Football's finest under-20s
Roll over Ronaldo, move along Messi: these are the kids who'll dominate the world game for the next decade. Meet the fledgling footballers set to dominate the World Cups of 2022, 2026 and 2030.
Not all of them are household names - yet - but these are the players to follow. Remember the names, because they'll be selling you sportswear and after-shave for years to come...
50. Rafik Zekhnini (Fiorentina)
"Really? He’s really 17 years old? What the f***?!” Dortmund defender Mats Hummels was incredulous in 2015 after discovering the age of attacker Zekhnini, who had tormented the Germans in a UEFA Europa League play-off against Norwegian side Odd.
The winger spent just over two years there, attracting attention from Manchester United and Everton among others, before joining Fiorentina in July 2017. Norway have long lacked speed and skill; Zekhnini, who has dazzled for them from U15 to U21 levels, has them in abundance.
49. Rick van Drongelen (Hamburg)
“It’s hard to believe he’s only 18,” said coach Markus Gisdol after his new Dutch pupil performed superbly in 10-man Hamburg’s 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich in October. But Van Drongelen is already beyond his footballing infancy.
Defenders usually aren't blooded at a young age but centre-back Van Drongelen made his Sparta Rotterdam debut at the age of 16. Nor was it a one-off: within two years he'd totted up 50 appearances and attracted the attention of Chelsea, noted for their ability to sign youngsters with excellent resale value. The Holland U21 international – composed on the ball and an effortless reader of the game – opted instead for Hamburg, and is continuing his education impressively: ask Gisdol.
48. Christopher Nkunku (PSG)
Considering the competition at cash-rich PSG, it's perhaps a wonder that young players ever make the breakthrough at the Parc des Princes. But Nkunku managed it, and in late 2016 at the age of 18 years and 24 days he became the sixth-youngest player ever to represent the Parisian giants in the Champions League.
The only midfielder above him on that list, Adrien Rabiot, has been one of the many high-profile stars limiting Nkunku’s first-team opportunities, but Blaise Matuidi’s departure should grant more chances to the multifunctional youngster, who has excelled for France’s U20s.
47. Vasilije Janjicic (Hamburg)
Hamburg are putting their faith in youth, and it's being rewarded. Janjicic, a broad-shouldered, tough-tackling, skilful midfielder packing a powerful right foot, was named man of the match on his debut, prompting his coach Markus Gisdol to marvel at his “huge promise”.
Of Serbian descent, he joined FC Zurich as a five-year-old, represented their U21 side at 15, then played all of four minutes for their first team before departing for HSV – but his details have been kept on record by Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic.
46. Yann Karamoh (Inter Milan, on loan from Caen)
Born in the Ivory Coast, brought up in France, now on loan in Milan, wanted by teams in England, and a fan of an American basketball team: Karamoh is a global talent. Often compared to Ousmane Dembele, Karamoh has startling speed and electrifying skills, while strikers savour the pace that the France U21 international puts on his crosses.
The keen Chicago Bulls fan scored five goals in 35 outings for Caen in their 2016/17 Ligue 1 campaign and attracted admiring glances from Arsenal and Tottenham before joining Inter in the summer, initially on a two-year loan.
45. Ludovic Blas (Guingamp)
Sometimes a player is so impressively flexible that his main problem is managers deciding where best to use him. Colombes native Blas plays right-wing for France’s youth sides but as a central midfielder for Guingamp; his club team have also used him as a holding midfielder and in behind a lone striker. In other words (or rather numbers), our No.45 can play at No.6, No.7, No.8 or No.10.
Tenacious, quick, skilful and direct, the 19-year-old is in his third season as part of Guingamp’s first team and has aroused interest from Inter Milan, Liverpool and Lyon.
44. Sam Field (West Brom)
Fresh of face but mature of mind, Field looks south of his 19 years, but plays north of them. And it has been noted by his club's first-team manager Tony Pulis, not exactly the easiest man to please. “Sam’s very mature – a good decision-maker for his age, a brilliant passer, very clever,” said Pulis, who described his pupil as being “as gifted as any footballer I've seen at that age”.
For his part, the midfielder, who has represented England at various youth levels, has said he used to watch former team-mate Darren Fletcher in training – no bad role model, of 323 Premier League appearances.
