Top 3 Players to Follow Up in 2026 World Cup - Group C - Comparisonator AI Football Scouting

Brought to you by The Book of Scouting, our experts analysed “The 2006 World Cup-Group C” several young talents are making their mark. Here are three standout U23 players who have been turning heads with their performances. Findlay Curtis from Scotland, Rayan from Brazil and Bilal El Khannouss from Morocco are analyzed based on data from Comparisonator platform. Their impressive statistics highlight their influence on the pitch and their potential for future success.

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Findlay Curtis(LW – ’06) – Scotland (Rangers Performance)

Findlay Curtis‘s CompaAI Parameters League Offensive report:

Curtis’ strongest seasonal output is his direct goal threat. He ranks 1st out of 7 for Goals with 0.5 per match, well ahead of Mikey Moore’s 0.27. He also ranks 1st out of 7 for Playing in scoring attacks with 0.8 per match, compared with Moore’s 0.55. This combination points to a winger who can consistently end possessions and stay involved in attacking sequences close to the box. Curtis is also among the better players in shooting volume and shot quality access. He ranks 2nd out of 7 in Expected goals (xG) with 0.19, behind Mikey Moore’s 0.28. He is 2nd out of 7 in Shots on target with 0.9, versus Moore’s 1.0, and 2nd out of 7 in Opportunity with 1.1, behind Moore’s 1.32. He also sits 2nd out of 7 in Shots on target, % with 45%, just below Moore’s 48.89%. These numbers indicate a winger who gets into credible scoring positions regularly and can test the goalkeeper often. His profile fits a system that values wide players arriving in shooting zones and taking responsibility in the final third. Curtis adds useful carrying and progression volume in attack. He ranks 3rd out of 7 in Shots with 2.0 per match, and 4th out of 7 in Progressive runs with 2.5, behind Moore’s 3.05 and Djeidi Gassama’s 2.64. He is also 4th out of 7 in Offensive actions with 27.7 and Successful offensive actions with 16.7. This suggests a fairly active attacker who can advance play, not only finish it.

Curtis’ best seasonal indicators are Goals (1st, 0.5), Playing in scoring attacks (1st, 0.8), and Shots on target converted to goals, % (1st, 55.56%), with additional top-two support from xG, shots on target, opportunities, and shot accuracy. The profile points to a winger with strong finishing output and solid involvement around the box, but limited creative output for teammates.

Findlay Curtis(LW – ’06) – Scotland (Rangers Performance)

Rayan(RW – ’06) – Brazil (Bournemouth Performance)

Rayan‘s CompaAI Parameters League Offensive report:

Rayan’s clearest attacking strength is his direct goal threat. He ranks 1st out of 12 RW U23 players for Goals average per match (0.33), Shots average per match (2.08), Shots on target average per match (0.5), and Opportunity average per match (1.33). Compared with the next-best players, his shot volume is ahead of Rayan Cherki’s 1.5 shots, and his chance creation volume is above Yankuba Minteh’s 1.08 opportunities. This profile points to a winger who consistently gets into shooting positions and can end attacks himself rather than only serving as a creator. A second major strength is his ball progression and final-third carrying impact. He is 2nd out of 12 for Expected goals (xG) average per match (0.18), Playing in scoring attacks (0.67), Dribbling in the final third of the pitch (4.33), and Progressive runs (3.08). He sits just behind Estêvão’s 0.19 xG, and in progressive involvement he is close to the top performer Rayan Cherki’s 4.5 progressive runs. This suggests a player who regularly advances play, breaks lines, and arrives in dangerous areas with good timing. Rayan also ranks highly in overall dribbling output and offensive volume. He is 3rd out of 12 for Dribbles (4.92), Successful dribbling in the final third (2.42), Ball carrying (0.58), Offensive actions (30.67), and Successful offensive actions (18.33). He is close to the leaders such as Yankuba Minteh and Rayan Cherki, who post the highest offensive action totals.

Rayan’s best ranking parameters are centered on direct attacking output and ball progression: 1st for goals, shots, shots on target, and opportunities, 2nd for xG, playing in scoring attacks, dribbling in the final third, and progressive runs, and 3rd for overall dribbling and offensive action volume. His profile fits an aggressive wide attacker who can carry the ball, attack the final third, and produce shots regularly. His main weaknesses are in pure assist production, xA, box touch volume, and shots on target percentage, where he sits lower than the top creators and finishers in the position group.

Rayan(RW – ’06) – Brazil (Bournemouth Performance)

Bilal El Khannouss(AMF – ’04) – Morocco (Stuttgart Performance)

Bilal El Khannouss‘s CompaAI Parameters League Passing report:

El Khannouss ranks 1st out of 11 AMFs for several core passing metrics. He averages 37.9 passes per match, ahead of Ísak Jóhannesson’s 37.0, and 31.33 successful passes per match, ahead of Jóhannesson’s 30.0. He also leads in offensive passing volume with 37.57 offensive passes and 31.05 successful offensive passes per match, again ahead of Jóhannesson’s 36.2 and 29.6. This shows a midfielder who is heavily involved in circulation and can keep the team connected in possession. For Stuttgart, this profile can support a central creative role where he acts as a frequent ball hub between lines. He also ranks 1st in successful long passes per match with 2.19, ahead of Jóhannesson’s 1.4, and 1st in passes to the final third with 5.29, ahead of Jóhannesson’s 4.4. He is 1st in successful passes to the final third with 4.0, ahead of Jóhannesson’s 3.2, and 1st in forward passes with 10.14, ahead of Ibrahim Maza’s 8.93. In addition, he leads in successful forward passes with 7.43, ahead of Can Uzun’s 5.7, and 1st in successful progressive passes with 4.76, ahead of Jóhannesson’s 4.4. This indicates strong intent to move the ball into advanced areas rather than only maintaining possession.

El Khannouss’ best ranking parameters are his overall passing volume, successful passing volume, forward and progressive distribution, passes into the final third, and his strong occupation of advanced zones in the opposition half. His profile points to an AMF who links play effectively, pushes the ball forward, and supports territory gain. The main limitations are in elite-level chance creation and some passing-security submetrics, where he sits behind the top creators in the sample.

Bilal El Khannouss(AMF – ’04) – Morocco (Stuttgart Performance)