Every World Cup, there are stories of teams that embark on fairytale journeys, or players that break out and punch their ticket to the big leagues, and Tottenham will surely be keeping an eye out this summer.
James Rodriguez led Colombia to the quarter-finals of Brazil 2014, finishing the tournament as top scorer, and soon moved to Real Madrid. Mesut Ozil’s performances in South Africa in 2010 saw widespread interest from across Europe and he too soon moved to Real Madrid.
Tottenham Hotspur have been here too, moving to bring in Moussa Sissoko after Euro 2016 following Newcastle’s relegation to the Championship.
Now, all eyes are on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, all roads lead to the USA, Mexico and Canada, and 1,248 players across 48 teams will be hoping to make a name for themselves and lead their countries to glory.
So, who may not be on your radar but should be on Roberto De Zerbi and Tottenham’s this summer?
Young Swiss midfielder could catch Tottenham’s eye
Freiburg’s Johan Manzambi has been used in the centre of midfield, as well as further forwards, or even as a forward and certainly looks one to watch.
Starting centrally usually in the Bundesliga, Manzambi can prove a nightmare for opposing defenders to control, roaming all over the pitch, with the strength, balance and pace to pull it off. He’s already an asset in the final third, with an excellent first touch and the intelligence to take up good positions, driven by a hunger to score goals, as per his national coach, Murat Yakin.
With a De Zerbi team likely to sink or swim based on the midfield, Manzambi has some intriguing attributes that could add a new dimension to Spurs in 26/27.
Will Ghana’s young star be the next World Cup story Real Madrid go for?
20-year-old Caleb Yirenkyi is a young midfielder on the rise and reportedly has Real Madrid among his admirers.
The FC Nordsjælland talent is another Right to Dream graduate, following in the footsteps of Mohammed Kudus, and is incredibly versatile. While predominantly a midfielder, he has played at centre-back, right-back and even right wing-back in recent times.
Capable of doing it all, Yirenkyi is excellent on the ball, press resistant, can dictate play, get stuck in and cover space which tick a lot of boxes for a Roberto De Zerbi midfielder. He’s also set to come up against England in Group L.
Tottenham already tried to sign Lionel Messi’s Argentine heir
The 2026 World Cup will likely be Lionel Messi’s last in an Argentina shirt, with much of the narrative likely to focus on legacy.
But could a future star emerge? Nico Paz registered 12 goals and seven assists for Cesc Fabregas’ Como side last season and has established himself as a creative force that can have an impact on games in multiple ways.
Blessed with the technical quality to unlock defences, Paz has the intelligence too to use it to brilliant effect – knowing how to use space and where to position himself. It’s no wonder he was named Best Midfielder of Serie A for last season.
While one story may be about to end, another is just beginning for the 21-year-old Paz who looks set to be a very exciting prospect in the years to come.
Unfortunately, although Tottenham have tried to sign Nico Paz in the past, it appears a return to Real Madrid is the most likely eventual move for the Argentine.
Could a Championship star continue his red hot run of form?
Australia’s Mohamed Toure enjoyed a stunning start to life in the Championship with Norwich City.
Following a January move from Randers, Toure scored on his debut as a substitute against Blackburn, before following that up with his first hattrick of the season against Oxford. He scored another a few months later at Bristol City. Despite having over a month out injured, Toure still registered 9 goals in 11 games, proving a handful for many defences in that time.
Should he continue that run of form at the World Cup with the Socceroos in Group D, Australia could be very fun to watch.
Will a young playmaker lead Algeria to success?
Ibrahim Maza arrives at the World Cup off the back of a breakout season at Bayer Leverkusen.
Nimble and creative, Maza can hold odecision-makingnto the ball under pressure, find the space, wriggle away and power forwards to great effect. Pairing these skills with smart decision making and execution, the sky looks like it’s the limit for the 20-year-old.
Not only that, but Maza is scrappy too and does not shirk when it comes to the defensive side of the game.
As with Argentina, this could be Algeria’s last World Cup with their talisman in Riyad Mahrez. But in Maza, they already have their future locked in. If Algeria do well this tournament, you can bet Maza will be front and centre in that story.
Can a wing wizard tempt Tottenham with Uzbekistan breakout?
Uzbekistan make their World Cup bow this summer and Abbosbek Fayzullaev is a big part of the reason why.
The versatile Fayzullaev can play across the attacking midfield positions, with impressive dribbling ability, and is currently playing for İstanbul Başakşehir F.K. in Turkey’s Super Lig. The playmaker has earned comparisons to PSG’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and if Tottenham are in need of some wildcards in the final third, they could do worse than look the Uzbek’s way.
Any big moments for Fabio Cannavaro’s side this tournament are likely to come from Fayzullaev.
Will a young defender show he has what it takes to start for Spurs week in, week out?
Luka Vuskovic has already shown he’s worth considering as a first-team option for Roberto De Zerbi, but a good World Cup can only strengthen his case.
After starring out on loan at Hamburg last season, Vuskovic will next be in action for Croatia this tournament, coming up against England in Group L.
Vuskovic is physically dominant, can operate on both the right and left sides of defence and is crucially very good with the ball at his feet. Considering De Zerbi’s style of play and rumours surrounding Cristian Romero, Vuskovic looks primed to make the step up into first-team thinking.
Of course, a good World Cup could also strengthen the admiring glances from elsewhere but it would be a real shame to lose the young Croatian.