Olise, Yamal headline stars at maiden W’Cup

Born in Hammersmith, London, to a British-Nigerian father and a Franco-Algerian mother, Michael Olise was eligible to represent France, England, Algeria and Nigeria before committing to Les Bleus. The winger — full name Michael Akpovie Olise — has spent two seasons dismantling the doubts of those who questioned whether he could make the leap from Crystal Palace to the upper echelons of European football.

At Bayern Munich this season, he contributed 25 goals and 28 assists, figures that place him squarely in the Ballon d’Or conversation. He appears set to start ahead of Paris Saint-Germain’s Desire Doue in Didier Deschamps’ preferred line-up, and with Kylian Mbappe operating in a different role, the stage is set for Olise to be France’s most decisive attacking influence. His first World Cup could be the occasion that transforms him into a genuine global superstar.

Folarin Balogun (United States)

Born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents and raised in England, Folarin Balogun — full name Folarin Jolaoluwa Jerry Balogun — was eligible to represent Nigeria, England and the United States before committing to the USMNT in May 2023. He has since repaid that faith handsomely, emerging as Mauricio Pochettino’s undisputed first-choice striker.

After an impressive season at Monaco, where he scored 19 goals, including a run of eight successive Ligue 1 matches in which he found the net, Balogun arrives at this World Cup as the focal point of a host nation carrying enormous expectation. He showed at the 2024 Copa America that he is temperamentally equipped for tournament football, netting twice in the group stage. The hope is that this time, the United States will go considerably further.

At 18, Lamine Yamal is already among the most recognisable footballers on the planet. His emergence at Barcelona as a 15-year-old announced a talent of rare vintage, and his performances at Euro 2024 — highlighted by a stunning goal in the semi-final against France and four assists as Spain lifted the trophy — confirmed he had arrived at the very highest level.

The question now is whether he can replicate that brilliance on the sport’s grandest stage. His body has had to withstand a taxing season blighted by injury, but when fit and free, there are few more thrilling players to watch. A dominant World Cup campaign could propel him to the very summit of the game.

Despite the country’s absence from the tournament since 1998, Norway have emerged as one of the more intriguing dark horses of this edition, buoyed by an exceptional generation of players. Martin Odegaard, Antonio Nusa and Alexander Sorloth are among those making their World Cup debuts, but it is the Manchester City striker who commands all attention.

Haaland carries an international record of 55 goals in 49 caps into his first-ever senior tournament — not merely his first World Cup, but his first major competition at any level. Norway face Iraq, Senegal and France in the group stage, and opposing defences have every reason to be concerned. His capacity to make the extraordinary look routine makes him the most feared debutant in the tournament.

Florian Wirtz missed the 2022 tournament in Qatar while recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. His first World Cup, then, has been a long time coming. The Liverpool midfielder — who joined in a deal that could surpass £116m — did not find his debut Premier League campaign entirely straightforward, but his record at international level provides grounds for optimism.

He scored twice at Euro 2024 and remains Germany’s foremost creative force under Julian Nagelsmann. Alongside Jamal Musiala, he constitutes one of the most technically gifted midfield pairings in the competition.

It seems improbable that a player of Luis Diaz’s stature is only now appearing at his first World Cup at the age of 29. Colombia’s failure to qualify in 2022, combined with the fact that he was still finding his feet at Junior FC at the time of the 2018 edition, meant the opportunity never came until now.

He has since accumulated more than 70 caps and, this past season at Bayern Munich, produced the finest football of his career — 26 goals and 19 assists in all competitions as he formed part of one of Europe’s most devastating attacking units alongside Harry Kane and Michael Olise. If he carries that form into the tournament, Colombia could go very far indeed.

Since joining Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024, Joao Neves has developed into one of the standout midfielders in Europe — a two-time Champions League winner at just 21, alongside Portugal team-mates Vitinha, Nuno Mendes and Goncalo Ramos. His route into the national side has not always been straightforward, the wealth of options available to Roberto Martinez at times forcing him into an unfamiliar right-back role.

But Neves is steadily imposing his identity on the Seleccao, and this tournament is widely expected to be the first of several World Cup appearances for the former Benfica man.

Under the tutelage of Cesc Fabregas at Como, Nico Paz has blossomed into one of the most coveted playmakers on the continent. He helped guide the Italian club to a fourth-place finish in Serie A and Champions League qualification, while being voted the division’s best midfielder. Real Madrid hold a buy-back option and are widely expected to exercise it this summer.

With the technical versatility to operate as a number ten or a central midfielder, Paz represents Argentina’s attempt to build an effective supporting cast around Lionel Messi as the defending champions pursue back-to-back World Cup titles for the first time in their history.

Euro 2024 was the tournament that announced Arda Guler to the wider world. He scored brilliantly against Georgia and contributed assists against both Austria and the Netherlands as Turkiye reached the quarter-finals. It was a performance of maturity and boldness that belied his age.

Since then, he has established himself in the Real Madrid starting line-up for the first time, cultivating a productive understanding with Kylian Mbappe that yielded 16 assists and seven goals. Alongside Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz, the 21-year-old is expected to be the driving force for Turkiye and, in the coming years, one of the defining figures of the national side.

At 19, Yan Diomande is among the most sought-after young players in European football. The RB Leipzig winger has attracted serious interest from Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, a reflection of how rapidly he has developed into one of the most dangerous wide players on the continent. His performances at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year suggested he is already comfortable at the tournament level, and the World Cup represents an opportunity to broaden that reputation on a global scale.