World Cup 2022: Five young international players

Kylian Mbappe of France celebrates with the World Cup trophy following the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final between France and Croatia

Playing at a World Cup is every young players dream.

And whilst players like Messi and Ronaldo are coming to the end of their footballing careers, there are many exciting youngsters coming through the ranks.

Jude Bellingham and Matt Smith are just two of the up-and-coming stars of the home nations, England and Wales.

But there are plenty of young players keen to make their mark at this tournament.

Pretty much every team has at least one outstanding young player which is far too many people to mention!

But here's our top 5 international 'ones to watch' in Qatar - those who are young enough (21-years-old or under) could be in the running to win the official FIFA Young Player Award in Qatar.

Takefusa Kubo - Japan

Age: 21-years-old

Club: Real Sociedad, Spain

All eyes will be on Kubo - known as the 'Japanese Messi' - the youngster from Japan came through the Barcelona academy before signing for arch rivals Real Madrid.

He didn't quite make enough of an impression in a first team at Madrid full of experiences stars, and now plays for La Liga side Real Sociedad instead.

Kubo is skilled and a fast dribbler and represented Japan in the Tokyo Olympic team, scoring in all three of their opening games.

Japan lost to Spain the the semi-finals so missed out on an Olympic medal. But the young player has a point to prove and will want to show off his playmaking skills at the highest level.

Gavi - Spain

Age: 18-years-old

Club: Barcelona

Talking of Spain, one player keen to impress will be Gavi. The judges at the recent 2022 Ballon d'Or gala rated Gavi the best player in the world under 21...

Now THAT is a title to live up to at this tournament in Qatar. So keep a watch out for him!

To be playing midfield for Barcelona at any age means you have to be something a bit special, and with 66 matches for Barca already, Gavi has it all.

Cody Gakpo - Netherlands

Age: 23-years-old

Club: PSV Eindhoven

A top scorer and dribbler of the ball, Gakpo is already attracting attention to himself with his opening goal in Group A. There are some suggestions Manchester Utd are keen on the forward. So a big performance at this World Cup could make him a key transfer target in January.

His performance will all depend on how far the Netherlands can go in the competition. They've already beaten Senegal and with hosts Qatar also in their group, they have a very good chance of progressing.

Moisés Caicedo - Ecuador

Age: 21-years-old

Club: Brighton and Hove Albion

Brighton fans already know how Caicedo can change a game. He played a huge part in helping the Seagulls beat Man Utd in the opening game of the Premier League season and Ecuador will be hoping he can do the same for them.

Caicedo is a top midfielder who works hard on and off the ball for his team and if they can get out of the group stages he will have a chance to shine amongst a very young Ecuador team.

Jamal Musiala - Germany

Age: 19-years-old

Club: Bayern Munich

One of the youngest players at this year's tournament, Musiala has been playing really well at club level and Germany will hope he can keep that going for his country.

The midfielder has nine goals and eight assists for Bayern, who sit top of the table of the Bundesliga.

As good as Germany are, and have been, over many past tournaments they have a tough group - facing Japan, Costa Rica... and Spain. So time will tell how long Musiala gets to show off his abilities.