The 2022 World Cup may have been the last hurrah for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but the tournament also witnessed the arrival of a new crop of talented young players, from Dutch striker Cody Gakpo and England's Jude Bellingham to Croatian Josko Gvardiol.

English teenager Bellingham arrived in Qatar tipped as a potential World Cup star and left as one of the hottest properties in global football.

The Borussia Dortmund player – a modern box-to-box midfielder – opened England's account at the tournament with a fine header in the team's 6-2 romp against Iran.

The 19-year-old also shone in the 3-0 quarterfinal win against Senegal, crossing for Jordan Henderson to stroke home the first and driving through the midfield to launch the attack that led to the second.

"I think he's a fantastic player. He has everything with and without the ball, presses really well, gets around the pitch, tackles," said captain Harry Kane.

The Netherlands' 23-year-old forward Cody Gakpo was the only player to score in all three group games as he carried over his red-hot form for PSV Eindhoven onto the biggest stage.

Gakpo's header in the Netherlands' opening match against Senegal broke the deadlock late on in a 2-0 victory. He drilled the Dutch ahead with a fierce left-footed drive against Ecuador in a 1-1 draw and again set the Oranje on their way with another tidy finish as they beat Qatar 2-0.

Gakpo did not add any more goals but still played his part as Louis van Gaal's side only succumbed on penalties to Argentina in the quarterfinals.

"He has everything it takes to become a star," said Van Gaal. It is surely only a matter of time before he is prised away from his boyhood club, with Manchester United a possible destination.

Ronaldo out, Ramos in

Portugal had its own breakout star in Goncalo Ramos. The forward showed he has the potential to be the successor to Cristiano Ronaldo at the international level, seizing his opportunity in sensational style when he was selected ahead of Portugal's captain for the 6-1 demolition of Switzerland in the last 16.

Known as "Pistoleiro" for his gun-toting celebration, Ramos shot his way into world football's consciousness with a hat trick on his full debut.

The 21-year-old took just 17 minutes to open the scoring and achieve something Ronaldo never has – net in a World Cup knockout game.

Ramos could not replicate his heroics as Portugal lost in the quarterfinals, but the Benfica striker has time on his side and will surely get a long run in the team once Ronaldo steps aside, if not before.

Argentina's 22-year-old striker Julian Alvarez is the latest to roll off the country's conveyor belt of attacking talent.

A year that began with a high-profile transfer from River Plate to Premier League champions Manchester City ended with the forward being acclaimed as one of the brightest talents in world football after a dazzling World Cup.

Left on the bench for Argentina's opening two group games, Alvarez started and scored in a 2-0 win over Poland and then netted a crucial second goal in the 2-1 last-16 win over Australia.

Another solid showing against the Netherlands was followed by two goals in the semifinal win over Croatia.

"At his age, it is normal that he wants to conquer the world," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said of Alvarez. "He is a boy who will do whatever you say to him."

Croatia's 20-year-old defender, Josko Gvardiol, rose to prominence on the biggest stage with a series of excellent displays during Croatia's run to the semifinals.

Gvardiol's World Cup was nearly over before it started after he fractured his nose and suffered severe swelling around his right eye while playing for RB Leipzig last month, forcing him to wear a protective mask in Qatar.

Not only was the center back easy to spot, but he stood out for his unforgiving defending and comfort on the ball. His tackle on Romelu Lukaku late in Croatia's final group match spared them an early exit.

He then helped nullify Brazil's attacking threats in a shock quarterfinal win on penalties and capped off an impressive tournament with the opening goal in a man-of-the-match display against Morocco in the third place play-off.