Four years is a long old time in football. Just ask a host of West Ham United players who were still in short trousers when Emi Martinez was doing inappropriate things with the World Cup trophy in Qatar 2022.
Jarrod Bowen and El Hadji Malick Diouf were already World Cup-bound – barring any late injuries or a shock selection snub. West Ham United’s captain and their cross-loving left-back will now be joined on the biggest stage of all by Tomas Soucek, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and potentially Mateus Fernandes too.
Soucek fired a penalty past Mads Hermansen as the Czech Republic edged past Denmark on Tuesday’s thrilling play-off in Prague.
Who do YOU think will join this list in 2026? 🏆 🌎
Bowen? Summerville? Fernandes, maybe?
FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 05, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Photo by Mandel NGAN – Pool/Getty Images
Therefore, the summer will bring about a long-awaited World Cup debut for a midfielder who was forced to watch the 2022 edition from home. Bowen, at that point, was only two years into his Hammers career, and a further two years away from claiming the captain’s armband.
Looking back on West Ham United stars during the 2022 World Cup
Mateus Fernandes during Fulham v West Ham United - Premier League
Photo by Tiego Grenho/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Mateus Fernandes made his Sporting Lisbon debut a month before the tournament kicked off in the Middle East.
From a loan spell at Estoril to becoming one of the standout midfielders in the Premier League, Portugal boss Roberto Martinez reflected on Fernandes’ rapid rise to prominence before the Algarve-born action man made his international debut during Tuesday’s 2-0 win over the USA.
Malick Diouf has made ‘incredible’ progress himself over the last half-decade. A wide-eyed teenager in 2022, Diouf was turning out for the Academie Mawade Wade in his native Senegal at the time.
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While Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Kyle Walker-Peters, Alphonse Areola and Callum Wilson are long enough in the tooth to have been established names already when Argentina edged out France on penalties, the same cannot be said of the younger members of Nuno Espirito Santo’s dressing room.
You’ve picked your prospective Player of the Year! 🏆
What can Summerville do to snatch victory from Fernandes?
Mateus Fernandes of West Ham United celebrates his goal with Crysencio Summerville of West Ham United during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Sunderland at the London Stadium in Stratford, England, on January 24, 2026.
Crysencio Summerville fired Leeds to a famous 2-1 win away to Liverpool days before the Qatari World Cup kicked off; his first real breakout moment in English football.
Pablo Felipe was just starting out at Famalicao, ditto Soungoutou Magassa at Monaco. Jean-Clair Todibo had only recently left Barcelona for Nice, and Taty Castellanos had just joined Girona after claiming the MLS Golden Boot with New York City FC.
As we said, a lot can change in four years.
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