Football is a team game, but when it comes to the World Cup, there’s something about individual grit and glory that seems to push itself out of the crowd, raise itself on the shoulders of others, and lift a fist in the air — to say, I am here, this is mine. Anyone who has seen even a few clips from the 1986 World Cup knows that it was a oneman show, the divine reign of Diego Maradona. West Germany may have won the 1974 World Cup, but in football history, that edition belonged to the Netherlands’ Johan Cruyff, and the mesmeric form of play he invented — ‘total football’ — which, more than 40 years later, remains the bedrock of modern football philosophy. 1998 gave us Zinedine Zidane, a dancer gliding across a grass floor, making France great again. 2002 was the year of El Phenomeno, the OG Ronaldo, as he is referred to today, with his blistering runs, strange hair, and legs like rocket launchers. 2022 was all about Lionel Messi, finally doing what the whole world knew he would do someday, and earn his crown of being Maradona’s true successor. Who will own the World Cup this year? If it’s possible to look beyond the political and economic fiasco of the 2026 Fifa extravaganza, a world of extraordinary talent reveals itself. For many of the legends of the game, this will be the swansong, but it’s hard to make a case for their influence at the World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo, the world’s most prolific goalscorer, will be making a record sixth appearance, but at 41, having lost his speed and touch, he is only bringing Portugal down. That Argentina are still dependent on Messi running the show, also at his record sixth World Cup, cannot be a good sign for the team. We must look then, at the new wave, to answer the most exciting question leading up to any World Cup — who will be the player that takes the world by storm? Spain’s 18-year-old wunderkind Lamine Yamal — yes, he’s still only 18! — is a clear frontrunner. Who can resist a player who has so effectively taken over the impossible legacy of Messi at Barcelona? Yamal comes into this tournament on the back of a stunning season, becoming the only player in La Liga to reach double figures in both goals (16) and assists (11). It’s a feat no one player under 20 has achieved in Spain’s top flight in the 21st century. So many of the Barcelona squad could feature on this list. Pedri, still only 23, has finally left his injury troubles behind him to become the midfield marshal for Barca. Playing an Andres Iniesta-like role, he combines his exceptional game-reading with an uncanny ability to find gaps in the opponent’s defensive structures. Also, he has a gift for turning things around on the counter with perfectly timed interceptions and mesmeric through-balls. Raphinha may not have had the same impact this season as he has had in the past, but unlike at Barca, he will have to carry the weight of Brazil’s expectations at the World Cup. This may be stressful for some players, but for Brazilians, it’s usually an invitation to play uninhibited, joyous football. Kylian Mbappe heads to the World Cup, like Yamal, as the outstanding player of his generation, having already won a World Cup, the Golden Boot, and scored a hat-trick in the final, albeit in a losing cause. No one has ever won the Golden Boot twice, but Mbappe has a fair chance of changing that this time around. Part of the reason is the talent around him. France arrive with what may be their strongest generation of footballers since Zidane’s 1998 world champions, continuing a remarkable run of one golden generation after another. Michael Olise is, arguably, the brightest star in this dazzling constellation. In 2025-26 season, he was the only player from the top five European leagues to surpass 20 goals and 20 assists. In the attacking third, Olise is a nightmare for the defenders — a brilliant dribbler, an amazing crosser and an exceptional ballwinner near the box. Olise only trails one player in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of chances created: Bruno Fernandes. The Portugal playmaker was, as usual, a superpowered wasp for Manchester United in 2025-26, breaking the Premier League’s record for most assists in a season (21), a record previously held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry. By his side in the Portuguese midfield, Vitinha may even outshine Fernandes. He was the driving force behind Paris SaintGer main’s remarkable back-to-back Champions League titles. With his tireless running and eagle-eyed perspective of the game, there may be no one in world football right now who can control the midfield better than him. But the World Cup has a way of defying expectations, of pulling players out of obscurity and sending them straight to the top of the world. All of the players mentioned above, for example, have played a body-breaking number of games in the last few months, more than players have ever had to endure before. Will their weary bodies and minds recover in time for another shot at glory? Or will we see someone lesser known, with less football under his belt, like the Netherlands’s Donyell Malen? For most of his career, Malen has been a fast and industrious winger, often used as an impact substitute. This year, he moved to Roma in Serie A and started playing as a striker. Since January, he has scored 14 goals, more than anyone else in Europe’s top five leagues for that period, except for Harry Kane.(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com.)