{"id":17341,"date":"2026-07-13T20:18:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T14:48:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/?p=17341"},"modified":"2026-07-13T20:18:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T14:48:01","slug":"young-player-race-3-fifa-world-cup-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/young-player-race-3-fifa-world-cup-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Young Player Race- 3 | FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The quarter-finals have cleared the field. Two weeks of knockout football have reduced five contenders to three. Bouaddi goes home with Morocco. Manzambi&#8217;s tournament ends with Switzerland. What is left is a final three \u2014 Yamal, Dou\u00e9, and O&#8217;Reilly \u2014 all preparing for a FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 semi-final. The race, like the tournament itself, is reaching its conclusion.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-black ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Page Contents:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/young-player-race-3-fifa-world-cup-2026\/#Lamine_Yamal_%E2%80%94_Spain_Barcelona\" title=\"Lamine Yamal \u2014 Spain \/ Barcelona\">Lamine Yamal \u2014 Spain \/ Barcelona<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/young-player-race-3-fifa-world-cup-2026\/#Desire_Doue_%E2%80%94_France_Paris_Saint-Germain\" title=\"D\u00e9sir\u00e9 Dou\u00e9 \u2014 France \/ Paris Saint-Germain\">D\u00e9sir\u00e9 Dou\u00e9 \u2014 France \/ Paris Saint-Germain<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/young-player-race-3-fifa-world-cup-2026\/#Nico_OReilly_%E2%80%94_England_Manchester_City\" title=\"Nico O&#8217;Reilly \u2014 England \/ Manchester City\">Nico O&#8217;Reilly \u2014 England \/ Manchester City<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/young-player-race-3-fifa-world-cup-2026\/#The_Race_%E2%80%94_Where_It_Stands\" title=\"The Race \u2014 Where It Stands\">The Race \u2014 Where It Stands<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>Follow every remaining FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 match live on ZEE 5. Subscribe to the ZEE 5 Quarterly Plan at \u20b9799 \u2014 India&#8217;s exclusive streaming home of the tournament.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lamine_Yamal_%E2%80%94_Spain_Barcelona\"><\/span><b> Lamine Yamal \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/spain\/spain-squad\">Spain<\/a> \/ Barcelona<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><i>La Liga Player of the Year at 18.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Still first. Still the benchmark. Against Belgium in Los Angeles, Yamal was central to everything Spain produced going forward \u2014 combining with Porro and Olmo in sequences that pulled Belgium&#8217;s defensive block apart and created the space Spain&#8217;s deeper runners exploited. The most emphatic individual moment came in the 47th minute: Cubars\u00ed&#8217;s line-breaking pass released Yamal completely clean into the box, one-on-one with Courtois. He cut inside, picked his spot, and drove a low side-footed shot towards the bottom-left corner. Courtois, one of the world&#8217;s best, produced a spectacular reaction save with his left leg to deny him. Any other goalkeeper in this tournament, that is a goal.<\/p>\n<p>Spain won 2-1, through Merino&#8217;s rebound in the 88th minute. He is now in the semi-finals. His opponent: France, and with them, D\u00e9sir\u00e9 Dou\u00e9.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Desire_Doue_%E2%80%94_France_Paris_Saint-Germain\"><\/span><b> D\u00e9sir\u00e9 Dou\u00e9 \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/france\/france-squad\">France<\/a> \/ Paris Saint-Germain<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><i>Back-to-back Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year. Two consecutive seasons of being the best young player in one of Europe&#8217;s top leagues.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Dou\u00e9 also had a great performance in the quarter-final against Morocco. He provided the assist for Kylian Mbapp\u00e9&#8217;s opening goal \u2014 the moment that finally broke Morocco&#8217;s extraordinary resistance in the 60th minute \u2014 and across the full 90 minutes created three scoring chances while finishing with 100% crossing accuracy. Long before that assist, he had already made his mark. In the 35th minute, he dispossessed Bouaddi \u2014 the very player \u2014 deep in Morocco&#8217;s half and drove a low shot towards the corner that Bounou had to react instantly to block.