He is the youngest player at the World Cup, a 17-year-old attacking midfielder nicknamed 'the Mexican Pedri', and Mexico will pin their hopes on him when they kick off the tournament at the Azteca against South Africa. But El Tri's teenage sensation, Mora of Tijuana, is just one of 20 unfamiliar faces that BBC Sport's TV and radio commentators have identified as potential breakout stars of the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
A record 1,248 players can feature across the USA, Canada and Mexico this summer, and 891 of them are at their first World Cup. Among the most sought-after is RB Leipzig's teenage winger Diomande, who at 19 has already been linked with Liverpool, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Paris St-Germain and Bayern Munich. "One of the most sought-after signatures of the summer," says BBC commentator Steve Wilson, though the German club insists he is not for sale and reportedly values him at more than €130m (£112m).
“17-year-old Mexican wonderkid Mora and £112m-rated Ivorian winger Diomande are among 20 potential breakout stars at the 2026 World Cup.”
Diomande won the Bundesliga rookie of the season award after joining from Spanish side Leganés in July 2025 for a bargain €20m (£17.2m). He promptly registered 21 goal contributions — 12 goals and nine assists — in 33 league appearances to help Leipzig qualify for the Champions League. Having spent three years living in Florida after moving to the United States aged 15, the Ivory Coast winger should feel at home during the tournament. He missed March friendlies with a shoulder injury but started last week's shock World Cup warm-up win over France.
While Diomande is already a star in the making, the youngest player of all is Mexico's Mora. Radio 5 Live football correspondent John Murray describes him as "a 17-year-old attacking midfielder who was described as a wonderkid at last summer's Gold Cup, when he became Mexico's youngest senior player aged 16." Coach Javier Aguirre then picked him to start the final, which Mexico won 2-1 against Mauricio Pochettino's United States in Houston. Wilson adds that Mora is "the youngest goalscorer in Liga MX history, getting off the mark for Tijuana in August 2024 when he was still 15."
The tournament kicks off at the Azteca, and much of the home nation's hopes rest on whether Mora can secure a starting berth in Aguirre's side. Meanwhile, the race to sign Diomande may dominate the summer transfer window — if anyone can meet Leipzig's asking price.