FIFA World Cup 2022: 5 Of The Best Young Players

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is entering the final week as four nations namely France, Croatia, Morocco and Argentina looking to win the ultimate prize. During this period, some bright young stars captured the hearts of the football community. From Jude Bellingham to Enzo Fernandez, here are some of the outstanding young talent in Qatar.

Jude Bellingham (England)

Despite England being eliminated in the quarter-finals by France on Saturday, Jude Bellingham’s performance at this FIFA World Cup has left people praising his talent. The midfielder has already made a name for himself with his performances at Borussia Dortmund. He contributed 28 Goals plus Assists and scored in the Champions League quarter-finals during the 21/22 season.

He’s the club captain today. At just 19 years old, Bellingham has shown maturity beyond his years and has the potential to be a key player for England for many years to come. 

Goncalo Ramos (Portugal)

Ramos has been one of the youngsters that have provided good performance in Qatar. When Portugal manager Fernando Santos started Ramos ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the team’s round of 16 game against Switzerland, Ramos scored a hat-trick and provided an assist in Portugal’s 6–1 victory, becoming the first player to score a World Cup knockout stage hat-trick since Tomáš Skuhravý in 1990.

He also became the first player to score a hat-trick in his first World Cup start since Miroslav Klose in 2002. That performance alone indicated that it won’t be long before we see the 21-year-old Benfica star signed by big European teams. Despite getting into the Portugal side late as the replacement for Andrea Silva, who announced retirement from international football, Ramos has cemented his place in the team.

Joško Gvardiol (Croatia)

Since he broke into the Croatia team at Euro 2020 as a left-back, now Gvardiol has been a regular at centre-back. Excellent on the ball and a progressive passer, Gvardiol’s combination of aggression and technique embodies the Croatian skill set that helped the side reach the 2018 World Cup final. At the age of 21, RB Leipzig’s defender possesses great maturity and is playing like a veteran.

With Croatia already in the semi-finals, he has been one of the most outstanding performers in the side. There have been already transfer rumours that Gvardiol is on the wanted list of Real Madrid and Chelsea. The side that can manage to win his signature will be smiling as he has many years to offer at the top level of European football.

Cody Gakpo (Netherlands)

Cody Gakpo has been one of the youngsters that have set the FIFA World Cup alight. The Dutch winger registered 3 goals in five matches before his nation got dumped by Argentina in the quarter-finals on penalties. The sensational PSV Eindhoven star is one of Manchester United’s targets for the next summer. He is highly rated to solve united’s problems and deliver glory days back at Old Trafford.

The 23-year-old has a big price tag of €60 million if any team is willing to romp him in. It remains to be seen which club will win him over as reported that Liverpool and Real Madrid are willing to fight for him. One thing that is certain is that he won’t stay for too long at PSV after he had a good World Cup in Qatar. 

Enzo Fernandez (Argentina)

One of the finest youngsters at this World Cup has to be Enzo Fernandez. The central midfielder has been a core player in Argentina’s side en route to the semi-finals. The South American nation seeks their first title since 1986.

Fernandez has caught the eye of many big clubs in Europe as it was reported that Liverpool and Barcelona want to sign him. During this World Cup, he has played in all five matches scoring a goal against Mexico in the group stages plus contributing with one assist. If this performance is something to go about, the 21-year-old has a bright future ahead of him.