RB Leipzig against SC Freiburg. However, he finished the tournament as one of the best players.
The Vatreni only gave up three goals in five games because of Gvardiol’s massive presence in the Croatian defense’s heart.
Enzo Fernandez (Argentina)
Enzo Fernandez, who is 21 years old, has been one of Argentina’s most important players on the way to the World Cup final.
The Benfica midfielder didn’t begin Argentina’s initial game against Saudi Arabia, where La Albiceleste lost 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in one of the World Cup’s greatest surprises.
However, he started against Mexico in Argentina’s second group match and hasn’t looked back since. Head coach Lionel Scaloni started him. When he scored his first World Cup goal against Mexico with a stunningly precise shot, he did so in style, giving his team a 2-0 lead.
Jude Bellingham (England)
After breaking numerous club records, English teenager Jude Bellingham became England’s second youngest World Cup scorer when he scored in the 6-2 victory over Iran in the group stage. This made him the second youngest player to ever score for England. In the Round of 16 match against Senegal, he turned into the main young person to aid the knockout phases of a World Cup since the dynamic assortment of information.
At the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on November 21, 2022, England and Iran played in the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group B football match. Jude Bellingham scored the opening goal for his team.
One of the hottest prospects in international football right now is the 19-year-old midfielder for Borussia Dortmund. For someone so young, his vision, ball-handling prowess, and technical aptitude for the game are extremely uncommon. Even though Bellingham is just starting out, his mature approach to the game is what makes him such a unique talent.
Jamal Musiala (Germany)
Germany had a World Cup to forget as it neglected to fit the bill for the knockouts briefly progressive release. Jamal Musiala, on the other hand, stands out as one of Germany’s positive outcomes in a World Cup that was mostly negative for the four-time world champion.
The 19-year-old midfielder, who plays for Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich, grabbed everybody’s eye with his football at the Qatar World Cup.
In the lead up to the World Cup, Musiala was hailed as one of the world’s best young midfielders and was compared to Bellingham, Pedri, and Gavi. However, the youngster’s talent and inventiveness in the German midfield helped define his individuality.