Ayyoub Bouaddi (Morocco, aged 18)

It is not difficult to see why this old head on young shoulders is destined for a big career. In a Morocco team conditioned to play first-time passes, he sets the tone with his instant decisions. Bouaddi is in essence the deepest of the midfield three and he not only plays quickly but often finds a colleague in a more forward position. Strong on the ball, he can intercept from his central position and looks to continue his involvement after playing a pass. Bouaddi can tackle and shield a ball and finds space naturally. With his height, at 6ft 1in, technique and football intelligence, he will not be a Lille player for much longer. When Bouaddi gets forward he should try to be more positive – to be a more complete player he will need to have a few goals on his CV – but he is a real talent.

Alex Freeman (USA, 21)

Mauricio Pochettino has made a dream World Cup start with the USA. All his players have performed with pace and positivity, limiting opponents to few opportunities, and Freeman, the youngest in his squad, has caught my eye with his contributions from right-back. When a poor Australia side threatened, he made a superb last-ditch challenge, intercepting a low cross. Previously I had noticed a player cool in possession who keeps the play moving with an early pass rather a big kick upfield. Freeman left Orlando for the Spanish overachievers Villarreal in January and shows maturity beyond his years. He is also brave and, not long after a heavy clash of heads, he leaped to score the USA’s second goal against Australia. At close quarters when confronted he showed a sharp change of feet to escape an attacker and he can tackle too and has enough pace.

Tarik Muharemovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 23)

Playing as the left centre-back in a four-man defence, he has impressed alongside three more experienced defenders. The 6ft 4in player is in line to play a second season in Serie A with Sassuolo after the tournament, having been a major contributor to their 2025 promotion while on loan from Juventus. I would compare him to Luka Vuskovic, the Croatian who joined Tottenham last summer and went on loan to Hamburg. Muharemovic is not as aggressive in the air but wins his share of headers and I like his calm play under pressure, making interceptions, anticipating danger and reading the game. When passing he always looks to play forward – breaking the lines in today’s parlance – and his passing accuracy is high. He is also forceful when moving with the ball and always aware of his distance to fellow defenders. Against Switzerland he was sent off for a last-ditch challenge to prevent a goal in the 80th minute and the opposition took full advantage, scoring a further three times, but as he walked off he could hold his head high.

Eli Just (New Zealand, 26)

His World Cup performances have captured a wider audience than he had last season in Scotland, where he delighted supporters of an improving Motherwell side with consistently high-quality displays. An intelligent middle-to-front forward, Just is a late developer. He previously played in Denmark and Austria after leaving New Zealand and is now showing a belief in his ability. Bigger defenders have been caught off balance by a quick body swerve as he moves with intent from the middle third into dangerous areas and at this tournament he has benefited from complementing the strength and hold-up play of Chris Wood. Just’s advantage over similar attacking midfielders is how quick he is to assess situations – he sees pictures. Twice against Iran he saw the space in which to receive from his target man and score with perfectly placed right-foot shots. He can score with his left too but needs to score more. Just is consistently a highly skilled performer at club level and shows a commendable humbleness and intelligence. If he continues his improvement he will be on a bigger club’s radar.

Johan Manzambi (Switzerland, 20)

The introduction of the forward in the last minutes of the game against Bosnia and Herzegovina was quite dramatic. Within minutes this powerful, speedy, right-footed player destroyed his opponents’ hopes of surviving with a draw. They had just lost Muharemovic and Manzambi exploited the extra space with perfect timing to get two goals. When he scored the first, a well taken volley, it was clear he would be the centre of attention and it reminded me of the impact on Michael Owen’s life when he brushed past Argentina defenders to score for England in Saint-Étienne. Manzambi spent his early days with Servette before moving to Freiburg and has shown he has the pace and power, combined with adequate control, to trouble defenders in the Bundesliga. He seems well respected by his colleagues there but after contributing a combined 16 goals and assists for his club this season, he may soon have new teammates.