43. Hannes Wolf (Red Bull Salzburg)
It's less than 175 miles from Graz to Salzburg, but it felt too far at the time. For the first few days after leaving his hometown to live at the Red Bull academy over in the birthplace of Mozart, the 15-year-old Wolf hid his teary eyes by wearing sunglasses.
The attacking midfielder's homesickness cure was to put in extra hours on the training pitch, inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo. Having provided seven goals and four assists as Salzburg upset the big boys to win the 2016/17 UEFA Youth League, he bagged four in as many appearances for the first team in August and was rewarded the following month with a call-up to Marcel Koller’s senior Austria squad.
42. Exequiel Palacios (River Plate)
River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo shared dressing-room pegs with some fine players, including Ariel Ortega, Radamel Falcao, Javier Zanetti, Gonzalo Higuain and Claudio Lopez; once described himself as a "new Maradona", he knows a good player when he sees one. And he sees one in Palacios: “I would have loved to have played alongside a player like Exequiel.”
Palacios has the sharp-sightedness of a veteran, a silky touch, is an excellent tackler, can retain possession when he has no right to, and is a fine passer. Amid growing interest from Europe, Palacios – who represented Argentina at the 2015 U17 World Cup and the 2017 U20 edition – recently committed his future to River until 2021.
41. Nicolas Gonzalez (Argentinos Juniors)
For forwards in Argentina, comparisons don't get much better. Asked about his 19-year-old prodigy, Argentinos Juniors coach Alfredo Berti namechecked the man whose six goals won the 1978 World Cup: “He reminds me of [Mario] Kempes.”
Having scored the goal that sealed his club’s promotion, Gonzalez has taken the top tier by storm: he's already being mentioned for a call-up to the full national squad, and no wonder after four goals in his first five starts. Combining elusive movement, excellent finishing and an uncoachable knack for being in the right place at the right time, he gets a lot of late goals: the teenage matchwinner.
40. Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham)
Ashley Cole 2.0? An English David Alaba? It sounds like tired hyperbole, but the Who’s Who of global football superpowers linked to left-back Sessegnon – including Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Manchester United and many more – suggest those lofty comparisons aren't just idle paper-talk. By definition anyone in the list has wasted no time in getting cracking, but Sessegnon made his Fulham debut aged 16 years and 81 days.
Since then he's closed in on 50 first-team appearances for the Cottagers. And he only turned 17 in May, just in time to enjoy England's U17 Euros triumph, in which he shared the Golden Boot. His attacking chops may mean he "does a Gareth Bale" and moves into a more attacking position – which would make him the very opposite of converted winger Ashley Cole.
39. Salih Ozcan (Cologne)
Tim Wiese, whose career began in Cologne, quit football to join the WWE. Ozcan went in the opposite direction, quitting wrestling to concentrate on a career with Cologne. It seems to have been the right choice.
Born in Cologne of Turkish descent, the attacking midfielder has settled seamlessly into the first team at his hometown outfit. Ozcan has represented his birth country at every level from U15 to U19. He recently won the Fritz Walter Medal – an award previously bestowed upon Toni Kroos, Mario Gotze and Timo Werner – for being the best German U19 footballer. As yet uncapped at senior level, he still has the option to represent either Germany or Turkey.
38. Justin Kluivert (Ajax)
A famous name is a mixed blessing. It can open doors and get you attention, but that attention can turn to heightened anticipation, especially if your dad scored the winner in a Champions League final at 18.
Like Patrick, Justin Kluivert was showered with hype in his mid-teens and became one of Ajax’s youngest debutants, but that’s about where the similarities end. While Pops was a hulking striker renowned for his aerial ability and poise in front of goal, his 18-year-old son – who broke into the Ajax first XI early in 2017 – is a diminutive winger exalted for his speed and sorcery.
37. Levi Garcia (AZ Alkmaar)
For any young forward in Trinidad and Tobago, Dwight Yorke has set a high bar. Levi Garcia has already surpassed two of them: not just the youngest to play for T&T in a World Cup qualifier, but bagging a debut brace to become his country's youngest goalscorer.
That was in March 2016, six months after he joined AZ on his 18th birthday. Tipped for greatness by Marco van Basten, he possesses sprinter’s pace, hypnotic trickery and, unlike several wingers, is hard to knock off the ball. He can’t half whack a ball, too, according to Van Basten – an apt judge of a venomous shot.
