by MaddFM.
The World Cup brings about a unique and unrivalled sense of anticipation and enchantment every four years that is almost unrivalled in world sport, and although this year’s competition has been mired by the circumstances surrounding the timing and location “chosen” by FIFA (and rightly so), we can still appreciate the fact that this is every footballer’s dream growing up as a young player, playing on the biggest stage wherein each new tournament produces new heroes and often propels many somewhat unknown footballers to global stardom as millions around the world tune in to see the greatest football competition there is and watch the best players on Earth battle to go down in history as World Champions.
With that in mind and with the recent release of Football Manager 2023 to our screens, it’s an ideal time to preview some potential World Cup future stars ahead of the opening fixtures - not so much the more well-known wonderkids whose names are familiar to most at this point (apologies to Musiala, Moukoko, Bellingham, Adeyemi, Gavi & Pedri etc) but more so on some of the lesser known youth prospects that might just surprise a few when the World Cup kicks off in just a few weeks time. Recognise any of these from your own FM saves?
1. Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Ghana)
“Arguably the best African prospect of his generation” (Maher Mezahi, The Guardian 2021). Praise indeed for the young Ghanaian who at the time was still plying his trade at Steadfast FC in Ghana having just been voted Player of the Tournament in the U20 African Cup of Nations. His performances earned him a call up to the Senior AFCON side and after being heavily linked with a move to Liverpool, it was Sporting CP that eventually landed his signature (while cleverly locking in a large release fee). Since then he has gone on to earn 8 caps for the national side and looks set to be a starter for Ghana in a tricky group that includes Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea.
In FM there are signs of quite a good player here - good physicals combined with decent passing, technique and dribbling attributes (for an 18-year-old) makes me think he would develop rapidly if managed well, and if he shines at the World Cup then we can definitely expect a bump in attributes and potential in the Winter data update.
2. Xavi Simons (Netherlands)
While fairly well known to us FM enthusiasts from his days in the PSG academy (as well as his tremendous haircut), Simons’ call-up to the Netherlands World Cup Squad was still somewhat of a surprise particularly looking at the omissions of Brian Brobbey and Ryan Gravenberch - however 8 goals and 4 assists for PSV in just 13 league games proves his seat on the plane is more than justified and with the notable absence of Gini Wijnaldum combined with Holland’s relatively straightforward group, it’s quite possible that Simons will be given minutes and a chance to shine in this year’s competion and even if not, no doubt there are plenty more ahead of him.
In FM he continues to get better each season, can play in a multitude of midfield roles and if his form continues so too will his in-game ability and potential - watch this space.
3. Garang Kuol (Australia)
Garang Kuol literally burst onto the A-League scene last season scoring 4 goals in 7 appearances which earned him instant plaudits and recognition that not only led to a call-up to the Australian squad but also led to him agreeing a move to high-flying Newcastle United who are gradually recruiting some of the top youth talent around in addition to bolstering their Senior side. Kuol is lightning quick, tenacious, instinctive and clearly has an eye for goal which is why he looks set to be a shining light for Australia as they look to navigate their way out of a group containing France, Denmark and Tunisia.
Still only 17 at the start of FM23, his speed and skill are somewhat reflected in-game with loads of room to improve and be developed upon arrival at Tyneside however as is often the case his progress might accelerate faster in real-life depending on how his World Cup performances go not to mention his pending move to Newcastle once he completes this season at Central Coast Mariners. Excited about this one 🤞.
4. Jewison Bennette (Costa Rica)
Sticking with the theme of speed and Tyneside - 18-year-old Jewison Bennette is another lightning quick young winger that looks set to feature for his national side in the upcoming World Cup having already earned 7 caps and 2 goals for Costa Rica in the build-up to the tournament, wherein he provided the assist for the goal that defeated New Zealand and gained them qualification to their third consecutive World Cup finals. This season saw him make a move to Sunderland in the Championship where he has been ever present so far in the league having scored a late equaliser in their second game away to Watford.
In FM23 it’s fair to say he doesn’t boast a huge amount of skill or technical ability however his Pace (17), Acceleration (17) and Off the Ball (16) will likely cause problems in the match engine and he should definitely be on the radar for any mid to lower level saves out there. Costa Rica face an uphill struggle in a group containing giants Spain and Germany, however they found themselves in a similar boat just 8 years ago when Joel Campbell inspired them to beat Italy and draw with England to reach the Quarter Finals (only to eventually lose to Holland on penalties) - if Bennette can repeat these heroics alongside the aforementioned Joel Campbell again then he may be one to watch in FM23 later down the line.
5. António Silva (Portugal)
Calling it now - António Silva to be the best young Centre Half in FM23. In the bag. So powerful have his performances been for Benfica this season (which has seen them top not only the Primeira Liga but also a Champions League group containing both PSG and Juventus) that Silva was included in Portugal’s 26-man World Cup squad despite never being capped for the Senior side previously. This is relatively unheard of but is a testament to Silva’s performances at club level where he has been a rock in defence and shown excellent positioning, anticipation, distribution as well as being quick, comfortable with both feet and having an excellent read of the game for an 18-year-old. On first thought one might immediately assume that minutes will be few and far between for Silva but with Pepe now at the ripe old age of 39 and Danilo Pereira usually preferring a defensive midfield role rather than at Centre Half, deploying Silva alongside Ruben Dias (especially against some of the quicker forward players) might just prove to be a masterstroke if Fernando Santos has the b*lls to do it (sadly his track record suggest he doesn’t).
In FM23 - well, see for yourself. A Rolls Royce of a defender already in-game and he is only 18..what a player.
6. Nico Williams (Spain)
The second 5 Star Potential list that Nico Williams makes in recent weeks and with good reason. The 20-year-old has exploded onto the scene in Bilbao with 3 goals and 4 assists already in La Liga - lightning quick with the ability to play on either wing, Williams presents an interesting option for Luis Enrique in a Spain squad that you could argue is slightly lacking in natural width with the likes of Ferran Torres and Marco Asensio perhaps his main competition down that right hand side. It’s also interesting to note that his brother Iñaki will line out for Ghana in the World Cup also - narrative merchants are praying that these two meet in the knock-out rounds.
In FM his all-round attributes are quite reflective of the fact that he is one of only 24 players labelled as a “Wonderkid” under the FM Media Description, makes sense why he is already highly coveted by some of the top European teams at the beginning of FM23. If he gets and takes his chance in this World Cup, expect to see his name in bright lights come January.
There we have it - 6 players that might just surprise us if they get their moment to shine at this year’s World Cup. There are of course many others that are in contention to shine at this year’s tournament (keep a close eye on the American trio of Yunus Musah, Joe Scally and Giovanni Reyna as well as Morocco’s Bilal El Khannous if he gets game time) - one thing is for sure, from a footballing perspective we are in for one hell of a tournament. Let us know what you think in the comments below or of course on Twitter - have we missed anyone?
Thanks for reading.
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