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The FIFA World Cup is the biggest stage in sports, and thanks to an expanded 48-team format for 2026, every player knows this is the biggest audience they’ll ever command.
It’s the kind of spectacle that can launch careers and generate blockbuster transfers, as excitement over particular players will reach a fever pitch.
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For example, in 2014, Colombia’s James Rodríguez won the World Cup Golden Boot and earned a €75 million move to Real Madrid. Four years later, in 2018, Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappé — although already a household name in Europe — became a globally recognized superstar thanks to his leading role in France’s victory. So who is next in line?
We’ve picked 16 players and split them into two categories: First are the young stars (aged 23 and under), all heading to their first-ever World Cup and hoping to boost their reputations on the global stage; the second is for more established names, all of whom have won trophies before, but who could feasibly win a big move off the back of a great tournament.
Club: RB Leipzig
Projected fee: €100 million
Potential destination(s): Liverpool, PSG
Diomande’s debut season at RB Leipzig was a hit; he finished with 20 goal contributions (despite missing some games due to Africa Cup of Nations duty) and wowed spectators with his incredible dribbling skills. He clocked in as the Bundesliga’s fifth-fastest player, per Gradient Sports, hitting 34.85 km/h. He’s slated to play on the left wing for Ivory Coast, opposite Manchester United’s Amad Diallo, but is equally comfortable on the right, where he played the majority of his minutes last season. He has also admitted to being a big fan of PSG.
Club: AFC Bournemouth
Projected fee: €80 million
Potential destination(s): PSG, Liverpool, Arsenal, AC Milan
There was shock and surprise over the omission of Chelsea’s João Pedro from Carlo Ancelotti’s squad. Igor Thiago’s rise at Brentford played a part in that, as did Neymar’s eventual dramatic inclusion, but Rayan was also a factor and he stole the final spot in the Brazil attack.
The winger joined Bournemouth for £30 million in January and enjoyed a sensational start, contributing to seven goals and showcasing his incredible speed, strength and directness. It would take a ridiculous sum to sign him this summer, so soon after joining the Premier League — with reports of a £130 million clause coming into force in January — but you never know.
Club: FC Nordsjaelland
Projected fee: €30 million
Potential destination(s): Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal, Brighton
The last few years have seen a steady stream of players move from Danish club FC Nordsjaelland to clubs in Europe’s top leagues, and Yirenkyi might be the next one.
Naturally an all-action central midfielder with the ability to go from box to box, he has spent the past six months showing scouts that he can also play at center back, right back and right wingback to good effect. After a goal-scoring cameo from midfield in June’s 1-1 draw with Wales, new Ghana manager Carlos Queiroz showered Yirenkyi with praise and looks ready to deploy him in his favored midfield role.
Club: Lille
Projected fee: €60 million
Potential destination(s): PSG, Arsenal, Bayern Munich
Bouaddi’s career is on fast-forward. The 18-year-old midfielder has already completed two Ligue 2 seasons with Lille, played multiple positions, declared for Morocco over France, and made a World Cup squad.
Last summer, Arsenal and PSG were heavily linked with him, but he stayed in northern France to continue developing. It proved a smart choice, as it helped him work through some early gremlins in his game — he got sent off twice! — and is now a more well-rounded player. Bouaddi is exceptional in both ground and aerial duels, passes the ball well under pressure, and also crosses surprisingly well considering he’s a central player.
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Projected fee: €50 million
Potential destination(s): Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal
Maza excelled in his first campaign with Leverkusen in 2025-26, starting 32 games in all competitions despite having to battle some superb players for a place in midfield. The 20-year-old kept his place because he is an excellent tackler, a constant source of energy and movement, plus he can thread a nice early pass into the path of the forward.
Former Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez, 35, is still the star of this Algeria team, but young Maza has become the heartbeat and will be heavily involved in everything the team does.
Club: Sassuolo
Projected fee: €40 million
Potential destination(s): Inter Milan, Barcelona
Further down this list, you’ll find a handful of excellent left-footed center backs whom most big clubs are chasing. The drawback? Signing established names is very expensive. So that’s why Muharemović should pique some interest: He’s still developing, but the signs suggest he could one day compare to the likes of Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni and Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck.
At 6-foot-4, he is sturdy and uncompromising in defense, while he also boasts a huge passing range off his left foot, regularly sending the ball up the pitch or across to the opposite flank with superb accuracy. He’s battling Nikola Katić for a spot in the Bosnia XI, but has had legendary striker Edin Džeko championing his talents, pathway and future major transfer.
Club: Colorado Rapids
Projected fee: €10 million
Potential destination(s): Everton, West Ham, RB Leipzig, Sporting CP
At just 18, Herrington made the move from Australia to MLS, nailed down a spot in the Colorado Rapids XI, and then gatecrashed the Socceroos’ World Cup squad. All of this despite playing center back — a position famed for its need for experience.
He has excelled in North America over the past three months, showcasing strong athleticism and his ability to pass the ball cleanly. If he flashes any of that talent on the world’s biggest stage, bigger clubs from Europe will start placing calls, and he could prove an incredible bargain.
