Johan Bakayoko

World Cup 2026 Analysis

Johan Bakayoko, the 22-year-old Belgian winger or forward for RB Leipzig, presents a promising, albeit currently hampered, prospect for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Having already debuted for the Belgium national team and scored his first international goal, he is firmly on the radar for national team selection.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Prospects:

Bakayoko's inclusion in the Belgian squad for the 2026 World Cup hinges on a combination of consistent club performance, maintaining fitness, and outperforming competitors for wide attacking roles. He made his debut for Belgium in a 3-0 victory against Sweden on March 24, 2023, and netted his first international goal against Estonia on June 20, 2023, during the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying campaign. These early international contributions demonstrate his potential to impact at the highest level. He holds Ivorian and French nationalities but chose to represent Belgium.

His versatility as a right-winger, who can also play as a center forward or left-winger, offers tactical flexibility for the national team. As of the 2025/2026 season, he has played for RB Leipzig in the German Bundesliga.

Analysis of Recent Form and Performances (2025/2026 Season):

In the 2025/2026 Bundesliga season, Bakayoko has scored 2 goals in 12 matches, playing a total of 668 minutes. His goal involvement stands at 0.27 per 90 minutes. He has also maintained a 100% penalty conversion rate in his career, scoring 3 out of 3. Bakayoko's attacking strengths include long shots, passing, dribbling, and finishing. He has also featured in other competitions like the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, KNVB Cup, and DFB Pokal in previous seasons.

Latest News:

Unfortunately, recent news indicates that Bakayoko has been dealing with injury concerns. In December 2025, he suffered a relapse of a muscle injury and was sidelined for a match against Leverkusen. This followed earlier reports of a minor muscle injury that kept him out of a DFB Pokal match in early December 2025 and a calf injury in October 2025. These recurring injuries could be a significant impediment to his consistent game time and rhythm leading up to the World Cup. While he was recently on the bench for a match against Frankfurt, indicating a return to the squad, his recent injury history will be a point of concern for both his club and national team coaches. He is expected to have the winter break to recover.