Who is your country's Max Dowman?

Every World Cup cycle produces a single, breathless question inside training camps and living rooms alike: do we gamble on a teenager who might light up the tournament for the next decade, or do we protect him from the glare? England are wrestling with that dilemma over 16-year-old Arsenal prodigy Max Dowman, left out of this month’s friendlies against Uruguay and Japan but still very much on Thomas T’s radar. Across the globe, the same “Dowman dilemma” is being rehearsed, because every nation believes it has the next fearless gem.

ARGENTINA – Freitas, the River Plate centre-forward who only turned professional in November 2025, carries a €100 million release clause and the Julian Álvarez comparisons. With Lionel Scaloni’s attack already stacked, the reigning champions could afford to blood a fearless No. 9 for the final minutes of a tight knockout match.

BRAZIL – Rayan, the jet-heeled winger who left Vasco da Gma for England in January, has forced his way into Carlo Ancelotti’s long-list after Rodrygo’s injury opened a door on either flank. Fernando Diniz has lobbied for him since October; a handful more Premier League explosions could clinch a seat on the plane.

PORTUGAL – Anisio, Benfica’s 6ft 2in left-footed striker, has already scored in the Under-17 European Championship and Under-17 World Cup finals, then marked his two Primeira Liga cameos with goals. At 17 he is more Theo Walcott 2006 than guaranteed starter, yet José Mourinho’s Drogba comparison keeps him in the “closer” conversation.

USA – Adri Mehmeti, the Red Bulls defensive midfielder, captained their Next Pro title winners and has started 2026 looking every inch a Sergio Busquets facsimile. At 6ft, the New Yorker has the stature and serenity to fit Mauricio Pochettino’s crowded engine room.

SENEGAL – Idrissa Gueye (Udinese, on loan from Metz) is pushing 19 and scored five in Ligue 2 last year; Pape Thiaw has already capped him at 16. After Ibrahim Mbaye’s AFCON goal at 17, the Teranga Lions have proved they are not afraid of teenage firepower.

FRANCE – Kroupi, Bournemouth’s 19-year-old marksman, has represented Les Bleus at every youth level and turns 20 during the group phase. In a squad bursting with Mbappé, Dembélé, Barcola, Doué, Ekitike, Cherki and Akliouche, Didier Deschamps could still use a late-game fox-in-the-box.

CANADA – 17-year-old Toronto Inter winger Jimoh is 5ft 5in off the pitch, 90 minutes of chaos on it. Jesse Marsch gave him an unofficial debut in January and believes “players of his age with his quality can develop very quickly.” A 2030 project who might get a 2026 apprenticeship.

GERMANY – Said El Mala, the 19-year-old Gladbach winger released at 14 for being “too slight,” is now 6ft 2in, driving at defenders and forcing Julian Nagelsmann to notice. One crucial equaliser away to Hamburg reminded everyone why he was top scorer at the 2025 Under-19 Euros.

NETHERLANDS – Read, the Feyenoord right-sided defender, is the long-planned heir to 30-year-old Denzel Dumfries. Only a handful of under-21 caps and injuries have delayed him, but Ronald Koeman’s staff expect him to graduate soon.

SPAIN – Garcia, Real Betis’s zippy winger, scored four in a 6-5 under-19 Euro thriller against Germany, including a corner-kick special and a 119th-minute winner. Senior minutes in LaLiga are scarce, yet Spain have never been shy about parachining in teenagers—just ask Pedri, Gavi or Yamal.

The question, then, is not whether these players are ready today; it is whether their country can afford to leave tomorrow at home. As Tucel keeps the door ajar for Dowman, every other manager must decide: will your Max Dowman be watching the World Cup from the sofa or from inside the squad?