Garang Kuol: From 2022 World Cup Prodigy to Sparta Prague's Rising Star
Garang Kuol, who at 18 years and 79 days was the youngest player in the knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup since Pelé in 1958, has charted a promising career path in European football. Born in Egypt to a South Sudanese refugee family and raised in Sydney and Shepparton, Australia, Kuol's early life was shaped by humble beginnings, with his mother Antonietta washing football kits and his father Mawien milking cows.
Rising through the ranks of the Central Coast Mariners, Kuol debuted in May 2022. Following an international cap in September 2022, he secured a transfer to Newcastle United. His time in 2023 featured loan spells at Hearts in Edinburgh and then at Dutch side Volendam for the 2023–24 season, where he recorded one goal and one assist across eight starts and seven substitute appearances despite the club's relegation.
In 2024, after returning to Newcastle, Kuol suffered a grade-three tear in his right quadriceps, delaying further loan opportunities and a planned pre-season trip. He recovered to competently perform for Newcastle's under-21 side, contributing nine goal involvements in 11 appearances during the second half of the season.
In August 2025, Kuol completed a move from Newcastle to Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic, having accumulated 203 first-team minutes in eight appearances for his new club. His transfer was endorsed by former Newcastle staffer Diarmuid O’Carroll, who emphasized it was based on merit and viewed as a potential step for Kuol to realise his full potential. Coaches highlight Kuol's intelligence, quick learning ability, and single-minded dedication to improvement, believing he can leverage his varied loan experiences to develop into a top European performer.
