The 5 Best U21 Players at the 2026 World Cup
World Cup week is upon us, and in just a few days, Mexico, the United States, and Canada will kick off their runs at the prestigious tournament across three nations.
Every World Cup brings new faces to the party, but the 2026 iteration is the biggest yet, with 48 teams involved and a slew of young talent ready to make their name across the board from every region.
As we head towards Thursday’s opener between Mexico and South Africa, here are my five official picks as the best 21 and younger players taking over North America this summer.
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5. Nico Paz (21, Argentina-Como)
Paz will never be Lionel Messi, but he might be the one to take the torch as the next creative engine of the Argentina national team once the all-time great hangs up his cleats.
A dynamic attacker, Paz, might shadow behind Messi and facilitate for the legend, but he has a lethal shot of his own. If he has a breakout tournament this summer, don’t be surprised if Real Madrid buys him out of his Como contract and has him on the field for them next domestic season.
4. Désiré Doué (20, France-Paris Saint-Germain)
Doué became a household name at last year’s Champions League Final when the teenager scored two goals against Inter Milan to help PSG finally win the European championship.
Now, Doué is a back-to-back European champ, part of France’s generational attacking half, and someone who can turn a lull into a sudden scoring chance through his on-field imagination.
3. João Neves (21, Portugal-Paris Saint-Germain)
From one PSG standout to another, Neves is only 21 but plays like a seasoned 30-year-old that can work box-to-box with all the intangibles you want from a midfield general.
While he won’t wow you like Doué or Paz, he is always involved in the game in some way, correcting the small mistakes that most players his age overlook.
Along with PSG teammate Vitinha and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, Portugal boasts what might be the scariest midfield of the World Cup.
2. Arda Güler (21, Turkey-Real Madrid)
The entire United States will be watching Turkey in Group D, and while Christian Pulisic is being marketed as the face of that group, it’s actually the prodigy from Turkey.
Güler is transforming into one of the best attacking players in the world at 21, and he could very well be on his way to being the next ace of Real Madrid. Any time he gets the ball, there is a chance for something magical to happen.
1. Lamine Yamal (18, Spain–Barcelona)
Güler might become the ace of Real Madrid. Yamal is already the ace of Barcelona, having won back-to-back La Liga championships with the Spanish empire.
Yamal is in a class of his own when it comes to youngsters at this tournament. Whereas players like Paz and Doué are waiting for the torch to be passed, Yamal has Spain’s torch and is doing tricks with it, laughing while breaking the ankles of world-class defenders like it’s an afternoon of fun.
It isn’t a question of whether Yamal is the best U21 player at the World Cup; he is. The question is whether he is the outright best player in North America this summer, and that’s a closer call than the competition around his age.
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This story was originally published June 7, 2026 at 8:26 PM.