36. Aymen Barkok (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Jurgen Grabowski, Andreas Moller, Jay-Jay Okocha. They certainly love their entertainers in Frankfurt; the Eagles have another in their clutches with young Barkok. Possessing some of the fastest feet in football, the 19-year-old attacking midfielder is learning from the master – he studies clips of Zinedine Zidane – and with the exuberant confidence of youth, isn’t afraid to go for a killer pass or speculative shot.
With Barkok being a young attacking midfielder, it's inevitable that Arsenal have been linked with him. For now, he's working his way up through the Germany youth teams – Frankfurt-born of Moroccan descent, he remains eligible for two nations – and impressing at club level. On his Bundesliga debut against Werder Bremen, he bagged the last-gasp winner. No wonder Eintracht coach Niko Kovac gushes that “he is a dream footballer”.
35. Maximiliano Romero (Velez Sarsfield)
Football, it seems, has a limited supply of nicknames. Many of the best ones have been taken, but they can be reused when another talented sort arrives upon the scene. Such is the case with our boy Romero, awarded the 'El Tigre' epithet once granted to Radamel Falcao, the Colombian striker who set Argentine football alight a decade ago.
The Velez Sarsfield striker is certainly predatory and can hold his own physically, and unlike most real tigers, he can score with both feet. He bagged braces in Velez’s first two 2017/18 Primera Division matches, immediately settling fans’ concerns about the departure of principal goalscorer Mariano Pavone. However, they may find the replacement is also on his way: Romero believes only ligament damage put paid to Arsenal’s pursuit of him last year.
34. Axel Tuanzebe (Manchester United)
Manchester United fans may not recall Louis van Gaal's two-year reign with excessive fondness, but the Dutchman was certainly keen to involve United's youth players in the first-team squad. So it was when Tuanzebe, then 17, was named on the subs' bench for a league game at Crystal Palace. But then, he's already used to big changes – after all, he was born in DR Congo but raised in Rochdale – and big asks: affiliated with United since age eight, he gave his first TV interview at 11 and was the first player since Gary Neville to skipper the U18s as a first-year scholar.
Usually deployed as a ball-playing centre-back in United's youth teams, he has also excelled in central midfield and made his first-team debut as a right-back against Arsenal – prompting Jose Mourinho, not a manager renowned for blooding youth, to smile: “Alexis Sanchez knows his name now.”
33. Ben Woodburn (Liverpool)
Robbie Fowler. Michael Owen. These are big names in Liverpool, not to be thrown around lightly when discussing promising youngsters. But both have been mentioned when searching for comparisons to Ben Woodburn.
In some ways, that's understandable: packing a range of exciting attributes including speed, intelligent movement and clinical finishing, the kid became Liverpool’s youngest ever scorer when he netted at the age of 17 years and 45 days against Leeds last season. In other ways, it may be misleading: he has spent much of his early career operating from the left. But he certainly has end product: on his Wales debut he bagged a second-half winner from 25 yards against Austria.
32. Sander Berge (Genk)
The walls of the Genk hall of fame have seen a fair few new pictures recently. Among the notable alumni to have passed through the Belgian outfit are Kevin De Bruyne, Kalidou Koulibaly and Thibaut Courtois.
He's not quite up to that level yet – otherwise one could reasonably suppose he might not still be at Genk – but Sander Berge will hope to be regarded in the same light as those stars one day. He only arrived from Valerenga in January, but he's hit the ground running, making six Europa League appearances as Genk reached the quarter-finals via triumphs over Athletic Bilbao, Astra Giurgiu and Gent. A 6ft 5in holding midfielder, Berge relies on his technical ability more than his physical gifts and excels at starting attacks from deep.
31. Mateus Vital (Vasco da Gama)
Vasco da Gama are your typical yo-yo club, forever bouncing between divisions, lurching between triumph and tragedy. Mateus Vidal, who has been with the club for almost three-quarters of his life, can identify with that: having joined the club aged five, four years later he witnessed his mother being fatally shot.
Football was always his escape, and the playmaker thrived for Brazil’s U15s before being promoted to his club’s first team. Vasco were relegated into Serie B, with Mateus demoted back to the youth team – but after inheriting their No.10 shirt in July, things have been looking up for the wispy right-footer. He even broke his Vasco duck – two years after his debut – with the winner against Gremio in September.
