The first-ever winter world cup is almost here. It’s time to look at which teams are the strongest and which players are the ones to watch out for specifically. In order to list down the players to look out for, we have specifically looked at the U23 category and players who play quite often for their respective clubs this season. It is to be noted that, these players might not start all the matches for their teams in the World Cup and could potentially miss out on getting called up altogether, but if and when they do represent their country in Qatar, they definitely have the potential to be game changers.

Belgium, after their best finish at the World Cup 2018, are now in Group F with Canada, Croatia and Morocco.

The below visualization shows who are the U23 players to watch out for from Group F. All data is from this season.

Amadou Onana | Everton | Belgium | 21 years old

Amadou Onana moved from Lille to Everton in the summer of 2022. The midfielder has since been one of the best players at Everton. He also only made his senior debut for Belgium in the summer. The visual above shows where Onana ranks for some of the relevant metrics. Onana plays as a no.8 for Everton in a 4-3-3 but his responsibilities are mostly on the defensive side. 21-year-old Onana ranks in the 99th percentile for PAdj. Sliding Tackles per 90 minutes and in the 58th percentile for PAdj. Interceptions. He, however, lacks very much when in possession as his percentile ranks for some of the important passing metrics don’t seem good. Onana was not a regular starter for Lille last season, but his performances, whenever he did play, earned him a big move to one of the best leagues in the world. This will probably be the last World cup for some of the players in the Belgium squad. It is up to Amadou Onana himself to show the world what he is capable of and fulfil his potential.

Liam Millar | Canada | FC Basel | 23 years old

Only three other outfield players accumulated more minutes for FC Basel than Liam Millar last season. The midfielder was also FC Basel’s second-highest scorer with seven goals in the league last term.  22-year-old Millar is versatile but usually plays as an advanced midfielder on the left side. He likes to make those late runs to the box — ranking 99th percentile for Progressive runs per 90 minutes. Originally from the Liverpool academy, Millar made his senior international in 2018 as an 18-year-old and was a big part of Canada’s Qualifying campaign. Millar is surely expected to play plenty of minutes at Qatar and is definitely one of the players to watch out for from this Canada team.

Azzedine Ounahi | Morocco | Angers SCO | 22 years old

22-year-old Moroccan International Ounahi has played the third most minutes for Angers this season in Ligue 1. Azzedine Ounahi made his senior Morocco debut during the 2021 African Cup of Nations and has since been a regular in the starting XI. Ounahi ranks above average for a number of attacking metrics when compared with players who have played in a similar position to his. Ounahi is a strong dribbler and is a player who takes an attempt at goal quite often. Ounahi has been an integral part of the Moroccan team setup since making his debut and will be key to his team’s journey in the upcoming World Cup.

Luka Sučić | Croatia | Red Bull Salzburg | 20 years old

Luka Sučić has the joint-most assists for RB Salzburg this season.  The 20-year-old Croatian can play anywhere in the front three or even in a slightly deeper midfield role. Luka Sučić is strong on the ball ranking higher for a number of passing metrics including Key Passes per 90 minutes. Sučić, having been unlucky because of injuries during his Youth International career, made his senior international debut towards the end of last year. He has not been a regular since. However, his performances this season at club level mean there is a very high chance Luka Sučić becomes a regular with the Croatian national team soon.