The new La Liga season is just around the corner, and there are only two guaranteed outcomes: that there will be lots of talent to drool over and a fair degree of box office drama to match. We can certainly expect fireworks in the Spanish capital with the return of Jose Mourinho to the Real Madrid hot seat.
But before you look at the SBOTOP La Liga 2026 betting odds for the main runners and riders over the course of the next nine months, I want to focus on which young stars could well have either breakout campaigns or continue their upward trajectory.
Let me start with the obvious one and get it out of the way because it almost seems absurd to call Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) a young talent to watch, as he has already achieved so much in a short space of time.
It really is easy to forget that Yamal is only the second player aged 18 or younger to open the scoring in a World Cup match – the other was a 17-year-old Pele for Brazil vs Wales in 1958.
This summer, he became the seventh player in history to score at a World Cup before the age of 19. He also became the first player in history to start a match at both the European Championship and the World Cup while aged 18 or younger.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has watched Yamal develop across age groups with the national team and believes what he is seeing is not just talent.
To quote: “He is a player blessed by God. Football geniuses have something special and he has it. You can immediately see those kinds of footballers who are touched by magic that says: you are going to be special.”
Expect more La Liga 2026 highlights from the boy with the sprinkle dust in his boots.
Now for a teammate, for both club and country, who probably does go under the radar but is truly appreciated by his teammates and fans. Pau Cubarsí already plays like a seasoned centre-back, and the numbers show why he is in the elite teenage bracket.
He started all 31 of his La Liga appearances last term and logged 2,708 minutes, averaging 87 per match. That level of trust and output is rare at his age.
This is a defender who wins territory with the ball and closes space without fouling. I read last weekend that he handles pressure with a maturity that belies his age and holds the defensive line through smart positioning.
At the recently concluded World Cup, Spain’s tournament-winning back four featured Cubarsí who played with a composure far beyond his years, anchoring a backline alongside the ever-inspiring Aymeric Laporte and winning the young player of the tournament accolade in the process. Cubarsi was only the second player on record (from 1966) to complete 100-plus passes in a World Cup final. The figures really do speak for themselves.
Now for someone who didn’t shine Stateside, although he was far from the only one as Turkey were the biggest underachievers of all, despite glimpses from the young Real Madrid starlet.
Turkish attacking midfielder Arda Güler does possess elite vision and scoring touch which suggests he’s ready for an expanded role in central midfield.
Fresh from being named the UEFA Champions League Breakthrough Player of the Season, Arda’s league output hints at a bigger domestic role. He logged 33 La Liga appearances last season, 22 of which were starts.
How he fares under Mourinho will be the next stage of his development, and I think it will be a successful relationship. The Turk has reportedly shown an impressive quality and mentality from the very first pre-season training sessions and shown he wants to be one of the main protagonists of the new Real Madrid.
In fact, Guler was the first of the World Cup players to rejoin the team – helped, of course, by Turkey’s elimination at the group stages. The player took advantage of his vacation to rest without ever neglecting his preparation and he is wanting to make his position indispensable.
Whether he can shoehorn both Guler and Jude Bellingham into the same starting XI remains to be seen. But as manager conundrums go, it’s a hell of a position for Mourinho to be in.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
