OFF THE BLOCKS

Young players who could turn heads in Qatar

Youssoufa Moukoko, 17

He turned 18 the day the World Cup began, but with six goals including the winner in the Revierderby against Schalke and a strike against Bayern Munich, and three assists for Dortmund, coach Hansi Flick couldn’t leave him out of the squad. “He is quick and lively,” said the Germany coach of the youngest player to score 10 Bundesliga goals.

Bukayo Saka, 21

The Arsenal forward has been in scintillating form so far this season, with the Gunners currently on top of the pile in the Premier League. Saka goes on England duty on the back of 14 appearances in the Premier League this season where he has four goals and six assists. Arteta has used Saka mainly on the right and England need to do it too.

Jude Bellingham, 19

The big question sweeping across England is: Can Jude be like Gazza at the 1990 World Cup? For those who remember how Paul Gascoigne made the world take notice in that tournament, Bellingham’s 35yard assist for Dortmund against M’gladbach on Nov 11 showed why Real, Liverpool, Man City, and Man United are pursuing the German club to sell the midfielder.

Pedri, 19

He has played the Olympic Games, all but one minute of Spain’s run to semifinals of the Euro 2020, where he was adjudged the best young player, and is now going to the World Cup. Among the seven Barcelona players in the Spanish squad, such has been his impact that the club has a release clause worth over $1 billion for this creative midfielder.

Giovanni Reyna, 19

To the handful of father-son pairs at World Cups, add the Reynas when Giovanni steps out in Qatar. Named after former Holland player Giovanni van Bronckhorst, this attacking midfielder’s parents have both played for USA— his father Claudio in four World Cups. Against Mexico this year, he dribbled past five during a mazy run.

Phil Foden, 22

India saw him win a World Cup as a teenager so what happened five years hence can be termed a natural progression. He can play as a left or right-side forward, a false nine and in midfield. He knows how to play, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said of the player he has groomed.

Vinicius Jr, 22

When Real Madrid thought him to be a worthy investment, he was 16. He has since scored in the Champions League final and was rated by Neymar as the world’s best in 2021-22. “I want to play at the next World Cup, which I hope we win,” he told The Guardian in 2020..

Sadio Mane, 30

Sadio Mane’s leg injury means Senegal won’t have their best player available in Qatar. The star forward, who moved from Liverpool to Bayern Munich at the start of the 2022/23 season, had played a starring role in Senegal winning the Africa Cup of Nations in February, scoring the winning penalty against Egypt in the final.

Riyad Mahrez, 31

The Algeria captain and Man City midfielder’s hopes were dashed deep in added time. They were 1-1 with Cameroon in the play-off having won the first-leg 1-0. That is how the score stayed till the 124th minute when Toko Ekambi scored and Cameroon went through on away goals.

Oleksandr Zinchenko, 25

Beating Scotland 3-1 meant Ukraine were only one game away from the World Cup finals in Qatar. That they lost 1-0 to Wales following a self-goal and the war-ravaged country missed out on Qatar. He played both games in midfield, often his position for the national team unlike in Premier League where he is the left back.

Gianluigi Donnarumma, 23

Italy’s 1-0 loss to North Macedonia was termed “the worst” in 112 years of the team’s history. Following the defeat by an addedtime goal, the winner of the Golden Ball at Euro 2020 eight months earlier bent forward hands on knees. For the second successive time, Italy had failed to qualify for the World Cup.

Paul Pogba, 29

He sought alternatives to surgery for a leg injury in the hope that he would make it to the World Cup. It didn’t work and he had to go under the knife. But as he started training at Juventus last month, a thigh problem occurred and the dynamic France midfielder was set back by three more weeks.

Erling Haaland, 22

In 17 games for Manchester City, Haaland has 23 goals and three assists. But Norway finished behind Holland and Turkey and couldn’t qualify for Qatar. After five goals in six games, Haaland missed the final four games of the qualifiers of which Norway won one.

Mo Salah, 30

Known to be calm in front of goal, he missed a tiebreaker penalty that could have helped Egypt on way to Doha. In 2018, he had an ordinary World Cup. This time, Africa’s most successful country in the continental competition, lost to Senegal and couldn’t qualify. Having started the season quietly, he has hit form now but it will all be for Liverpool.