AFP Sport takes a look at six of the tournament’s potential breakout stars in Qatar hoping to follow in the footsteps of Pele and Kylian Mbappe.
Moises Caicedo (Ecuador) – Much of the focus in the opening match will be on hosts Qatar but Caedo will aim to run the game from Ecuador’s midfield. The 21-year-old has been a key player for Brighton in the Premier League since breaking into the first team last season. He has been linked with a possible move to several big clubs, most notably Liverpool. Caicedo has already made 25 international appearances, including 15 starts in Ecuador’s successful World Cup qualifying campaign. He is part of the Brighton trio in the Ecuadorian team along with Parvis Estupinen and Jeremy Sarmiento.
Jude Bellingham (England) – The Borussia Dortmund midfielder is fast becoming a global star and is still only 19 years old. He was a member of the England team that reached the final of last year’s European Championships but was behind Declan Rice and Calvin Phillips in the pecking order. Bellingham is now a surefire start for Gareth Southgate after a fine 12 months, capped by four goals in this season’s Champions League group stage. Real Madrid and Liverpool are reportedly among the teams chasing his signature and he could further boost any potential transfer fee by helping end England’s 56-year wait for a second World Cup title.
Cody Gakpo (Netherlands) — The 23-year-old winger made only a brief substitute appearance at Euro 2020 but is expected to feature far more heavily in Qatar. Gakpo has already scored 13 goals for PSV Eindhoven in all competitions this season, just seven less than his previous stint. With Memphis Depay out through September due to injury, Gakpo could start the Netherlands’ first half against Senegal on Monday.
Geo Reyna (United States) – Despite battling injuries in his short career so far, Reyna has always drawn praise for his performances for Dortmund. He made his league debut for Dortmund in January 2020 at the age of 17, becoming the youngest American to play in the Bundesliga, now holding international teammate Christian Pulisic’s record. Reyna, now 20, is likely to compete with Lille forward Timothy Weah and Leeds’ Brendan Aaronson for a spot in United’s starting line-up.
Jamal Musiala (Germany) — The 19-year-old made an impressive start to the campaign with Bayern Munich, scoring 12 goals and setting up a further nine goals. Musiala, who also played for England’s youth teams before declaring for Germany, could also start for Hansi Flick’s men at the expense of the experienced Thomas Müller. Germany may need to fire Musiala if they want to seal a record-equalling fifth World Cup, with Flick likely to play without the out-and-out striker following an injury to Timo Werner.
Mohammed Kudus (Ghana) — Kudus was still playing for Ajax’s youth team as of last year before making an impact on the big stage with four goals in this season’s Champions League. The 22-year-old from Accra has already made his mark for Ghana with five goals in 18 appearances. Kudus, along with the more experienced Andre Ayew and his brother Jordan, will be a key figure for the last African nation to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
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