World Cup 2026: Meet the 10 Youngest Players Named in Final Tournament Squads

With all 48 nations confirming their squads for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, attention is turning to the tournament’s emerging stars. The expanded World Cup will showcase a unique blend of experience and youth, bringing together legendary players, seasoned internationals and some of football’s most promising teenage talents. At one end of the age spectrum is Craig Gordon, who will be 43 years and 162 days old when the tournament begins. At the other is Mexico’s teenage sensation Gilberto Mora, who enters the competition at just 17 years and 240 days old.

FIFA’s final squad lists reveal that 22 teenagers under the age of 20 will feature at the tournament, while seven players are aged 40 or older. A total of 891 players will be making their World Cup debuts, while 357 players have previous tournament experience. Among the newcomers are several highly rated teenagers already attracting interest from major clubs around the world. Here are the 10 youngest players heading to the 2026 World Cup: 1.

Gilberto Mora (Mexico) Date of Birth: October 14, 2008 Mexico midfielder Gilberto Mora is the youngest player selected for the tournament. The highly regarded teenager has rapidly established himself as one of the country’s brightest prospects and earned a place in Mexico’s final squad despite his age. 2. Hugo Sochurek (Czech Republic) Date of Birth: June 7, 2008 The Czech teenager is the second-youngest player at the tournament after impressing through youth and club football, earning a surprise call-up to the national team. 3. Lennart Karl (Germany) Date of Birth: February 22, 2008 Germany’s Lennart Karl continues his rapid rise after securing a place in one of football’s most successful national teams. 4.

Ibrahim Mbaye (Senegal) Date of Birth: January 24, 2008 Senegal’s latest emerging talent, Ibrahim Mbaye, is among the youngest African players at the tournament and reflects the country’s strong youth development pipeline. 5. Hamza Abdelkarim (Egypt) Date of Birth: January 1, 2008 Egypt’s youngest representative heads to North America as one of the country’s most promising young footballers. 6. Bara Sapoko Ndiaye (Senegal) Date of Birth: January 24, 2008 Born on the same day as teammate Ibrahim Mbaye, Ndiaye gives Senegal two representatives among the competition’s youngest players. 7. Mladen Jurkas (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Date of Birth: October 7, 2007 The young defender has enjoyed a rapid rise through the ranks and will represent Bosnia and Herzegovina on football’s biggest stage. 8.

Ayyoub Bouaddi (Morocco) Date of Birth: October 2, 2007 Widely regarded as one of Africa’s most technically gifted young midfielders, Bouaddi represents the future of Moroccan football. 9. Pau Cubarsi (Spain) Date of Birth: January 22, 2007 Already a regular for Spain and FC Barcelona, Cubarsí arrives at the World Cup as one of the most highly rated young defenders in the game. 10. Lamine Yamal (Spain) Date of Birth: July 13, 2007 One of football’s biggest teenage stars, Yamal enters the tournament as a key figure for Spain after his breakthrough performances for both club and country, including Spain’s triumph at UEFA Euro 2024. Opinion Nigeria News