Even after the 2026 World Cup concluded, related topics and discussions continue. Recently, The Athletic invited 14 writers from different regions to review the tournament, sharing their observations and evaluations of the World Cup from multiple perspectives, including team performance, player contributions, the hosting experience, and future trends.
Who is your favorite newcomer?
Horncaster: The world's eyes are on Haaland. He, the Norwegian team, and their fans are the biggest "joy generator" of this World Cup. I even feel a little regretful that this group of Norwegian players came to the World Cup a bit late. I hope they will continue to have opportunities to participate in major tournaments in their careers.
Kai: During last year's U20 World Cup, scouts from Premier League clubs recommended Mexican youngster Mora to me. His body is still developing, but his talent is already obvious, and he is very likely to play in European leagues in the future.
Miller: I had heard of Manzambé before the game, but after watching his performance for the Swiss national team, I am even more looking forward to seeing him play for Aston Villa next season.
Williamson: Bellingham. The fact that he was able to gain access to my mother's group of friends is a huge achievement.
Krafton: Bouadi of Morocco will definitely become a star in the future.
He delivered an impressive performance in the opening match against Brazil. Hopefully, he will carefully choose his future path and join a club that can truly provide him with room to grow.
James: It turns out that my previous assessment of Spence was wrong.
I had previously questioned Tuchel's decision to include him in the national team squad and doubted how much he could contribute. But ultimately, Spence became one of England's best players and continued to improve as the season progressed.
Green: Freeman has the potential to become the core player in the position that Team USA needs in the long term.
His World Cup debut wasn't perfect, but his final performance was a perfect ending to his rapid growth at the club level over the past year.
Anka: This year belongs to Spence.
His consistent personality earned him the affection of many neutral English fans. His crucial tackle on Argentine player Diego Simeone will remain a vivid memory for me.
Weiss: Kubasi.
This 19-year-old has demonstrated top-level defensive ability, especially his impressive performance in the final.
Tenorio: I agree with Lucas.
Kubasi deserves the Best Young Player award; he maintained a consistent and outstanding performance throughout the tournament.
Kadernaz: Mora is a very entertaining player.
At 17, he looks even younger than his actual age, but his ball control on the field is very mature, and his ability to read the game is amazing.
His mistake against England led to Bellingham's goal, but this experience will be an important asset in his development.
Matthews: Ondav's performance after coming on as a substitute was a pleasant surprise.
In addition, Shamrock Rovers center-back Piccolopez, who was discovered through LinkedIn, has demonstrated a very high level of skill in the Cape Verdean defense and has become an important figure in the team's dark horse journey.
Olise had already proven his ability, but this World Cup was his chance to truly step onto the world's top stage. Bellingham also demonstrated a tremendous influence in the tournament. Of course, if we had to summarize, it would be that a generational shift in world football has truly arrived, with a group of players we are familiar with and have accompanied for many years gradually fading from the highest stage of world football after this tournament.
