Five stars who could play at their first World Cup in 2030

The 2026 World Cup is officially underway and there are almost 900 players who are at the tournament for the first time.

Any players who make their World Cup debuts this year will have a special 'FIFA Commemorative Patch' on the right sleeve of their shirt to highlight this fact.

However, there are a number of players who missed out on the chance to appear at the tournament for various reasons that will be hoping to make it to the 2030 edition.

With that in mind, Sports Mole picks out five players could feature at their first World Cup in four years's time.

Which players could play at their first World Cup in 2030?

Cole Palmer

Cole Palmer was a controversial omission from Thomas Tuchel's England squad, with the 24-year-old missing out on the chance to feature at his first World Cup.

Palmer had an underwhelming season for Chelsea where he struggled with injury and managed just 11 goals across all competitions, having netted 25 and 18 in his previous two campaigns.

"His record with us was just not outstanding, not good enough to make him a definite," Tuchel explained when asked about Palmer's absence. "That is just the reality of it. It is a very difficult decision.

"There is no question about his talent, there is no question what he can give you in special moments, but the decision was still against him."

However, by the time the next World Cup rolls around Palmer should be firmly established as a key player for England and it would be remarkable if he does not feature for any reason other than an injury.

Estevao Willian

Speaking of injuries, Estevao Willian would almost certainly be making his World Cup debut for Brazil this year had it not been for a serious hamstring injury he suffered in April.

"Playing in the World Cup is a dream come true, everyone hopes for it," Estevao told ESPN. "Even more so for me, since I was involved in the whole process. So that was a moment of great, great sadness in my heart.

"I cried so much in my parents' arms, no joke, I cried a lot. It's in moments like these that you need the people you love, and I'm very grateful for that."

The 19-year-old is a major talent and enjoyed an impressive debut season for Chelsea, making 12 goal contributions in 36 appearances across all competitions.

It is a huge shame that Estevao will not be featuring at this year's World Cup, but he will likely play a key role for Brazil at the 2030 edition if he continues his development.

Lennart Karl

Another player who is unfortunately absent through injury is Lennart Karl, who was named in Germany's squad but has since been replaced by Assan Ouedraogo due to a thigh problem.

Karl had enjoyed an outstanding breakthrough campaign at Bayern Munich, making 17 goal contributions in 40 appearances across all competitions.

The 18-year-old primarily plays as an attacking midfielder or a right winger and Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann has admitted he "would have loved to have him on the team".

However, Karl can take solace in the fact that he will likely feature at plenty of World Cups in the future, with Nagelsmann hailing his "carefree attitude, creativity, pace and personality".

Max Dowman

The youngest player on this list, Max Dowman made history last season as he became the youngest Premier League goalscorer when he found the back of the net against Everton in March.

Dowman made a total of 13 first-team appearances last season and the teenager is expected to play a more impactful role for the Gunners next season.

The 16-year-old has been compared to Brazil legend Kaka by Arsenal youth team coach Gustavo Oliveira, while former England captain John Terry has stated that Dowman reminds him of Lionel Messi.

It is clear that Dowman has a massive future ahead of him and he will be 20 by the time the 2030 World Cup occurs, so he should be firmly established as an England regular by then.

Franco Mastantuono

Real Madrid youngster Franco Mastantuono was among the players who were cut from Argentina's World Cup squad, with head coach Lionel Scaloni whittling down a 55-man preliminary squad to just 26 players last month.

Mastantuono is viewed by many as the long-term successor to Messi, who is almost certainly playing at his sixth and final World Cup this year.

The 18-year-old joined Madrid from River Plate last summer and made a promising start to his career at the Bernabeu, featuring regularly under Xabi Alonso.

However, his minutes were more limited after Alonso's departure in January and this year's World Cup has evidently come too soon for him.

Provided he continues his progress, Mastantuono should be a key player for Argentina in 2030, particularly with Messi no longer there.