Ismaël Bennacer

A midfielder who found the path to stardom, he played for Arsenal, Empoli, AC Milan, Olympique de Marseille, and Dinamo Zagreb, and currently plays for the Qatari club Al-Gharafa. He won the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations with the national team—earning the tournament's Best Young Player award—and won the Italian league title with AC Milan, playing a pivotal role in helping the club reach the Champions League semi-finals after a long absence. However, amidst managerial changes and internal organizational turmoil, a cruciate ligament injury proved to be the final nail in the coffin of his career; this effectively ruled a player of his caliber out of the 2026 World Cup, and with his career nearing its end, he may never participate in the tournament at all.