From Ayyoub Bouaddi to Folarin Balogun - The 2026 World Cup stars your club needs to sign in the summer transfer window
Published 29/06/2026 at 15:28 GMT+1
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We live in an era when it has never been easier to find out information about a prospective signing for your club. From massive stats databases to YouTube compilations, the idea of a mystery signing is not the same concept that it used to be 10-15 years ago.
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But somehow, international tournaments still find a way to catapult names into the spotlight, and the 2026 World Cup is no different.
With the knockouts now under way, we've taken look at some of the players who have already made their mark on this tournament that you should be hoping your club signs in the summer transfer window.
Some of these players were already firmly in the shop window before a ball was kicked in North America, whilst others have enjoyed meteoric rises after their World Cup performances.
Ayyoub Bouaddi - CM, Lille & Morocco, 18
You don't come into a World Cup at the age of 18 with over 60 appearances in one of Europe's top leagues without Premier League sporting directors knowing who you are.
Yet despite that, Ayyoub Bouaddi still had to deliver on his immense promise, and he has done that in spades thus far.
Starting in the centre of the pitch for Morocco, Bouaddi has shown an extraordinary amount of composure that belies his youth.
There are few players in the history of the game who have seemed so at home in the toughest area of a football field at the highest level, at such a young age.
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Ayyoub Bouaddi celebrates during the World Cup match between Scotland and Morocco at Boston Stadium on June 19, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts
Image credit: Getty Images
As such, it is perhaps no surprise that some of the biggest clubs in the world are being linked to his signature.
On June 29, Spanish outlet AS reported that Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool are all tracking the youngster.
Whoever wins the race for his signature might have one of their midfield slots locked up for the next 15 years...
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Johan Manzambi - AM, Freiburg & Switzerland, 20
Johan Manzambi made waves in the latter half of the 2025/26 season as Freiburg made a stunning run to the UEFA Europa League final.
Comfortable playing as a No. 10, deeper as an No. 8, or out on the wing, there is an effortless fluidity to how Manzambi glides with the ball, and his decision-making in the final third has been improving with every game he plays.
He has three goals already in this World Cup (albeit there was some fortune in one of them) and might end up being a starter for Switzerland by the time the tournament is over.
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'What a stunner!' - Manzambi 'grabs game by scruff of neck' for Freiburg
Video credit: TNT Sports
Whilst Freiburg might have hoped to keep Manzambi for one more season, it now seems inevitable that he will move, whether that is within the Bundesliga or to the Premier League. The question is, where will he end up?
Ayase Ueda - ST, Feyenoord & Japan, 27
PSV may have romped to the Eredivisie title this year by a whopping 19 points, but no-one in the league could come close to matching the goalscoring form of Feyenoord striker Ayase Ueda.
It had taken Ueda a little while to get going in the Netherlands after a fantastic 2022/23 with Cercle Brugge in Belgium.
He only scored 12 league goals across his first two seasons in Rotterdam before exploding in the campaign just gone.
Ueda notched a remarkable 25 goals in 31 games - the next highest in the league was 17 - with just one of them a penalty.
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'A really good finish' - Ueda puts Feyenoord in front against Celtic
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ueda scored a brace in Japan's win over Tunisia and is a multi-facted striker who is very adept at leading the line by himself or with a partner if required.
He might not move to the biggest clubs in the world, but someone could get a great deal.
Maxi Araujo - LM, Sporting CP & Uruguay, 26
The 2026 World Cup went about as badly as possible for Uruguay, as they were dumped out in the group stage, but at least one player came out of it with some credit to their name, wide utility player Maxi Araujo.
The Sporting star scored twice, at crucial times, to show that he is more than a wing-back and can be used to great effect further forward.
It seems he is likely to leave Portugal this summer, with Premier League duo Manchester United and Chelsea amongst those being linked with his signature.
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Sporting score FOURTH to overturn three-goal deficit on 'special' night
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Arajuo's energy and tenacity would fit in well in the Premier League and his eye for goal would make him a valuable asset to any side.
Gilberto Mora - AM, Club Tijuana & Mexico, 17
Whilst not many outside of Mexico would have seen - or even heard of - Gilberto Mora during the season, the hype coming out of the country ahead of the group stage was impossible to ignore.
Mora has been used sparingly by Javier Aguirre - just 107 minutes thus far in the three group games - but you can feel the tangible excitement when he comes onto the pitch.
Like Bouaddi, Mora's intelligence and composure at such a young age really stands out, and you can see why he is playing international football despite his youth.
It's also no surprise to see a host of big teams being linked with signing him after the tournament is over.
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Czech Republic's midfielder #18 Michal Sadilek and Mexico's midfielder #19 Gilberto Mora fight for the ball during the 2026 World Cup Group A football match between the Czech Republic and Mexico at the Mexico City Stadium in Mexico City on June 24, 2026. (
Image credit: Getty Images
Unlike Bouaddi, who has been regularly tested in Europe, it feels imperative that Mora and the people around him make the smart choice, with a team who will offer him a clear developmental pathway that has obvious routes to regular playing time.
Especially given his slight stature, that could be a problem long-term depending on how he develops physically over the next few years. If the team purchasing him can get the next steps right, the pay-off could be huge.
Folarin Balogun - ST, Monaco & USA, 24
Fans of Premier League football will remember the hype around a young Folarin Balogun. It just never quite worked out for him with Arsenal.
However, after a successful loan with Stade de Reims, the boy from Brooklyn was able to build a successful career for himself in France and last year scored 13 Ligue 1 goals for Monaco, with 19 across all competitions.
There have been links to a number of different Premier League sides, to suggest that Balogun will indeed get another chance at life in England. How high up the table he ends up will be interesting to see.
Balogun's pace and finishing on the counter have already been on show in this World Cup for the US, and it has been a timely reminder how good a striker he can be as long as he gets service.
Earlier this season in the UEFA Champions League, he gave eventual champions PSG a real scare, showing he can do it at the highest level.
Stream the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Serie A and Men's and Women's FA Cup and more on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
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