Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Australia defender Jordan Bos speaks to the media before the Socceroos' World Cup campaign
When Fifa released the fastest sprint speeds from the opening round of World Cup 2026, the name at the top of the list was not one many expected.
The quickest player at the tournament so far was Australia defender Jordan Bos.
According to Fifa's official physical tracking data, the Feyenoord left-back reached 36.7 km/h during his country's 2-0 opening-game win over Turkey, with only Norway striker Erling Haaland and his Manchester City team-mate and Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov getting close at 36.5 km/h.
Kylian Mbappe, Son Heung-min and Pedro Neto are among the established speedsters trailing behind.
For followers of Dutch football, it was hardly a surprise for Bos to top the rankings. For everyone else, it was an introduction to the qualities of one of the tournament's emerging stars.
The 23-year-old has just completed the best season of his career at Feyenoord, establishing himself as one of the Eredivisie's most productive full-backs. His nine assists were the most by any player in Robin van Persie's side, while his four goals helped the Rotterdam club finish second in the table and qualify for the Champions League.
Image caption, Jordan Bos recorded the fastest sprint speed of the opening round of World Cup 2026
What makes Bos' rise particularly intriguing is that he was not always the physical specimen he appears today.
Australia team-mate Connor Metcalfe remembers a very different player from their days together in Melbourne City's academy.
While technically gifted and comfortable in possession, Bos was physically small compared to many of his peers.
Then everything changed as Metcalfe recalled: "Out of nowhere, just after an off-season, he came back and he was a unit."
The transformation has invited comparisons with former Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid full-back turned forward Gareth Bale. Like the Wales icon, Bos spent much of his youth career as a relatively small left-sided defender before a dramatic growth spurt altered both his physique and his ceiling as a player.
Bale also grew around 20 centimetres during his teenage years, evolving from an undersized full-back into one of the most devastating and successful athletes in world football.
Bos has, remarkably, followed a similar path.
Without strength or size to rely on, he was forced to develop the technical aspects of his game first. By the time his body caught up, he already possessed balance, ball control and intelligence.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Bos impressed in Australia's opening 2-0 victory over Turkey
Bos knew his growth spurt would eventually come. His father, Jacco, is tall, and the Socceroos star remembers reassuring friends who doubted him.
"I said to my friends, 'Just wait, wait and see'," said Bos, who has become one of Australia's most dangerous attacking outlets.
His pace allows him to drive forward past opponents in transition, while his background as a defender means he remains comfortable operating deeper when required.
"I like seeing space in front of me," said Bos. "Lights show up in my eyes."
That combination was on display against Turkey. Despite Australia spending much of the match defending, Bos completed 21 of his 23 passes, created a chance, registered two shots and produced a crucial defensive block. His ability to carry the ball into open space gave the Socceroos a valuable outlet whenever they escaped Turkish pressure.
His story also carries a distinctly Dutch flavour.
Jacco Bos grew up supporting Feyenoord before moving to Australia after a backpacking trip in 1997, where he met Jordan's mother Sandra.
A childhood photograph of Jordan wearing Feyenoord's famous red-and-white shirt has since become popular among supporters. Years later, he is living out the dream his father once imagined, starring for the club he grew up watching from the other side of the world.
Bos' next challenge comes against the United States in Friday's Group D encounter, where he could find himself up against a familiar face.
USA defender Sergino Dest, another player who could have represented the Netherlands internationally, is at PSV Eindhoven - one of Feyenoord's fellow members of the Dutch 'big three' - and knows exactly what Bos can do in open space.
Usually deployed higher up the pitch for the USMNT despite being a full-back by trade, Dest could find himself directly matched against Bos on Australia's left flank.
A strong performance against the co-hosts would further enhance Bos' growing reputation, with Premier League clubs monitoring his progress.
The Australian, though, has repeatedly stressed he is in no rush to leave Rotterdam and younger brother Kasey has joined city rivals Excelsior on loan from Mainz, meaning the pair will spend next season living and playing a few kilometres apart.
For now, Bos is where he wants to be. But the fastest player at this year's World Cup is rapidly showing why he can make great strides on the game's biggest stage.
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Sources: BBC Sport
