MIAMI, Florida – The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar kicked off on Sunday with 32 teams in pursuit of lifting the trophy and proclaiming themselves world champions.
Each of the four Concacaf teams in the tournament have a player in their midst who is on the rise and has the make-up to be one of the game’s biggest stars in the years to come.
For Costa Rica, that player is Jewison Bennette.
No team finished Concacaf World Cup Qualifying for Qatar 2022 on a hotter streak than Costa Rica, who earned 19 points from their final seven matches, thanks in part to 18-year-old spark plug Bennette.
Since making his Costa Rica Senior Men’s Team debut at 17 years and two months to become the youngest Costa Rica debutante ever, Bennette has gone on to appear in seven games with two goals.
The left winger ended up playing in three qualifiers to become the youngest Costa Rican player to play in a World Cup qualifier.
Perhaps his biggest impact, though, came in Costa Rica’s Inter-Confederation Play-Off against New Zealand, as Bennette’s pass set up the decisive goal from Joel Campbell to give the Ticos a 1-0 win and a place at Qatar 2022.
Since that moment, he bagged a brace in a September friendly against South Korea, and has already made his debut in Concacaf Nations League play in a 2-0 loss at Panama.
Bennette might only be 18, but he accrued ample experience at the youth national team level, playing three games and scoring a goal in the 2019 Concacaf Men’s Under-15 Championship and then appearing in another three games at the 2022 Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championship in Honduras.
The World Cup has a history of teenagers making their name in the tournament, and Bennette could well become the next breakout star with a big performance in Qatar.