30. Martin Odegaard (Heerenveen, on loan from Real Madrid)
Even among a list of people with startling talents at a frighteningly young age, some people stand out for being particularly youthful. Martin Odegaard made his first Norwegian top-flight appearance aged 15 years and four months and scored his first league goal a month later; another three months later he played for his country – as a 15-year-old, remember - and shortly after his 16th birthday he signed for Real Madrid. Now that's a rapid rise.
True, he is perhaps better known for his extraordinary youth than for any on-field contributions, but there’s no denying the Norwegian is a prodigious talent. Now 18 and on loan at Heerenveen in the Eredivisie, Odegaard is a creative presence in midfield, combining sharp passing with clever movement. Many have expressed disappointment at his relative lack of progress since moving to the Spanish capital but Odegaard still has plenty of time to fulfil his enormous potential.
29. Maxime Lopez (Marseille)
There's not much of him – at 5ft 5.5in, he's more than an inch shorter than Leo Messi – but Marseille’s teenage playmaker has already made a big impression in the south of France. Having first made Marseille's bench in November 2015 at age 17, he made his breakthrough in 2016/17. Coming off the bench in the second game at Guingamp with l'OM 2-0 down, he created a goal within 16 minutes; a little over a month later he was a regular starter, and has been pretty much ever since.
He ended up with seven assists in Ligue 1 last term, his tricky footwork and accurate distribution making him a key source of creativity for Rudi Garcia’s side, and has started to find the net himself too: in April he became the youngest Marseille player in 30 years to score a Ligue 1 brace. Lopez has reportedly been noted by from Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid, but his medium-term future seems to lie at Marseille after he signed a contract extension in February.
28. Dennis Geiger (Hoffenheim)
When Hoffenheim manager Julian Nagelsmann speaks of promising youngsters, it's worth remembering that he is a living endorsement for the benefits of early promotion. In case you don't know his own story, he became the youngest manager in Bundesliga history – at 28 – when Huub Stevens, the Hoffenheim gaffer whom his sidekick Nagelsmann was supposed to succeed at some point in the future, suddenly retired on health grounds. Having guided them to safety in 2016 and the Champions League in 2017, he was gushing when asked about Geiger in September: “He's an extraordinarily good footballer and I'm delighted for him… what I like so much about Dennis is that he has no fear and always wants the ball.”
Aggressive without possession and comfortable with it, Geiger is a midfield all-rounder who functions best in a box-to-box role. The 19-year-old has done a good job of replacing summer departure Sebastian Rudy, now of Bayern Munich, so far this season as Hoffenheim mount another charge towards the Champions League; in September, Geiger scored the opening goal in a 2-0 against Schalke, driving the ball into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
27. Dennis Bonaventure (Club Brugge)
The path from west Africa to eastern Europe has become such a well-trodden one that it's not just the Next Big Things who are entering the European market through the side door. Take the aptly-named Bonaventure (also known, somewhat confusingly, as Emmanuel Dennis). Although he had played for Nigeria U15s, he was hardly the name on everyone's lips when snapped up by UPL club Zorya Luhanska in March 2016 from the Abuja Academy.
Fast-forward 18 months and the unpredictable forward has been transferred to Belgium, dubbed ‘The Nigerian Neymar’, forced the Super Eagles selectors to answer repeated questions about overlooking him, and been scouted by Manchester City, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and Monaco. A master at entrapping fouls, Bonaventure propelled Zorya to third place in the 2016/17 Ukrainian Premier League, and exploded into the black-and-blue striped No.42 shirt of Club Brugge: after scoring within the first five minutes of his debut in a Champions League qualifier, he bagged four goals in his first three top-flight games.
26. Luka Jovic (Eintracht Frankfurt, on loan from Benfica)
In a list like this you'll find plenty of players who cross borders at tender ages in pursuit of footballing fame or fortune. But even among such company, it's a surprise to learn that Luka Jovic was just six when his father was being offered cash for him to cross the border from Bosnia-Herzegovina to Serbia each weekend, just to play football.
A little later, Belgrade big boys Red Star and Partizan traded uppercuts for the signature of a kid being compared to Darko Pancev and (his hero) Radamel Falcao. Red Star sealed the deal, and Jovic set about making history: outstripping Dejan Stankovic to become their youngest ever goalscorer (two minutes after coming on, grabbing the draw that won them the title); then playing in the Eternal Derby against his erstwhile suitors at a record-breaking 16 years and nine months old. A prolific scorer for Serbia's youth sides – he scored a U17 hat-trick against Croatia, which presumably went down well – Jovic was snapped up by Benfica in February 2016 and is now learning on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt. But then, he's never been frightened of new frontiers.
