World Cup 2026 kicks off on June 11. Before then, the Champions League final will be contested between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, and the European season will wrap up. But regardless of who wins the biggest prizes in club football, who are the players to watch out for this summer?
Arda Guler – Turkey
Turkey have a few names that might have made the list: Ferdi Kadioglu has kicked on for Brighton and Hove Albion this season; Kenan Yildiz’s speed and close control makes him a standout; and Hakan Calhanoglu is a regular for Inter’s Serie A winning side. But Arda Guler is a special talent.
Anyone who watches Champions League football will be fully aware of Guler’s quality. Against Bayern Munich, Real Madrid’s 21 year old made light work of a long range opener (admittedly helped by Manuel Neuer vacating his goal), before scoring an exquisite free kick. Guler made his Fernerbahce debut at just 16 before earning his big money move. He is likely to play in the number 10 position in Vincenzo Montella’s 4-2-3-1. The manager played at a World Cup himself in 2002.
Ronwen Williams – South Africa
Ronwen Williams is South Africa’s captain, and the penalty saving specialist will be key to their hopes if Hugo Broos’ team are to progress from Group B. Broos will retire from football after the World Cup. Bofana Bofana will face Czech Republic, South Korea and co-hosts Mexico. Williams may have his work cut out: Raul Jimenez leads the line for Mexico; the Czechs have Patrick Schick; and South Korea’s Son Heung-min will want to show the world his quality hasn’t dipped since moving to the MLS in the USA.
Williams has amassed quite a trophy cabinet with his club Mamelodi Sundowns, but it would be a major shock if South Africa were to collect medals this summer. They are considered underdogs around the standard of Bulgaria and DR Congo, and available at around 1000/1 on most sportsbooks for anyone who wishes to bet in South Africa.
Kaoru Mitoma – Japan
Japan’s star player is unequivocally Kaoru Mitoma. The winger initially struggled for Brighton this season and has rarely looked the player he did under Roberto De Zerbi two and three seasons ago. But Mitoma has improved since the turn of the year and is back to delighting crowds with his precise first touches and adventurous dribbling.
Despite his talents, he has sometimes played at left wing back for his country (as he occasionally did under previous Brighton manager, Graham Potter). But further upfield is where Mitoma shines, and he’s likely to play as one of two wingers-stroke-attacking midfielders supporting the striker, Ayase Ueda, in a 3-4-2-1. Hajime Moriyasu’s side made the round of 16 at the last World Cup and the manager has been in post since 2018, despite pundits predicting that he wouldn’t last long. Japan has beaten England and Brazil in the last year, and upset Spain and Germany in 2022.
Vitinha – Portugal
Portugal have an array of talent throughout their team, and pundits in the country have repeatedly claimed this is their best team to ever go to a World Cup. Roberto Martinez also led Belgium’s golden generation, but the manager ended up trophyless (Kevin De Bruyne has since said he thinks they have missed their chance).
Cristiano Ronaldo is still a regular in the starting lineup at 41, but the rest of the team are in their prime or thereabouts. Vitinha, despite playing behind arguably the Premier League’s standout player this season (Bruno Fernandes) in midfield, is the one who makes Portugal tick. The playmaker helped his club Paris Saint-Germain get the better of Bayern Munich in the thrilling Champions League semi-finals, and at 26 years old has room to get even better.
Lamine Yamal – Spain
It’s the most obvious pick on the list, and it also makes complete sense. How could you not look forward to watching Lamine Yamal? The young Spaniard made a name for himself at the European Championships, which Spain won, and has been called “arguably the best teenage star ever” by FourFourTwo magazine and LaLiga’s best player by ESPN.
Yamal has again been one of Barcelona’s best players this season, only rivalled in the scoring charts by his club and national teammate Ferran Torres, Ante Budimir, Vedat Muriqi, and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe. Yamal also creates plenty: he led the assists table for most of the season (Guler wasn’t far behind, incidentally). Yamal’s country are favourites to lift the World Cup trophy.
