Ivory Coast's Yan Diomande, England's Elliot Anderson and the five stars likely to breakout at the 2026 World Cup

Every year, it seems, RB Leipzig buy low on a future star. And they seem to have found a new gem in Yan Diomande. The Ivorian winger, who joined from Leganes for $23.4 million (€20 million), is full of pace and trickery and a real wildcard in attack. He has already established himself as a regular for the German side and has bagged two for the Ivory Coast in his four appearances for the country. A breakout African Cup of Nations might shift him into the spotlight - if his €100 million evaluation on Transfermarkt hasn't already. Either way, he could be a true difference maker. 

Elliot Anderson used to be the guy who kept it tidy for Newcastle. But when Eddie Howe brought in a little Brazilian flair to his midfield, it became clear that Anderson was on his way out. A move to Nottingham Forest in 2024 seemed a step down. But it might just have been an upgrade. Anderson has now become more of a cultured midfielder, as good on the ball as he is off it. Thomas Tuchel seemed to have a real headache identifying his next defensive midfielder for England. Now, Anderson, it seems, has that spot pinned down, and could be the key to letting the rest of the Three Lions' buzzing attack wreak havoc. 

Promise David has been a favorite of Jesse Marsch's for a couple of windows now. The Union Saint-Gilloise is raw, but has bags of talent - and seems a real wildcard for Les Rouges. 

The Belgian press likes to dub him "baby Lukaku", and that's a pretty apt description based not only on his physical profile but also his goalscoring numbers. He has bagged seven in the Belgian League and attracted the attention of a number of Premier League clubs of late. Questions remain as to whether the 24-year-old can play up front with the more well-rounded Jonathan David, but, at the very worst, he's a fine wildcard option. 

The math looks good for Banks. The USMNT are likely to start three center backs at the World Cup. That means there is more room for him in this team - in theory, at least. That may be a bit too simplistic, but with injuries to Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty yet to fully convince, there could well be a spot for the taking. 

Banks is young - he turned 19 on Dec.  1 - but he has already held his own in the Bundesliga for Augsburg. This World Cup really should be a cycle too early for him, but if handed a chance, the odds are he will grab it with both hands. 

The next Andres Iniesta? Perhaps not - and that's one hell of an expectation to be placed on the shoulders of a teenager. But Mora is a real talent, and the best midfielder Mexico has produced in years. He set up the winning goal for Mexico in their Gold Cup semifinal win last August, and has only impressed since then. 

A number of top talents in the Mexican National Team setup have already hailed Mora's talent, and the narrative of a young kid taking the reins for El Tri on home soil is almost too juicy to ignore.