Breakout stars of the 2026 World Cup: Diomande, Freeman, Manzambi, more - ESPN
At every World Cup, there's always a collection of players who emerge as breakout stars. In 2010, players such as Alexis Sánchez, Mesut Özil and Luis Suárez burst onto the scene. James Rodríguez in 2014 became a household name by leading Colombia to their first quarterfinals run at a World Cup. The past two tournaments saw Benjamin Pavard (France), Hirving Lozano (Mexico), Enzo Fernández (Argentina), Azzedine Ounahi (Morocco) and others raise their profiles.
