FIFA World Cup: The best young players of the tournament in Qatar

Now that the World Cup has concluded, let's check out five young players who left a profound impact. 

Aurelien Tchouameni (France)

Despite brimming with talented players, midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni shone brightly for France in the 2022 World Cup. The 22-year-old, who plays for Madrid, compensated for the loss of France's midfield duo Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante, who was sidelined due to injury. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Two goals tonight, top quality again and pure leadership even if he’s 22. Aurélien Tchouaméni will be one of the best opportunity on the market. What a talent. ⭐️🇫🇷 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tchouameni?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tchouameni</a><br><br>AS Monaco won’t accept less than €70m for Tchouaméni this summer. <a href="https://t.co/vjn18b9sLR">pic.twitter.com/vjn18b9sLR</a></p>&mdash; Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) <a href="https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1522677804986474497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Tchouameni has a strong presence and is an expert in resisting opposition attacks. He scored a goal in the quarterfinal tie against England when his teammates desperately needed one. 

The midfielder recorded the most interceptions in the World Cup (12) ahead of Declan Rice (11) and Jurrien Timber (10). Although France lost 2-4 to Argentina on penalties, Tchouameni reminds us of the former's greatness. 

Josko Gvardiol (Croatia)

Croatia's young centre-back Josko Gvardiol started the World Cup in a mask to fight an injury he sustained, but the 20-year-old proved to be a star player. Croatia was blessed to have Gvardiol in the heart of their defence, and they only conceded thrice in five matches. 

Gvardiol's superior tackles, compared to his ability to win balls, give him a decisive edge. He is also well-versed in positioning, which is necessary to counter incoming attacks from the opposition. 

He can also shoot long balls from the defence, which is a testament to his versatility as a player. Unfortunately, his World Cup journey ended with a 3-0 defeat against champions Argentina in the semifinals. 

Enzo Fernandez (Argentina)

21-year-old Enzo Fernandez was absent from Argentina's opening game against Saudi Arabia, where they suffered a shocking 2-1 defeat. However, the Benfica midfielder joined the next match and scored a goal against Mexico. 

His presence in the midfield perpetuates Argentina's transition from defence to attack. He assisted Julian Alvarez in the group stage decider against Poland, which earned them a qualification for the knockouts.

Jude Bellingham (England)

Jude Bellingham has become one of the most desirable youngsters after his breakout performance in Qatar. He became the second youngest scorer for England at a World Cup when he scored for Iran in the group stage.  

He then became the first teenager to assist in the knockout rounds of the World Cup ever since records began to be maintained in football. The 19-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder is known for his vision, ball-handling skills and technique, making him a mature player. 

Besides one goal and assist, Bellingham created five chances over his World Cup campaign. He can also defend, as he has 35 recoveries to his credit so far.

Julian Alvarez (Argentina)

Julian Alvarez has accomplished several milestones over a few months. From winning the World to moving to Manchester City, the 22-year-old is filling up history pages with acts of glory.  

Despite being second to primary striker Lautaro Martinez, Lionel Scaloni took his chances and deployed Alvarez in the starting lineup of their last group stage game against Poland.

He netted against Poland, Australia, the Netherlands and another one against Croatia. He was in contention for the Golden Boot with four goals during the finals. 

Although his tally ended there, he was a reliable deputy to Lionel Messi in the final. With his refined skills and ability to take responsibility, Alvarez has given his team another promising young player.