Thirteen under-27s from World Cup 2026 that Championship and EFL clubs can realistically build a case around, screened for talent, price and how gettable they actually are, then checked line by line. Two of them are free agents today.
Two free agents and four names you could realistically get a deal done for this window.
Primeira Liga pedigree, and free.
The most gettable name here, and no makeweight. Cabral came through Sporting CP, won a Primeira Liga title, had Serie A loans at Lazio and Salernitana, and captained Estrela Amadora before his contract expired after the World Cup, where he started Cape Verde's historic opener, a 0-0 against Spain. A left-footed flank threat who beats his man and delivers.
From the French fifth tier to the World Cup.
The best story on the page. Expérience was playing in the French fifth tier in 2018. He climbed through Avranches and Cholet, won promotion to Ligue 2 with Nancy last season, then lined up at a World Cup for Haiti, the nation's first finals since 1974. His Nancy deal has now lapsed, so he too is a free agent. A left-back who has done nothing but rise.
Manchester-made, and needs no work permit.
Manchester-born and Manchester United-schooled, Iqbal became the first player of Pakistani heritage to appear at a World Cup, for an Iraq side back at the finals after 40 years. A bit-part player at Utrecht who told Sky Sports of English football: “I just miss it here. We will see what happens.” Crucially, his British passport means no work permit is required at all. Gettable, and motivated.
A ready-made League One starter.
A seasoned, well-travelled full-back: Sparta Rotterdam, a title in the Dutch second tier, a season in Turkey's Süper Lig, and now a regular at PEC Zwolle, where he managed a goal and three assists in 32 Eredivisie games last season. Part of Curaçao's history-making squad, the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup. Not a project, but a ready-made starter.
PSG-schooled, and the cheapest here.
A PSG academy graduate who also passed through Roma's youth and France under-19s before switching to Haiti in 2025. A European tour since, Club Brugge, Estoril, a breakout in Austria, and now the Dutch second tier with Almere City, where his numbers are modest. The cheapest genuine option, with real pedigree if the end product can be coaxed out. Honest caveat: coverage of his personal tournament role is thin.
History-maker who may already be free.
Once the first New Zealander in the Bundesliga since Wynton Rufer, Singh's Bayern chapter is long behind him. At the finals he became the first player of Indian heritage at a World Cup since 2006 and, reportedly, the first Sikh footballer at the tournament, starting the opener against Iran. His parent-club contract was up at the end of June, so he may already be free, worth a call. One flag: an MCL injury in February cost him two months.
Long contracts, bigger clubs circling, or already moved on. Log them now and revisit, or go the loan route.
The gem, but Milan are watching.
The best pure prospect here, and the hardest to land. Fonville was playing Dutch third-division football in 2024. Within a year he was a NEC regular (38 games, four assists) and lining up at a World Cup, and AC Milan are now watching, with German and English interest reported too. His own take: “It is amazing that I am where I am now.” Contracted to 2029 with bigger clubs circling, he is a track-and-hope, not a buy. But you should know his name.
Topped the World Cup's defending rankings at 20.
London-born, he forced his way into Canada's side after an injury to Moïse Bombito, then topped FIFA's tournament defending rankings and made the Young Player Award shortlist, at 20. He signed a Fulham extension to 2029 last summer and his stock has only risen. A permanent deal is fantasy, but exactly the Premier League-owned youngster an ambitious EFL side should be phoning about on loan.
Our model's pick of the list.
The one name here our rating model actively likes. A knee injury in September 2025 threatened his World Cup, but he recovered to make Panama's squad and impressed at the group stage. A live debate about his best position, a No. 6 for his club but a creative midfielder or even a defender in other eyes, speaks to his versatility. Prising him out of MLS would take a real fee, but the quality is there.
A Fàbregas signing with Olympic pedigree.
Cesc Fàbregas personally signed Jasim for Como. He has yet to break through in Serie A, spending last season on loan in Saudi Arabia, but the pedigree is loud: four goals in the AFC Champions League, top scorer at the U23 Asian Cup, and the winner against Ukraine at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Described as Iraq's most unpredictable attacker. A loan target at best, but a real talent.
The EFL knows him, he scored in the group stage.
The EFL will remember Rekik from two loan spells at Wigan. The ex-Arsenal defender has since moved to Maribor, and he announced himself at the World Cup with a header against Sweden, his first senior international goal. An aerially strong centre-back with English experience already on his CV, available from a smaller league now rather than on an Arsenal loan. A realistic enquiry if Maribor will deal.
The striker who fired Cape Verde to the finals.
Cape Verde's main striker and a qualification hero, he scored the goal against Eswatini that sent the islands to their first World Cup. Rotterdam-born, 20 goals in 63 for MVV, a Verona move and a goal on his Serie A debut against Napoli, then a loan at Casa Pia last season. The priciest to prise loose, but a proven scorer stepping through the divisions.
Marked Mbappé; a longer-term watch.
Malmö-born and Swedish-raised before switching to Iraq, Ali spoke engagingly about facing Mbappé at the finals and about his roots: “Sweden is a big part of who I am as a player.” A right-back with Eredivisie experience at Heerenveen, he moved to Poland's Pogoń Szczecin on a three-year deal in late 2025, which makes him a longer-term watch than an imminent signing.
A good World Cup is a spotlight, not a guarantee, and a strong fortnight against elite opposition is a reason to watch, not to sign blind. The two free agents and the near-free names (Iqbal, Singh, Floranus) are the actionable end; the prospects with bigger clubs circling are ones to log now and revisit. Check every value and contract yourself before you move, because the market moves faster than any database.
Two on this list are confirmed free agents after the tournament: Cape Verde winger Jovane Cabral (ex-Sporting CP) and Haiti left-back Martin Expérience (ex-Nancy). New Zealand's Sarpreet Singh may also be available, as his parent-club contract expired at the end of June 2026.
On talent, Curaçao's Deveron Fonville, who rose from the Dutch third division to the World Cup in a year and is now watched by AC Milan. On value, Panama's Carlos Harvey. Both would command a fee; the genuinely cheap picks are the free agents.
Most non-UK players need a Governing Body Endorsement, and World Cup minutes strengthen the case. One name is exempt entirely: Zidane Iqbal holds a British passport, so no permit is required.
We screened every under-27 who featured at World Cup 2026 for value and realistic availability, then verified each against public reporting. Market values are Transfermarkt's, last set in May and early June 2026, so they predate the finals and read as a floor.
Oraca ranks and tracks every player across 60+ leagues, with form, valuation and work-permit eligibility in one place, and shows you who to scout next. Recruitment teams can request access to the private beta.
Request accessScreened from every under-27 who featured at World Cup 2026, filtered for value and realistic availability. Market values are Transfermarkt's, last set May to early June 2026, so they predate the finals and read as a floor. Player context verified against Sky Sports, Al Jazeera, FIFA, MLS and national-team reporting. Availability and contract status current to 10 July 2026 and indicative only, not legal or transfer advice.