5 young players to watch this World Cup
With the FIFA World Cup up and running, many young talents are about to achieve their dreams of representing their country in the biggest stage of football. After putting in consistent stellar performances for their respective clubs, these young players will be hoping to leave their mark in the international stage as well. Here are 5 of them you might want to keep an eye out for this World Cup.
1. Jamal Musiala
The 19-year-old attacking midfielder for Germany and Bayern previously represented England at youth level competitions and played alongside highly rated youngster Jude Bellingham. However, he decided to switch countries and represent Germany later on.
The in-form midfielder has the most goal contributions for Bayern this season ahead of names like Mane and Gnabry and recently became the first teenager to make 100 appearances for Bayern.
2. Gavi
Pablo Martín Páez Gavira or "Gavi", plays as a central midfielder for Barcelona and Spain. The gifted midfielder won the prestigious Golden Boy Award in 2022 overtaking the likes of Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala.
The acclaimed 18-year-old earned the trust of Spain coach Luis Enrique with his performances and has already made 12 appearances for his country since his debut.
3. Jude Bellingham
The English midfielder first made headlines when he moved to Borussia Dortmund from Birmingham FC and became the most expensive 17-year-old. Since then, he has made over a hundred appearances for Dortmund and made 40 goal contributions for the club.
After making his debut for the national team at the tender age of 17, he has broken into the team, consolidating his place in the starting eleven and made seventeen appearances so far. With midfielder Kalvin Phillips recently returning from a lengthy injury, Southgate has a great midfield option in Jude Bellingham.
4. Eduardo Camavinga
Born in a refugee camp in Angola, Camavinga and his family moved to France when he was just an infant. He was signed by Rennes and went on to become the youngest player to play for their first team. He later moved to Real Madrid and won the Champions League and La Liga in the 21/22 season.
After making his debut at the age of 17 for the French national team, he has made four appearances for Le Bleus. Despite not starting the first match, he will be hoping to be an integral part of the team and add to his goal tally. Although he did not start the match, his teammate, Aurélien Tchouaméni – another promising youngster, put a shift in and had a commendable performance.
5. Pedri
Pedro González López or "Pedri", is a 19-year-old midfielder for Spain and Barcelona who also won the Golden Boy award a year before his club and country teammate Gavi attained the same feat.
With 93 appearances under his belt for the club, the midfielder made 19 goal contributions and was crucial for Barcelona during their rough spell in the past few seasons. He has made 14 appearances for Spain so far and will play a key role for Luis Enrique's side this world cup.
In the last world cup, a young Kylian Mbappé made a big difference for France as they clinched the trophy and went on to win the Best Young Player Award. These youngsters will be hoping to emulate his performance and etch their names in the history books.
References:
1. https://www.transfermarkt.com .
Tamjidul Hoque is ready to be hurt again by Argentina this world cup, tell him what you think will happen this time at: tamjidulh@gmail.com
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