The top 10 youngest players at the 2018 World Cup: TAA, Mbappe & more

Planet Football • 12 Jun 2018

There are some exciting youngsters at the World Cup in Russia – including seven who are still teenagers.

It has been a nervous wait over the last few weeks for players of all ages waiting to find out whether they have earned the chance to represent their country at the World Cup, and none more so than for these youngsters.

From Senegal to South Korea, we take a look at the nations that have picked the youngest players heading to Russia this Summer.

10. Lee Seung-woo

Former Barcelona youth-team prospect Seung-woo just makes the top 10 at the age (at the time of writing) of 20 years and 150 days.

The midfielder made the step up to first-team football this past season after Hellas Verona signed the South Korean on a four-year deal.

Seung Woo made 16 appearances in total in Serie A, scoring one goal as the club were relegated.

@bet365 is it possible to get odds on Lee Seung-woo to be top goalscorer?

— Danny Bowley (@DanCBowley) June 9, 2018

9. Ismaila Sarr

At the ripe age of 20, Sarr had already won 14 caps for Senegal.

The winger plays for Rennes and will be heading to the World Cup full of confidence after an impressive season in Ligue 1.

Sarr racked up 27 appearances in all competitions, chipping in with five goals and five assists along the way, and is a name to definitely look out for this month.

8. Ian Smith

The very Costa Rican-sounding Smith has spent the majority of his career playing his club football in his native country, but earned himself a move to Swedish top division side IFK Norrkoping earlier this year.

Smith featured 33 times over the last season, albeit only five times for new club Norrkoping. We’re still really into his name.

Costa Rica have a player called Ian Smith in their World Cup squad. Ian Smith. #Ian #Smith

— Adam Hurrey (@FootballCliches) May 24, 2018

7. Jose Luis Rodriguez

Panamanian Rodriguez is the first 19-year-old to make the list.

While you may not know many Panama players, Rodriguez has a good pedigree and plies his trade at Belgian outfit Gent.

6. Moussa Wague

The second Senegalese player to make the list, the 19-year-old right-back also plays his club football in Belgium, for the Aspire Academy-owned KAS Eupen.

Wague already has nine caps for his national side and appears the favourite to start his favoured position at this year’s tournament.

5. Trent Alexander-Arnold

After being in and around Liverpool’s first team for a couple of years now, the young Scouser has had a huge breakthrough season in the north-west this year and cemented himself the right-back spot.

With 34 appearances in all competitions, during which he became the youngest player to appear in the Champions League final, the campaign has probably already gone beyond his wildest dreams.

READ: Stats reveal England are the most inexperienced nation at the World Cup

4. Francis Uzoho

You may recognise the goalkeeper from Nigeria’s recent friendly with England in which he started as No.1

Uzoho predominantly plays his club football for Deportivo La Coruna’s B team but has made a couple of appearances for the first team in La Liga this past season.

The young shot-stopper played 28 times in all competitions, keeping an impresisve 16 clean sheets in the process.

3. Achraf Hakimi

The first player to make up the top three is the exciting Real Madrid talent Hakimi.

The young right-back played an impressive 17 times last season for Los Blancos after taking his chance to impress Zinedine Zidane.

Hakimi has since featured in Morocco’s warm-up game against Slovakia, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-1 victory.

The 19-year-old could be among the starting XI come June 15 when Morocco take on Iran in their opening fixture.

2. Kylian Mbappe

The £100million teenager just misses out on youngest player at the tournament, which he goes into having scored 21 goals and registered 16 assists for PSG.

France’s squad is oozing with talent, but Mbappe already seems to have cemented his place in the side.

the ease at which Kylian Mbappé creates separation from Leonardo Bonucci is simply ridiculous pic.twitter.com/XoU2A99nCj

— ty (@finalthrd) June 2, 2018

1. Daniel Arzani

At 19 years and 152 days, introducing the youngest player at the 2018 World Cup: Daniel Arzani.

The Australian forward plays his club football in his native country for Melbourne City, where he has impressed enough to be given an opportunity on the biggest stage of them all.

Arzani only made his International debut during the recent warm-up game against the Czech Republic, coming on as a substitute with five minutes to go.