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Former Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has singled out Lamine Yamal as the one player he is most desperate to watch during the 2026 World Cup. The legendary Swede believes the Blaugrana youngster possesses a rare quality that makes him worth the price of admission regardless of the cost.

Four nations will debut at the World Cup this summer, with Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan all set to grace the grandest stage in international football for the first time. It's 16 years since a newcomer made it into the knockout stages of the tournament, when Slovakia stunned holders Italy to eliminate them in South Africa. So do any of this year's debutants have the potential to replicate such heroics?

Spain have received a significant fitness boost ahead of their 2026 World Cup opener, with Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams returning to full training. The dynamic duo had been major doubts for the group clash with Cape Verde, but their presence at the team's base camp suggests they are ready for the big stage.

Four nations will make debuts at the 2026 World Cup, with Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan set to grace the grandest stage in international football for the first time. It will be the tournament with the most newcomers since 2006 and all will have ambitions of ending a 16-year wait for a debutant to reach the knockout stages.