Thomas Tuchel left Max Dowman out of England's friendlies against Uruguay and Japan but kept the door open for the 16-year-old Arsenal forward ahead of the World Cup. That decision — take the teenager and gamble on potential, or protect him from the pressure — isn't unique to England. Every squad in the world is having a version of this conversation right now.
Here's who each nation's coaches are lying awake thinking about.
The contenders country by country
Argentina – Lucas Freitas (River Plate)
River Plate has been producing gems for decades, and Freitas is the latest. A centre-forward with a modern skill set, he made his Primera Division debut in November 2025 at 16, drew comparisons to Julián Álvarez almost immediately, and promptly signed a professional contract with a $100 million (£75m) release clause attached. Argentina's attack is already loaded. Freitas isn't going to muscle his way into the starting XI — but the question of whether he boards that plane at all is a live one.
Brazil – Rayan
The most eye-catching name on Carlo Ancelotti's World Cup longlist. Rayan was electric for Vasco da Gama last season, and his move to England in January has only sharpened the intrigue. Pace, power, skill, comfortable on either flank. Rodrygo's serious injury has opened a door. A few more decent Premier League showings and Rayan could walk through it.
Portugal – Anisio (Benfica)
Scored in both the Under-17 European Championship final and the Under-17 World Cup final last year — including the winner in the latter. Then made his Benfica league debut and scored. Got five minutes in his next appearance and scored again, a late header. José Mourinho has compared him to Didier Drogba. At 187cm with aerial ability, penalty-box instinct and a left foot, he's less a wildcard and more a logical late substitute to replace a certain 39-year-old. He's more Theo Walcott 2006 than Dowman 2026, but the logic holds.
USA – Alen Mehmeti (New York Red Bulls)
Four MLS games in, and someone has already compared him to Sergio Busquets. American soccer has always been good at this. Still — Mehmeti captained the Red Bulls' second team to the MLS Next Pro title last year, stepped straight into the first team under Michael Bradley this season, and looks composed in defensive midfield in a way teenagers simply aren't supposed to. Whether Mauricio Pochettino fits him into a crowded midfield group before the summer is a real question.
Senegal – Idrissa Gueye (Udinese)
Ibrahim Mbaye was the obvious answer a few months ago, but Mbaye isn't much of a secret anymore after scoring at AFCON at 17. The less-discussed option is Gueye — not the Everton midfielder, but the 19-year-old Udinese forward who scored five goals in 17 appearances for Metz in Ligue 2 before earning a loan to Serie A. He's been coming off the bench regularly in 2026. His only senior cap came at 16. A strong end to the season could change Pape Thiaw's thinking.
France – Yoane Kroupi (Bournemouth)
The French attack is not a department that needs help. Mbappé, Dembélé, Barcola at the top, then Doué, Ekitike, Cherki, Akliouche behind them — and that's before a half-dozen others who think they deserve a call. Kroupi, who turns 20 during the group stage, has been excellent in the Premier League this season. Agile, quick, a sharp finisher from range. He broke records at Lorient as a 16-year-old and has represented France at every youth level through to under-21. The final step is obvious. Whether Deschamps takes it is another matter.
Canada – Malik Jimoh (Inter Toronto)
Born in Newcastle, raised in Brampton, and already on Jesse Marsch's radar. The 17-year-old winger is just 5ft 5in and reportedly shy off the pitch — but on it he's aggressive, dynamic, and regularly makes defenders look slow. Marsch said in 2024: "Players of his age with his quality can develop very quickly. And can attract big suitors." Canada's left side is stacked, which makes a starting spot unlikely. But bringing him to watch and learn at a World Cup on home soil? That's a plant-the-flag-for-2030 move that Marsch would consider.
Europe's wildcards
Germany – El Mala (FC Köln)
Lennart Karl is Germany's most obvious young talent, but he's past the wildcard stage now. El Mala is the more interesting gamble. A year ago he was in the 3.Liga on loan at Viktoria Köln. He won the division's young player of the year, finished as top scorer at the Under-19 European Championship, and is now a 6ft 2in winger lighting up the Bundesliga — the same player Borussia Mönchengladbach released at 14 for being too slender. His tracking back needs work, his decision-making is still raw, and Köln's poor form has left him inconsistent. But the talent is genuine, and a recent goal at Hamburg showed the ceiling.
Netherlands – Read (Feyenoord)
Denzel Dumfries turns 30 in April. The Dutch have been relying on his pace and width for six years. Read only broke into Michael Reiziger's under-21 setup in October and injuries have disrupted his Feyenoord campaign, but he played 26 Eredivisie games last season as Geertruida's replacement. Ronald Koeman's World Cup squad may come too soon — but the succession plan is in place.
Spain – Garcia (Real Betis)
Spain keep doing this: Pedri, Gavi, Lamine Yamal. Garcia is next in the theoretical queue. A left-footed winger who scored four goals in a 6-5 win over Germany at last summer's Under-19 European Championship — including one direct from a corner and a 119th-minute winner. Fifteen efforts on goal in a single match. He hasn't yet made his mark in La Liga, and with Mendoza, Bernal, and Martín all ahead of him in the pecking order, a World Cup call-up this summer is a stretch. But the talent is there, and Spain's history suggests they won't wait long.
The decisions are coming. Most of these players won't make the squads. A handful will. And at least one of them will end up as the tournament's defining story — the teenager nobody quite expected, doing something nobody quite saw coming.
