Top 10 Young Players At The 2018 World Cup

The 2018 World Cup is just days away, and while the world sits and dreams about all the star-studded matchups we thought it would be a good idea to take stock of the youth in this year’s tournament.

There is a stunning amount of young talent headed to the World Cup. We’re going to count down the top 10 young players who will be on hand in Russia. Many of these guys will seriously elevate their status in international football with their performances.

To be considered, a player had to be 22 or younger, though to be eligible to win FIFA’s Best Young Player award you have to be 21 or younger. We decided to be more forgiving.

So here is our ranking of the 10 best young players in the 2018 World Cup.

10. Trent Alexander-Arnold, England

England is bringing a young team to Russia and one of the break-out players from the 2017-18 Premier League season should be the team’s starter at right back. Trent Alexander-Arnold may be just 19 years old, but he made 33 total starts for Liverpool this year, including a solid turn in the team’s Champions League Final loss.

Alexander-Arnold will make his senior national team debut in a friendly against Costa Rica on Thursday but he is already England’s best option at right back. He’s a sound, steady defender and can get up the field quickly on the counterattack. He truly is a prize and should shine on the biggest stage of them all this summer.

9. Cristian Pavón, Argentina

Cristian Pavón is poised to start for Argentina alongside Lionel Messi in the midfield. A 22-year-old in his first World Cup starting for a pre-tournament favorite next to possibly the best soccer player of all-time? No pressure, kid.

In truth, it doesn’t seem like much bothers Pavón, so I expect him to perform well. He’s a hair under 5’6″ but plays like the energizer bunny. He has made just five appearances for his national team but Argentina manager Jorge Sampaoli has indicated he’s already one of the most important players on the squad.

Quick, fast, smart and savvy, the Boca Juniors player could be inundated with European offers after his stint in Russia. A month of setting the table for the likes of Messi, Sergio Agüero and Angel Di María will certainly get him noticed.

8. Amine Harit, Morocco

The one reason to watch Morocco’s games at the World Cup will be the play of Amine Harit. The 20-year-old midfielder was outstanding for Schalke in his first Bundesliga campaign. He made 32 appearances and scored three goals, but he was enormous as a playmaker for his teammates. He wound up being named the league’s Rookie of the Season.

A deft dribbler with pace, he draws a ton of fouls and is a wonderful table-setter when deployed in the middle of the pitch as an attacking midfielder. He may come off the bench as a super-sub for Morocco, but let’s hope manager Hervé Renard starts the young man and allows him to shine.

7. Hirving Lozano, Mexico

Mexico has one of the most exciting young prospects in the world on its roster, as Hirving Lozano is set to make his World Cup debut. The man they call “Chucky” made the jump from Liga MX side Pachuca to a big European club this year by joining PSV Eindhoven. He did not disappoint.

Lozano made 34 total appearance for PSV, scoring 19 goals, including 17 in league matches. He has also tallied seven goals in 26 international caps, including five goals during World Cup qualifying.

A right-footed player who is typically deployed on the left side, he owns a powerful, deadly-accurate shot. He’s quick and strong on the ball and will almost certainly be a huge part of whatever Mexico does this summer.

6. Rodrigo Bentancur, Uruguay

Rodrigo Bentancur has progressed much faster than many believed he would and became a fixture in the Juventus midfield as a 20-year-old. A big, strong, box-to-box midfielder, he’s not going to score a bunch of goals or be flashy, but could wind up being the most important player on the Uruguayan national team in time.

Bentancur is fantastic at stopping opposing attacks then creating offense in the other direction. Possessing great vision, the Boca Juniors product has an incredibly high IQ on the pitch. Expect Bentancur to get a lot of interest in the summer transfer market after the World Cup. But it will be hard to pry this gem away from Juventus.

5. Timo Werner, Germany

Timo Werner has loads of talent, so much so that Germany probably can’t afford to have him on the bench. The 22-year-old has already tallied seven goals in just 13 national team appearances and just wrapped up a stellar season at RB Leipzig.

Werner has made 77 appearances for Leipzig in the past two seasons and has scored 42 times. He also won the Golden Boot at the 2017 Confederations Cup by netting three goals and two assists.

The young striker is incredibly fast and just devastates opponents’ back lines with his pace. He’s a good bet to make a mark in Russia.

4. Ousmane Dembélé, France

One of two young French forwards to make the list, Ousmane Dembélé is an example of the insane talent and depth Les Bleus will bring to Russia. The 21-year-old hasn’t had the opportunity to shine at FC Barcelona yet, but given time he certainly will.

A hamstring injury derailed the beginning of Dembélé’s first season at Barcelona, but he wound up getting better as the campaign went along. During the 2017-18 season, Dembélé made 23 total appearances for the club and scored just four goals. But he did managed to tally his second international goal in a June friendly against Italy and appears to be in good form.

Fast and brilliant with the ball at his feet, Dembélé could cause some fireworks in Russia, giving him some juice going into his second season at Camp Nou.

3. Dávinson Sánchez, Colombia

At just 21 years old, Dávinson Sánchez has already established himself as an elite center back. As a 20-year-old during the 2016-17 season, he was named Ajax’s best player, then showed no drop off after a transfer into the Premier League at Tottenham Hotspur.

A phenomenal passer and outstanding positional defender, Sánchez is a menace in the middle of the pitch. He’s big (6’2″) and strong, but has a finesse to his game not often seen from younger defenders. He’s an intimidating presence already and should be a rock at the back of Colombia’s defense.

2. Gabriel Jesus, Brazil

The next Brazilian star is already on the world stage, as Gabriel Jesus has been outstanding for Manchester City over the past year. The 21-year-old made 42 total appearances for Man City during its record-breaking season and scored 17 goals in all competitions.

A versatile forward, Jesus is simply brilliant with the ball at his feet and has that classic Brazilian flair when dribbling. He’s truly exciting to watch.

Jesus has already made his mark on the international level, scoring seven goals during Brazil’s 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign. He also scored the game-winner in a friendly victory over Germany in March.

1. Kylian Mbappé, France

Kylian Mbappé is widely regarded as the best young player in the world, and for good reason. At 19 years old, he’s already a regular at forward for Paris Saint-Germain. On loan from As Monaco during the 2017-18 season, Mbappé made 44 total appearances for PSG and scored 21 goals.

Often compared to fellow Frenchman Thierry Henry, Mbappé is slick, uber-talented and poised to be a star for the French at the World Cup. He has two international goals in four appearances so far in 2018 and is only going to improve moving forward.

He’s the early favorite to take home the Best Young Player award in Russia.