Benjamin Sesko: Slovenia’s 2026 World Cup Saviour or Overhyped Flop?
Come on, let’s settle this! I’m a footy nut who loves an underdog tale, and Benjamin Sesko, the 6’5” Slovenian giant at RB Leipzig, has me hooked for the 2026 World Cup. At 22, he’s bagged 12 goals and 5 assists in the 2024/25 Bundesliga, with pace and a 68% aerial duel win rate that’s got TalkSport’s Jim White calling him ‘the next Haaland.’ Slovenia topped Group H with 18 points, so is this lad our dark horse, or just media hype? I’ve seen too many young stars—like Isaac Success—fade, so I’m wary.
His stats—2.1 shots on target per game, 4.2 dribbles—look good, but that Euros 2024 miss against England, blazing over with Oblak screaming, cost them dearly. With Jan Oblak’s 78% save rate and 12 clean sheets, they’ve got a shot, yet no World Cup win since 2010 haunts me. X is split: ‘Sesko’s our king!’ vs. ‘He’ll choke!’ Their 2024/25 form—5 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses—shows grit, but a group with Brazil and Germany will test them. I reckon he’ll score once, maybe against Morocco, but they’ll exit early.
Sesko’s Leipzig season—25 starts, 7 subs, 0.48 goals per 90—is solid, playing second fiddle to Loïs Openda. His heat map shows wide drifts, using his frame to hold play, but a 12% conversion rate suggests wastefulness. Oblak’s elite, but the defense, with Vanja Drkušić’s 6 goals conceded, is shaky. Can Sesko handle World Cup pressure? I doubt it, but his 10 qualifier goals say otherwise. Football’s mad—maybe he’ll prove me wrong.
Slovenia’s history—small nation, big heart—fuels this. Their 2010 win was fluke-like, and 2024’s near-miss shows progress. Sesko’s rise, from NK Maribor to Leipzig, mirrors Oblak’s path, but the big stage is different. I predict a group-stage exit, 1-0 to Brazil, unless Sesko’s 6’5” frame bullies defenders. Fans on X dream of glory—let’s see if he delivers.
This World Cup’s their shot. With a balanced squad—midfielders like Timi Max Elšnik adding steel—Sesko’s the focal point. I say 1 goal, 1 assist, but no further. Prove me wrong, lad!