Club: Osasuna
Projected fee: €40 million
Potential destination(s): Real Madrid, Barcelona, Newcastle, Aston Villa
Muñoz enjoyed a breakout season with Osasuna, having signed last summer from Real Madrid. He’s nifty, sharp, always looking for the ball, can beat a defender on the outside and loves to shoot from distance. He has forced his way into the Spain squad as an option off the bench, and while ordinarily you wouldn’t expect much from this kind of player, he might well be given the chance to impress while Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams — both battling injury concerns — find fitness and form.
Madrid have a clause to re-sign him for €40 million, while Barcelona are reportedly interested, as are a host of Premier League clubs. If Muñoz makes the most of his opportunities this summer, he could be presented with a thrilling list of possible next moves.
Club: Chelsea
Projected fee: €90 million
Potential destination(s): Real Madrid, Manchester City
Fernández’s situation at Chelsea needs resolving. He was dropped by former Blues boss Liam Rosenior after making comments about a move to Madrid and has seemed relatively detached from the project in public, so could yet push for a move away even though he has a contract until 2032 and Xabi Alonso has now taken over.
His transfer from Benfica cost the club €121 million in February 2023 and while Chelsea want to recoup that and more, his stock has only dipped since winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina. Though all that could change if he wins the 2026 version and convinces suitors to part with another huge fee.
Club: Manchester City
Projected fee: €60 million
Potential destination(s): Real Madrid, Barcelona
Rodri has just one year left on his City contract and Real Madrid are reportedly circling. The Euro 2024 and Ballon d’Or winner has not been at his best for over a year due to an ACL tear sustained in September 2024, but at age 29, there’s every chance he finds top form again in the coming months.
If he steps out onto the pitch for Spain this summer and commands them to a strong finish, expect the potential transfer situation to further intensify. Were he to depart, it would feel like a massive blow to City, who have lost manager Pep Guardiola, midfielder Bernardo Silva and defender John Stones already this summer.
Club: Real Madrid
Projected fee: €80 million
Potential destination(s): Manchester United
If Rodri were to join Madrid, would that shake things up at the Bernabéu to the point where a fellow big name leaves? It could place a player like Tchouaméni — as great and as reliable as he has been for Los Blancos — in a difficult spot.
Naturally playing into this is the bust-up he and teammate Federico Valverde had in May. Tchouaméni insists there are no lingering issues between the two, but it was a shocking event that has surely altered the dressing room dynamic. A strong showing for one of the tournament’s heavyweights could convince clubs to pick up the phone and gauge whether that incident really has been forgotten.
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Projected fee: €60 million
Potential destination(s): Atlético Madrid
Romero was repeatedly linked away from Tottenham last summer before eventually signing a new deal. But a potential exit is back on the table for the club captain, who was criticized for planning to attend Belgrano’s dramatic title win in his home country over Spurs’ do-or-die final day Premier League fixture against Everton (he eventually attended both) while injured.
He’ll have to successfully recover from that knee injury to make an impact in this World Cup, but if he does, expect more links away to appear — especially given the rocky ground he has seemingly stood on at Spurs.
Club: VfB Stuttgart
Projected fee: €50 million
Potential destination(s): Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Man United
Stiller has been a massive influence in Stuttgart’s recent success, winning the German Cup in 2025, reaching the final in 2026, and qualifying for the Champions League in successive seasons.
His punchy passing from midfield has fueled the team’s attack and he’s similar to Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton in the way he slices through teams. That has allowed him to get into the Germany squad and, although players like Florian Wirtz and Aleksandar Pavlović are the clear building blocks in Julian Nagelsmann’s XI, Stiller will get the chance to impress.
Projected fee: €25 million
Potential destination(s): Atlético Madrid, Inter, Juventus, Chelsea
Like his Argentina teammate Romero, Martínez was widely expected to make a move last summer, as Aston Villa’s failure to qualify for the Champions League forced them to cut costs and called into question his hefty wages.
He didn’t depart, and instead stuck around to help the club finish fourth to qualify for the UCL again and win the Europa League. That makes an exit far less certain this summer, but if he repeats his heroics from Qatar 2022 and leads La Albiceleste to glory, one of Europe’s elite might finally take the plunge.
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Projected fee: €50 million-€60 million
Potential destination(s): Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich
Schlotterbeck signed a new contract with Borussia Dortmund in April, but BILD stated that a release clause of between €50 million-€60 million (depending on the club) has been inserted. It really took the shine of what initially looked like great news.
The defender is one of the best ball-playing left-footed center backs in the game and is set to play a key role for Germany at the World Cup. Lots of top teams need a player like him and, if he excels, that might tip the scales for a bid.
Club: Sporting CP
Projected fee: €60 million
Potential destination(s): Barcelona, Manchester United
Speaking of left-footed center backs, Inácio’s star has risen steadily with Sporting CP over the past few years and he looks ready for a big move. He has smoothly transitioned from playing in a back three to a back four, defends well and passes brilliantly.
It would be no surprise to see the 24-year-old partner with Man City’s Rúben Dias at center back for Portugal this summer, which will earn him a lot of attention, given he’ll call not only Cristiano Ronaldo a colleague, but three of PSG’s back-to-back Champions League winners (Vitinha, João Neves and Nuno Mendes) too.
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