The World Cup kicks off on 14 June and it could well bring down the curtain on the glittering international careers of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
So who are the bright stars vying to replace them at the top of world football?
In the gallery above, talkSPORT.com identifies some wonderkids we are looking forward to watching at this summer’s tournament in Russia.
talkSPORT will bring you live commentary of every World Cup game from Russia.
Goncalo Guedes, 21 (Valencia and Portugal) – click the right arrow, above, to see more wonderkids – The Paris Saint-Germain youngster, who is currently on loan at Valencia, is reportedly a target for both Manchester United and Chelsea. He is a full Portugal international who plays on the wing, but is equally adept playing through the middle. Sound familiar? Unlike former Red Devil Cristiano Ronaldo however, Guedes is more of a creative influence. Having already worn the iconic No.7 shirt at international level, could this year be the year a permanent replacement is found for CR7?Youri Tielemans, 20 (Monaco and Belgium) – The midfielder was apparently a target for both Manchester clubs as well as a host of other top European clubs before signing a five-year deal at Monaco last summer. Tielemans was crowned the Belgian PFAs player of the year last season as he helped Anderlecht to the Belgian title by scoring 13 goals. Having made his debut for the club aged 16, Tielemans has developed from a holding midfielder to a more rounded player with a penchant for long range goals.Julian Weigl, 22 (Borussia Dortmund and Germany) – The German conveyor belt of young talent has produced technically gifted players for more than a decade now and Weigl looks set to continue the trend. In a similar mould to Sergio Busquets, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder is a neat and tidy passer of the ball and also has the ability to spray passes capable of catching opposition full-backs out.Thomas Lemar, 22 (Monaco and France) – Lemar will be a familiar name to fans of Arsenal and Liverpool. Arsene Wenger pulled out of a £90 million deal in the summer, while Jurgen Klopp is reportedly keen to bring him to Anfield to replace Phillipe Coutinho. The Monaco man has blistering pace and his versatility would make him an ideal signing. Expect to see France coach Didier Deschamps use the 22-year-old in a variety of positions in Russia.Kasper Dolberg, 20 (Ajax and Denmark) – Denmark advanced to the World Cup finals at the expense of Ireland in November, and Dolberg is one of a number of options for their forward line. The attacker starred for Ajax last season, scoring 23 goals from 47 games to lead them to the Europa League final, before they were beaten by Manchester United. He has, though, been quieter this year, taking a back seat to Justin Kluivert and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.Ante Coric, 20 (Dinamo Zagreb and Croatia) – Former Dinamo Zagreb coach Zoran Mami? once said of 20-year-old Coric – He is a greater talent than Luka Modri? and Mateo Kova?i? were at his age. The midfielder is a strong dribbler with a breath-taking turn of pace and the inspiration of his hero Ronaldinho is clear for all to see. At 32, Luka Modric knows his time at the top level may be coming to an end, leaving the door open for the Zagreb youngster.Dele Alli, 21 (Tottenham and England) – Alli will be 22 by the time the tournament begins and has already established himself as an England regular. Even if his form has not quite been what fans have come to expect, we still can't wait to see what he will do in Russia.Assane Diousse, 20 (Saint-Etienne and Senegal) – Diousse earned a move last summer from Empoli to Saint-Etienne for his terrific displays in midfield. A tough-tackling player, who is also adept at going forward, the 20-year-old is reminiscent of a young NGolo Kante. The midfielder made 57 interceptions in Serie A last season, whilst maintaining a 95% successful take-on average.Timo Werner, 22 (RB Leipzig and Germany) – The second German player to make the list, Werner may well be a familiar name due to his previous links to Real Madrid. As it stands, the RB Leipzig striker has notched eight goals from 15 Bundesliga games this season already. Blessed with blistering pace, Werner could play a pivotal role in Joachim Loews attempts to retain the World Cup.Emanuel Mammana, 22 (Zenit Saint Petersburg and Argentina) – Zenit St Petersburg beat Liverpool to the signing of the centre-half last summer, while compatriot Mauricio Pochettino is also reportedly keeping tabs on him. Argentina have always been blessed with an array of attacking talent, but the problem has always been keeping goals out. Alongside the vastly improved Nicolas Otamendi, Mammana will be undoubtedly desperate to help captain Lionel Messi finally win an international trophy.Kylian Mbappe, 19 (PSG and France) – Let's just remind ourselves that Mbappe is still only 19. Hes played 10 times for France and this will be his first outing on a major international stage if he is selected. After Russia, Paris Saint-Germain are due to pay Monaco a reported 145m.Davinson Sanchez, 21, (Tottenham and Colombia) – Tottenham paid Ajax £42m for Sanchez last summer and he has not looked out of place in the Premier League and Champions League this season. "It's a massive opportunity because we believe he will be one of the best centre-backs in the world in the future. That is why we made the effort to try to sign him," Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said and he will get the chance to show his class in Russia. Colombia are in Group H with Poland, Japan and Senegal.Gabriel Jesus, 20 (Manchester City and Brazil) – He has recovered from injury and, if fit, is likely to start for Brazil, according to head coach Tite. He is one of the games most exciting players and fans will be eager to see what he can do alongside Neymar and Philippe Coutinho up front.Maxi Gomes, 21, (Celta Vigo and Uruguay) – Luis Suarez, who he been compared to, is Gomezs idol and he has already been showing his prowess in LaLiga. I admire [Suarez] a lot for the way he works. People in Uruguay say that I am going to be his successor in the national team, and I hope that will be the case, he said. This season he has scored 13 goals in 26 games for Celta Vigo including equalisers to help his side to draws against Barcelona and Real Madrid.
