The World Cup Wonderkids: Grading Our Crystal Ball Gazing

Before the World Cup kicked off, we put our reputations on the line and named nine players we reckoned would announce themselves on the grandest stage. Spoiler alert: we weren't entirely clairvoyant. We somehow missed Cape Verde's 40-year-old goalkeeper making waves, which tells you everything you need to know about our predictive powers.

Let's see how our selections actually fared.

9. Matias Fernandez-Pardo (Belgium)

We thought he'd be scrapping for minutes while establishing himself in the Belgian setup. Turns out we nailed that one—not exactly a glowing endorsement. The youngster managed just 41 minutes across three substitute appearances, all confined to the group stage despite Belgium reaching the quarter-finals. Still searching for his breakthrough.

8. Endrick (Brazil)

The 19-year-old's loan spell at Lyon had shown promise, and we figured a strong World Cup could launch his Real Madrid resurrection. We weren't confident he'd start, and we were right—he came off the bench four times without registering a goal or assist. Brazil's earliest exit since 1990 didn't do him any favours either.

7. Nico Paz (Argentina)

We predicted he'd need to step up from his comfortable club surroundings and prove himself against elite opposition. Instead, he barely got a look-in with Argentina's runners-up squad. A brief 10-minute cameo in the opening group game and an hour in the final one was all he managed; the knockout rounds didn't come calling. He's staying put at Como for now.

6. Luka Vuskovic (Croatia)

We tipped the Tottenham prospect to thrive in a Croatian side accustomed to deep tournament runs. Croatia's early exit in the round of 32 scuppered that plan, and Vuskovic managed just one appearance—starting against England before disappearing. He did secure a move, though—to Brighton, rather than a Spurs recall. A transfer's a transfer, but it hardly felt like World Cup glory.

5. Gilberto Mora (Mexico)

At 17, the tournament's youngest player was expected to be a regular starter, not a tourist. He delivered on that front, featuring in three of Mexico's four games as a starter in midfield, including their round of 16 loss to England. He showed flashes of quality and remains a prospect worth monitoring.

4. Rayan (Brazil)

We thought the winger would be fighting for minutes off the bench. Instead, he earned three starts and made an assist against Scotland, becoming Brazil's first teenage starter at a World Cup since 1970. The trajectory's pointing upwards.

3. Kerim Alajbegovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

We questioned whether Bosnia could escape their group and identified Alajbegovic as a potential inspiration. They did escape, and he did his bit—scoring in one of his three starts (after a bench appearance in the opener) against Qatar. Remarkably, he was the only one of our nine to find the back of the net. Bosnia fell in the round of 32, but the attacking midfielder's caught the eye of plenty of European clubs.

2. Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast)

The 19-year-old winger looked destined to dominate the summer transfer market, with Liverpool among the suitors. PSG's now his preferred destination instead. He started all four of Ivory Coast's games until their round of 32 elimination and provided an assist in their final group outing. The hype train's still rolling.

1. Ayyoub Bouaddi (Morocco)

We wondered if France would rue his departure; ironically, France knocked Morocco out. But Bouaddi announced himself with a commanding midfield display against Brazil on his tournament debut, boasting a 91% pass accuracy and dictating play throughout. His subsequent performances were less dominant, yet he's still caught the attention of the biggest clubs. Manchester City's reportedly willing to shell out £85 million to make him theirs.