2026 World Cup Young Player Picks, Predictions, Odds & Analysis
What do Thomas Müller, Kylian Mbappé, and Enzo Fernández have in common? Other than being part of World Cup-winning teams, all three have won one of the more obscure awards that doles out each quadrennial: The Young Player award.
The prize goes to the player dubbed the best in the tournament who is 21 or younger. Though the award has only been around since 2006, FIFA decided to do an internet poll to retroactively honor players who made their mark prior to the Germany-hosted World Cup, going back as far as 1958 to honor Brazil’s legendary Pelé, to place him in the same circle with 2002’s retroactive honoree, the United States’ Landon Donovan.
2026 World Cup Young Player Contenders, Odds
This year, two candidates stand out and the odds reflect that, but there are some intriguing dark horse selections as well. Keep in mind that only two of the award winners, since the award was officially launched, came from winning teams, but those were the most recent two: Kylian Mbappé in 2018, leading France to the title, and Enzo Fernández, instrumental in helping Lionel Messi get his elusive title for Argentina.
Lamine Yamal, Spain (+150)
With the promising start to his pro career at Barcelona, and his presence in World Cup-adjacent ads, this is setting up to be Lamine Yamal’s breakout tournament. And with Spain only slightly behind France atop the current FIFA men’s rankings, we could see him figure into a compelling France vs. Spain final if the tournament goes chalk.
However, he’s battling a hamstring injury suffered April 22 that removed him from the final stretch of Barcelona’s successful La Liga campaign. He’s very possibly back for Spain’s opener against Cape Verde, but it’s also conceivable that he’s held out of that one to be more mended for more challenging group matches and knockout matches.
Recent videos have him looking fit, but hamstrings can be tricky injuries. Yet, if the 18-year-old (turning 19 six days before the final) stays healthy and contributes, the award is likely to be his.
Désiré Doué, France (+225)
The other large-looming favorite in the field is Désiré Doué, who is increasingly becoming a vital part of the PSG team getting to this year’s Champions League final, and is scoring goals on the regular during France’s World Cup tuneups.
The issue with Doué is simply that France is so talented and has so many options on the wing that he might not get some of the minutes that some of the other candidates might get. But French coach Didier Deschamps seems to trust him, and if he sees time on the field and produces, he could continue the trend of the young player winner hailing from the winning team.
Warren Zaïre-Emery, France (+450)
Like Doué, Warren Zaïre-Emery is establishing his club credentials at PSG, where he’s been a standout midfielder, and he’s an intriguing new World Cup team selection among world-class talents like Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and veteran N’Golo Kanté.
Also like Doué, but perhaps even more so, the challenge for Zaïre-Emery will be finding minutes for a stacked France team. To win this award, he’ll likely need to shine as a substitute rather than get starting minutes like some of the other candidates. This means he’ll need to make his mark in this initial three group matches to get on the radar.
Nico O’Reilly, England (+1000)
It’s been a breakout season for O’Reilly with Man City, and he’s got welcome versatility at both left back and in the midfield to log significant minutes for Thomas Tuchel’s squad. Though it’s not quite as settled as some of the other positions for the Three Lions, it’s likely O’Relly will see most if not all of the starts at left back, giving him the opportunity to shine whereas some of the other candidates are deeper down the depth chart for their teams.
The question then becomes how far does this England team go. O’Reilly could be a prime choice if England outpaces Spain and gets a spot in the semis or even in the finals. He won’t be as flashy as a Lamine Yamal or a Désiré Doué, but he might get the most meaningful minutes of any of the candidates.
Arda Güler, Türkiye (+1200)
Regarded as one of the best young players in the world, Güler started at Fenerbahçe before moving over to Real Madrid. Turkiye was one of the last teams into the tournament, winning a European qualifier playoff by besting Romania and then Kosovo, and as a “reward,” got into the group with the United States (as well as Australia and Paraguay).
That actually could work in Güler’s favor, bringing him attention he might not get in some of the other groups. He’s also an inked-in starter, so if Türkiye does progress in the tournament, he could get a lot of minutes and rack up some stats to put him in the running for the award.
Pau Cubarsi, Spain (+1400)
It’s possible that the Young Player award does go to a Spanish player who’s not Lamine Yamal, and that’s because Pau Cubarsi’s in the mix. The defensive wunderkind is likely to start all of Spain’s matches at center back, and he’s already becoming one of the best in the world at that position.
There’s a reason, after all, that he wears the legendary No. 5 jersey at Barcelona once worn by Carlos Puyol — who also anchored the back line for Spain’s World Cup-winning 2010 team — and Sergio Busquets, who was also an instrumental part of that 2010 team.
Other Players to Watch
Though the six mentioned above are the most likely to feature at this World Cup and return to the 2030 and 2034 editions, look for a few more players to at least receive some consideration during the tournament, including promising young Brazilian striker Endrick (+1800), 18-year-old German attacking midfielder Lennart Karl (+2000), and a player sure to get assists by feeding passes to Erling Haaland, Norwegian Antonio Nusa (+2500).
2026 World Cup Young Player Pick & Prediction
Best Bet: Lamine Yamal, Spain (+150)
Photo Credit: AP/Joan Monfort
