From Spanish wonderkid to Norwegian goal machine: The next generation of World Cup stars

World CupWorld Cup stars to watch: The next generationSpain’s Lamine Yamal is just 18 years old — and already among the best players in the sport.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Lamine Yamal of Spain.Alexander Scheuber / UEFA via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 10, 2026, 6:16 AM EDTBy Andrew Greif, Doha Madani, Tim Rohan, Rohan Nadkarni and Greg RosensteinWe’re just days away from the start of the World Cup featuring the biggest names in global soccer. They include two — Lionel Messi of Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal — who are considered among the greatest to ever step on a field. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Before the matches kick off, let’s preview the players who are expected to have the largest impact for their countries. We have already hit the legends, players who have competed at the highest level for years and figure to do the same again in the coming weeks. Now we’ll turn to the next generation of superstar talent. Lamine Yamal, SpainOnce described by French legend Thierry Henry as being “ahead of the game,” Yamal, 18, is a rising superstar and widely considered to be the future Messi. He has already won three La Liga titles with Barcelona, a Spanish Cup, a Spanish Super Cup and the European Championship, in addition to being a Ballon d’Or runner-up. It isn’t just the statistics that make Yamal a superstar — though it certainly doesn’t hurt to be one of La Liga’s top scorers. He is able to complement his obvious technical skills with flair and maturity in high-pressure situations that are well beyond his years. Spanish national team manager Luis de la Fuente described Yamal this year as being one of those players whom you watch and think he’s “touched by magic.”Yamal celebrates scoring Barcelona's first goal in the second leg of its UEFA Champions League quarterfinal against Atlético de Madrid on April 14.Angel Martinez / Getty Imag...