From Manzambi to Bouaddi: The main breakout stars of the 2026 World Cup

[p]The first round was already full of individual surprises, such as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bouaddi-ayyoub/dpoNasPg/"]Ayyoub Bouaddi[/a] (Morocco), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diomande-yan/0p2ORrJi/"]Yan Diomande[/a] (Ivory Coast), and the entire [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cape-verde/MocyWdm7/"]Cape Verde[/a] defence. These and other rising stars have continued to shine in the World Cup.[/p][p]The tournament ends on July 19, but it's already possible to list a number of unexpected standouts from the national teams. [i][b]Flashscore[/b][/i] has put together a team of surprises and selected six of them for a detailed analysis.[/p][image alt="Main breakout stars" id="6ea064d7-37d9-4631-bed5-490b255a88b0" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="e089ddc3-18c7-4277-84d7-bcd58d1dad42" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]The criteria are broad: from a youngster with the potential for a multi-million transfer to a veteran who arrived as an unknown, anything that fits as an individual surprise at the World Cup counts.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vozinha/Q9F1vw7H/"]Vozinha[/a] (Cape Verde)[/h2][p]The first big upset of the World Cup was led by a debutant team and a 40-year-old goalkeeper who had never played in a top-tier league.[/p][p]Cape Verde shocked the world with the star performance of Vozinha, who bowed out of the tournament with 18 saves from 23 shots on target and a total of 1.85 goals prevented - not to mention millions of followers on Instagram.[/p][image alt="Vozinha's stats at the World Cup" id="aa2b8b28-e614-4a13-878f-f4c95f6716e3" credit-line="REUTERS / Marco Bello / Opta by StatsPerform" guid="fccae104-d6d1-4f1a-ac89-7eb93b864727" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diney-borges/805ZtR7G/"]Diney Borges[/a] (Cape Verde)[/h2][p]An upset as big as Cape Verde's can't be limited to just one individual surprise. Vozinha's job would have been even harder without the brilliant performances of Diney Borges and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pico/f3KWvSZL/"]Pico Lopes[/a] protecting the box - and really, any of them could be highlighted here.[/p][p]One stat sums up Diney's importance: 39 clearances. That's the second-highest number in the entire World Cup, only behind [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muharemovic-tarik/O0Ss5jSf/"]Tarik Muharemovic[/a] from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bosnia-herzegovina/fqe7WYTr/"]Bosnia and Herzegovina[/a]. The 31-year-old centre-back also led Cape Verde in tackles (7) and duels won (23).[/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bouaddi-ayyoub/dpoNasPg/"]Ayyoub Bouaddi[/a] (Morocco)[/h2][p]No goals or assists. Leading in any key stat? Not that either. It sounds like the description of a flop, but it's far from it. Just one half against Brazil was enough for Bouaddi, only 18 years old, to catch everyone's eye in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/morocco/IDKYO3R8/"]Morocco[/a]'s midfield.[/p][p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lille/pfDZL71o/"]Lille[/a] midfielder ignored the pressure of the tournament and took control of the midfield like a veteran. Bouaddi built on his impressive debut and became a pillar of another strong Moroccan campaign, with quality passing and efficiency in duels.[/p][embed guid="a767afd4-53df-456c-97b2-853fe67e7924" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2074460769534521515" social-type="twitter" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pedro-vite/tAgQRmS5/"]Pedro Vite[/a] (Ecuador)[/h2][p]In a disappointing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ecuador/8tbm8Tri/"]Ecuador[/a] side at the World Cup, the bright spot was the 24-year-old midfielder from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/unam-pumas/UB73mIXI/"]Pumas-MEX[/a]. Pedro Vite is among the tournament's best in key defensive metrics, such as successful tackles (11) and ball recoveries (29).[/p][p]In a team with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/caicedo-moises/tIqaAkDs/"]Moises Caicedo[/a], Vite outperformed his teammate in completed passes (269 to 267), forward passes (89 to 66), and completed passes in the attacking third (174 to 169), as well as open-play chances created (8 to 5) and touches on the ball (363 to 361). Mexican football may soon be too small for him.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/manzambi-johan/pIqmcnKc/"]Johan Manzambi[/a] (Switzerland)[/h2][p]Of all the surprises mentioned, Manzambi is the only one who started the World Cup on the bench. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder needed just 19 minutes [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/bosnia-herzegovina-fqe7WYTr/switzerland-rHJ2vy1B/?mid=djmY6NcJ"]against Bosnia[/a] in the second round to score two goals in a tied match and earn a spot as a starter for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/switzerland/rHJ2vy1B/"]Switzerland[/a].[/p][p]Soon after, he scored and assisted in the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/canada-x4toKORL/switzerland-rHJ2vy1B/?mid=2wQjwkpp"]win over Canada[/a]. He continued to impress [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/algeria-nc87N1BR/switzerland-rHJ2vy1B/?mid=rgxknWwh"]against Algeria[/a] in the knockout stage, with a brilliant play that paved the way for victory.[/p][p]Goals, assists, dribbles, speed... It's hard not to imagine [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/freiburg/fiEQZ7C7/"]Freiburg[/a] making a big profit from Manzambi soon.[/p][image alt="Manzambi's stats at the World Cup" id="4ca6010e-a96e-469a-a147-f4c9257700c3" credit-line="IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters / Anne-Marie Sorvin / Opta by StatsPerform" guid="f5e44f81-c920-40bc-b7b9-a78da5c2f0ac" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diomande-yan/0p2ORrJi/"]Yan Diomande[/a] (Ivory Coast)[/h2][p]Speaking of high-impact transfers, Diomande is on his way to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]PSG[/a] after shining for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ivory-coast/G2FRjBgn/"]Ivory Coast[/a] at the World Cup. Right from his first moments in the debut against Ecuador, the 19-year-old winger impressed with his one-on-one ability and ease in creating chances down the flanks.[/p][p]Diomande is the typical fast, skillful winger who could take the next big step in his career if he improves his finishing. After a season at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rb-leipzig/KbS1suSm/"]RB Leipzig[/a], his journey will be one to watch in the coming years, both in European football and at the World Cup.[/p][image alt="Diomande's recent stats" id="4193bfa3-c667-45c2-8690-b3bf0de0f62c" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="a8e86af4-9d9c-46a8-8270-595bfb2b6cd1" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /]