In the summer of 1958, a 17-year-old Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele to the world, announced his arrival. Six goals, including a hat-trick in the semifinal against France and two in the final to silence the home crowd — it was carnage as the world watched in awe Pele’s skill. No youngster had made such an impact in the world’s greatest show like Pele did till France’s Kylian Mbappe came. In the Russia 2018 World Cup, Mbappe became a global superstar with his World Cup-winning performance. At 19, he became the second teenager after Pele to score in a World Cup final. Now in the winter of 2022, as another Fifa World Cup gets going in Qatar from November 20, there are a few entities who may well ascend to stardom.

Vini Vidi Vici

Vinicius Junior, 22, is the first name that comes to mind. Like always Brazil have an array of talented players. Superstar Neymar, Raphinha, Antony, Casemiro... But it’s the Real Madrid star, Vinicius, that Brazil will bet on to play a leading role in its campaign. Vini (as he is fondly called), with his electric pace and sublime skills, can create havoc in the opposition’s defence. His form for Madrid is enviable. Last season, he scored 22 goals in all competitions and had 21 assists and this season too, he looks menacing. Vinicius can play both as an attacking midfielder on the left as well as forward. His passing, dribbling and ability to score make him all the more dangerous. But then there are doubts if he could be as lethal for Brazil as he is for Madrid. In club football, he has the likes of Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos to back him up, while playing for the country he may not have that service from his national teammates.“Don’t think it will be a problem. Brazil has loads of talented players and Vinicius will have support to create a lot of problems for rivals,” argues ATK Mohun Bagan’s Spanish coach Juan Ferrando. The trick Vinicius played on Fernandinho during last season’s Champions League match against Man City was outrageous. A clever dummy saw the ball fly past Fernandinho’s legs and Vinicius raced to score. “It will be a pleasure to watch Vinicius in full throttle,” Ferrando adds.

QATAR 2022 SPECIAL

Federico Valverde

V for Versatility

Vinicius’s Madrid teammate Federico Valverde is another player ready to make a lot of noise. At 24, you cannot bracket the Uruguayan as a youngster but given the fact that this will be his first World Cup, ignoring Valverde will be a mistake. Probably the most improved player in world football, Valverde is the one on whom the two-time World Cup champions will bank on. Tirelessly running on the flanks and his ability to play at least four positions (he has played as a right back too) make him the most complete footballer. His ascent could be gauged from this. Little Bird was the nickname given to him a few seasons ago and now he is called The Falcon. And when someone like Luis Suarez says “he reminds me of Steven Gerrard (former Liverpool and England player)”, you know Valverde is special. One area Valverde has improved in is scoring. He is getting goals, screamers actually, which can break the net for Real Madrid and we can expect some more in Qatar too.

Pablo ‘Gavi

Barca Angle

There are a couple of youngsters from the Barcelona stable who are already regular features for the Spanish national team. Pedri Gonzalez and Pablo Gavi are the two young midfielders we need to keep an eye on. Pedri, who turns 20 on November 25, has already become the benchmark for his club and the national team. His ability to find teammates with pinpoint passes and his footwork with the ball has elicited comparisons with his idol Andreas Iniesta. The 19-year-old Gavi is like a pocket dynamite. Already receiving recognition for his work, Gavi was awarded the Kopa trophy at the 2022 Ballon d’Or gala in October 2022 — the best player in the world under the age of 21 for 2022, according to the judges. Will these two young players be able to carry Spain all the way? Nico Williams, who plays for Athletic Bilbao, is someone who brings the X-factor to the Spanish national team. The 20-year-old, born to Ghanaian parents, has the pace and skill to give a new dimension to Spain’s attack. “It’s very difficult to play against Nico because he is smart and knows how to use the free space,” says Ferrando.

Jude Bellingham

England’s Hope

Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka are the three England players who could grab headlines during the tournament. Bellingham, 19, is a midfielder par excellence and a vital cog in the immensely talented England team. He drives Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund forward and Gareth Southgate will hope he delivers in England colours too. A standout performance in Qatar will increase Bellingham’s stock in the transfer market. Foden, 22, has improved by leaps and bounds in Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. We got a glimpse of his talent five years ago in India during the Fifa Under17 World Cup and Foden has gone from strength to strength since then. Saka, 21, is a livewire for Arsenal and the England national team. Southgate will have to show courage to use these three exceptionally gifted players.

Jamal Musiala

Ignore at your own peril

Jamal Musiala (Germany), Aurelien Tchouameni (France), Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal), Josko Gvardiol (Croatia), Takefusa Kubo (Japan) and Alphonso Davies (Canada) are some of the other youngsters who are all set to take Qatar by storm.“I am sure young players will play a significant role for their national teams,” says Igor Stimac, India’s national football team coach and an important member of the Croatia team which finished third in the 1998 World Cup. “In the last few years, they have experienced Champions League football so the World Cup stage shouldn’t be a problem for them. However, keeping the form at the highest level could be challenging for the young generation,” Stimac adds. He is particularly impressed by what he saw of his countryman Gvardiol, the 20-year-old central defender of Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. “When I saw him play the very first time, I immediately said that in a few years he will become one of the best centre backs in the world. Wonderful left foot with good speed and strength. He gives our team that extra confidence at the back. We expect him to have an amazing presence at the World Cup,” Stimac says.

Young and running, these next generation players are likely to create a desert storm. We had to wait 60 years to find the talent of Mbappe emulating Pele. Let’s hope Qatar will give us enough reasons to cheer.