<\/p>\n<p>France won 2-0 in the end, Mbapp\u00e9 breaking the deadlock in the 60th minute after Bounou&#8217;s extraordinary first-half resistance. Dou\u00e9 did not get the goal his performance deserved. He now faces Spain in the semi-final \u2014 and with it, Lamine Yamal. Two of the three players in this tracker are directly opposed. The semi-final in Dallas on 15 July will be the most important individual head-to-head in this award race.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Nico_OReilly_%E2%80%94_England_Manchester_City\"><\/span><b> Nico O&#8217;Reilly \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/england\/england-squad\">England<\/a> \/ Manchester City<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><i>Premier League Young Player of the Year \u2014 recognition from the toughest domestic league in the world for a player who makes everything around him work better.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Three players, three different profiles. Nico O&#8217;Reilly&#8217;s case is built on neither goals nor assists. It is built on the type of contribution that wins matches without appearing on the scoresheet \u2014 the defensive intelligence, the work rate, and the awareness that allows better-known names around him to do their jobs.<\/p>\n<p>Against Norway at Miami Stadium, O&#8217;Reilly started and was disciplined throughout the first half, during which England&#8217;s structure was under real strain. The match&#8217;s most telling moment came in the 43rd minute: S\u00f8rloth received a through ball with Haaland free beside him, and Norway had a genuine chance to double their lead. O&#8217;Reilly tracked. That run, that recovery, is why he plays. England&#8217;s first half would have looked very different without it. He played until the 86th minute, when Spence came on to add fresh legs for extra time.<\/p>\n<p>England won 2-1 after extra time, Bellingham scoring twice. O&#8217;Reilly enters this tracker in third place. The argument for him is the argument for players who make the team function rather than players who make the headlines. As a left back, he will be in direct contest against Messi in their match against Argentina.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Race_%E2%80%94_Where_It_Stands\"><\/span><b>The Race \u2014 Where It Stands<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Yamal leads. That has not changed through three updates and five matches. The semi-final against France \u2014 and the prospect of facing Dou\u00e9 directly \u2014 is the moment that could cement his case or create a genuine contest in the final days. Dou\u00e9 is the only player who can close the gap in one match. O&#8217;Reilly&#8217;s England face Argentina next, and if they reach the final, his sustained contribution throughout the tournament will merit serious consideration.<\/p>\n<p>Two semi-finals remain. Spain vs France in Dallas. England vs Argentina. By the time those matches end, the Best Young Player award at the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 will effectively be decided.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>Spain vs France and England vs Argentina \u2014 both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\">FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122<\/a> semi-finals are live on ZEE 5. Choose the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/myaccount\/subscription?plan-ref=0-11-7467&amp;asset-ref=0-6-4z5914493&amp;visibility=SELECTED&amp;context=FIFA\">ZEE 5 FIFA Subscription<\/a> Quarterly Plan at \u20b9799 or the Annual Plan at \u20b91,699 and don&#8217;t miss a moment.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>Disclaimer: Subscription pack prices are subject to change from time to time. Please visit the subscription page for the most up-to-date pricing information.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The quarter-finals have cleared the field. Two weeks of knockout football have reduced five contenders to three. Bouaddi goes home with Morocco. Manzambi&#8217;s tournament ends with Switzerland. What is left is a final three \u2014 Yamal, Dou\u00e9, and O&#8217;Reilly \u2014 all preparing for a FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 semi-final. The race, like the tournament itself, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":15163,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ub_ctt_via":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3019],"tags":[3031,3585],"class_list":["post-17341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-young-player-race-3"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png","author_info":{"display_name":"Sourav K","author_link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/author\/sourav-k\/"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Young Player Race- 3 | FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"FIFA 2026: Yamal, Dou\u00e9 and 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