With almost all of the teams now set for the tournament in Qatar, GOAL assesses some of the teenage talent that could be on show
We now know 29 of the 32 teams that will take part at the 2022 World Cup, and excitement will only build once Friday's group-stage draw is completed.
Major international tournaments offer the stage for players to announce themselves to the world, and no more is that true for some of the globe's best teenage talents.
But which NXGN-aged starlets will likely be on the plane to Qatar come 2022? GOAL assesses the possibilities…
Getty ImagesFelix Afena-Gyan (Ghana)
At the start of 2021, Felix Afena-Gyan was a relative unknown even in his native Ghana.
Fast-forward just over a year, though, and it was he who was trusted to lead the line for his country as they took on old rivals Nigeria for a place at the World Cup.
The 19-year-old's meteoric rise looks set to keep going, too, as he continues to develop and establish himself within the first team at Roma.
Maintaining a starting berth for the Black Stars at the World Cup might prove difficult, especially once Andre Ayew returns, but Afena-Gyan should certainly be on the plane to Qatar.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesJude Bellingham (England)
NXGN 2022 winner Jude Bellingham has the potential to not just play a part at the World Cup for England, but be one of their star performers.
Gareth Southgate's side go into the tournament as one of the favourites, in part because players of Bellingham's talent are not even assured of their place in the line-up.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder has, however, begun to showcase his astronomical ability when given the chance on the international stage, and it is now a case of when, not if he will become a starter.
Already the youngest player to represent the Three Lions at a major tournament, the sky is the limit for 18-year-old Bellingham, and Qatar 2022 offers him the perfect stage to show the world just how good he will be.
Getty ImagesGavi (Spain)
Gavi's journey from little-known Barcelona academy star to regular starter for Spain in just nine months has been nothing more than sensational to watch, and now a place at the World Cup is all but assured.
The midfielder has emerged from La Masia to be heralded as one of the best players of his generation anywhere in the world, earning comparisons to his manager at Camp Nou, Xavi.
His partnership with Pedri is already flourishing for club and country, and expect Gavi to follow in his team-mate's footsteps by using a major international tournament to truly announce himself to a global audience.
Luis Enrique has shown he is not afraid to make bold selection decisions, but selecting the 17-year-old for Qatar 2022 would no longer be regarded as one.
Getty ImagesAbdul Fatawu Issahaku (Ghana)
Though Abdul Fatawu Issahaku did not make the grade for the NXGN 2022 list, there is no doubting his talent, and he is sure to be among the world's top 50 wonderkids in 2023.
Ever since being crowned Player of the Tournament at the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations as a 16-year-old in 2021, Issahaku has been marked out as a potential star of the game.
He already has a move to Sporting C.P. agreed for the summer, and his talent is such that he too was trusted to start both legs of Ghana's play-off triumph over Nigeria.
A forward with an absolute rocket of a left foot, 18-year-old Issahaku should expect to be on the plane to Qatar come November 2022.
