MIAMI, Florida – As the years progress and the focus of international football turns to the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be hosted in the United States, Mexico and Canada, many will look back on Concacaf’s youth movement at Qatar 2022 as a pivotal moment for the region on the global football landscape.

Across the four teams from Concacaf that participated in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, so many young players served as important parts of their team.

USA

The United States reached the Round of 16 with a 26-player roster in which 25 players had never appeared in a World Cup. Of those 25 players, 12 of them were aged 24 or younger, including MF Yunus Musah, who became the second-youngest player to play for the United States in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup at the age of 20 years and four days.

Those young U.S. players were also all responsible for the goals that the U.S. scored at Qatar 2022.

With an assist from 24-year-old MF Christian Pulisic, 22-year-old FW Timothy Weah tallied the first U.S. goal at Qatar 2022 with a first-half strike against Wales in the team’s opening match. Two games later in the group stage finale against Iran, it was Pulisic scoring the game-winning goal when he steered home a cross from 22-year-old DF Sergino Dest.

Another of the bright young stars for the U.S. notched the team’s goal in their Round of 16 contest with the Netherlands, as 24-year-old Haji Wright redirected in a cross from Pulisic.

Six of the 12 players 24 or younger started all four matches for the U.S. In addition to Pulisic, Weah, Dest and Musah, 23-year-old MF Tyler Adams and 24-year-old MF Weston McKennie were slotted into the starting XI of Head Coach Gregg Berhalter in each of the four contests, with Adams topping all U.S. youngsters with 404 minutes played and 260 passes in the tournament.

CANADA

It was a similar story for Canada. Playing in their first Senior Men’s World Cup in 36 years, every Canada player that saw the field was making their World Cup debut, and six of those players were 24 or younger.

Look no further than DF Alphonso Davies, who started all three matches for his country and became the first ever goal-scorer in Senior Men’s World Cup history for Canada with his goal 68 seconds into Canada’s second match versus Croatia.

In addition to Davies, 24-year-old DF Alistair Johnston, 23-year-old winger Tajon Buchanan and 22-year-old FW Jonathan David all started Canada’s three games at Qatar 2022. Buchanan accounted for the assist on Davies’ historical header, while Johnston led the way among the young players with 153 passes and tied Davies for the most minutes played with 299.

COSTA RICA

Costa Rica also enjoyed some notable achievements from their young players. Leading the way was winger Jewison Bennette, who at the age of 18 years and 161 days became Costa Rica’s youngest ever player to make an appearance in the FIFA World Cup.

Overall, Costa Rica had seven players younger than 24 playing at Qatar 2022, including two teenagers. Joining Bennette as one of the players younger than 20 was Brandon Aguilera, who played in all three games for the Ticos and totaled 105 minutes, while Bennette played in 124 minutes.

FW Anthony Contreras was another young player who got significant playing time at Qatar 2022. The 22-year-old Herediano man played 138 minutes and had 15 passes. A pair of 20-year-olds also saw action, with MF Alvaro Zamora and MF Roan Wilson each coming on as a substitute in a game.

MEXICO

Some exciting young talent was also on display for Mexico, namely DF Jorge Sanchez and DF Kevin Alvarez, who each appeared in two of Mexico’s three games at Qatar 2022.

The 24-year-old Sanchez appeared in 190 minutes of action, registering a shot and making 68 passes, while the 23-year-old Alvarez saw 82 minutes on the field.

FW Roberto Alvarado was another young player who saw time for Mexico, as the 24-year-old Chivas man came off the bench in Mexico’s second contest with Argentina.

The experience gained by these young players from the U.S., Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico at Qatar 2022 will no doubt be valuable in the time heading into the 2026 tournament on North American soil.