As the 2026 World Cup approaches, ESPN identifies promising international rookies who could make major impacts. While global icons like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé headline the tournament, several young players with 10 caps or fewer are poised to steal the spotlight.

England's Elliot Anderson leads the pack with seven caps and impressive Premier League form, recording the third-most tackles and interceptions (90) this season. Croatia's 19-year-old defender Luka Vuskovic has already earned man-of-the-match honors against Colombia, while Colombia's Luis Suárez has exploded with 24 goals in 25 league games for Sporting CP. England's Nico O'Reilly, with just three caps, is battling for a starting left-back role.

In rotation roles, Germany's Deniz Undav trails only Harry Kane in Bundesliga scoring with 18 goals, positioning him as a dangerous super-sub option. Argentina's Nico Paz is having a Player of the Season campaign with Como, potentially easing the load on 38-year-old Messi. Portugal's Tomás Araújo has broken through at Benfica, while Spain's Dean Huijsen ranks third in LaLiga for passes into the final third per game.

Brazil's attacking depth includes Igor Thiago and João Pedro, who rank second and third in Premier League scoring, while France's Hugo Ekitike has 23 goals and assists in his debut Liverpool season. Germany's Lennart Karl earned a late World Cup run with his breakout Bayern season, joining Austria's Paul Wanner and Carney Chukwuemeka as shock call-ups.