25. Alban Lafont (Toulouse)
Considering goalkeepers' careers tend to last longer than those of outfielders, and that there's only one place per team, it's perhaps a harder position than any other for a young hopeful to break into. But that threat comes with an opportunity: if a goalkeeper gets a chance and takes it, then steers clear of injury, appearances can soon rack up. Take Alban Lafont: he's only 18, but the goalkeeper has already made 72 appearances for Ligue 1 outfit Toulouse – particularly impressive numbers for a young net-minder.
It helps that he started record-breakingly early: at 16 years and 310 days old, Lafont became the youngest goalkeeper in Ligue 1 history in November 2015, keeping a clean sheet against Nice on his debut. Since then the Burkina Faso-born France U20 international has kept more clean sheets against the likes of Marseille and PSG, earning praise for quick reflexes, speed off his line and ball-playing ability. Former France custodian Gregory Coupet is a fan, telling Canal Plus: “He’s a smart goalkeeper who reads the game well… a great career is ahead of him.”
24. Alexander Isak (Borussia Dortmund)
It is the way of things in football. If you are a diminutive Argentine playmaker, you will be a New Maradona. And if you are a young Swedish striker with a knack of pestering the score-keepers, you will be a New Ibrahimovic. Welcome to the world of Alexander Isak.
In his case, perhaps, the comparisons with The Mighty Zlatan are less fatuous: Isak isn't just Swedish, he's also a physical and technical centre-forward, quick, strong and confident in possession. He also has the advantage of being able to either drop deep and link the play or run in behind, leaving defenders constantly guessing. Furthermore, he became Sweden’s youngest ever goalscorer when he struck in a 6-0 thrashing of Slovakia aged 17 years and 114 days; Zlatan, by comparison, was a positively ancient 20 when he got off the mark for his country. Having moved to Borussia Dortmund from AIK in January, Isak has had to remain patient for game time – but if he has Zlatan's longevity, he's got 18 years yet to make his own legacy.
23. Patrick Cutrone (Milan)
After a poor few years by their own stellar standards, Milan are determined to become a big noise in Italian football again: bought out by Chinese investors, they spent heavily in the summer. But despite that bankrolled recruitment drive, one of the brightest spots in a frankly disappointing 2017/18 has come through their own youth ranks.
Born just up the hill from Milan in Como, the six-foot Cutrone hit the ground running. Making his Serie A debut on the opening day of 2017/18, he won the penalty for Milan's opener, netted a near-post header then set up Suso for the third – before half-time. Adding more since in Serie A and the Europa League, he has caught the eye with his movement, touch and link-up play. As recent signing Lucas Biglia noted, “Who’s impressed me the most? Cutrone. I knew about the others, but he’s impressed me so much.”
22. Ismaila Sarr (Rennes)
What kind of idiot turns down a move to Barcelona? This kind of idiot, apparently. And maybe he has a point: having only one year of professional football under his belt, he concluded it was "too early" for a move to the Camp Nou, opting instead to continue his education with Rennes, who "will help me progress and reach great heights... I still have to progress defensively, offensively with more flair, and be more decisive in my approach towards goal."
He's perhaps being a bit harsh on himself, but he may be hoping Rennes proves as good a finishing school it was for Ousmane Dembele, who moved to Barcelona from Rennes via Dortmund. Dembele has Senegalese antecedents; Sarr was born there and has already won six senior caps. A speedy and direct winger, he switched to Metz in summer 2016 and his debut season was impressive enough to seal that move to Rennes... for now.
21. Xadas (Braga)
Xadas is an outlier. At first glance, Bruno Alexandre Vieira Almeida – for it is he – seems your typical Portuguese youth product: all pirouettes, nutmegs, defence-piercing through-balls and a left boot capable of curlers and thunderbolts alike. But unlike the vast majority of his peers and indeed previous generations of Portuguese playmakers, he hasn't come through the ranks at Os Tres Grandes – Benfica, Sporting and Porto, the eternal triumvirate dominating domestic football.
No, despite being born in the southern suburbs of Porto, the youngster skirted Portugal's second city and headed for the far northern outpost of Braga. In 2016/17 he starred for second-tier Braga B, bagging 11 in 30 from attacking midfield; breaking into the first team late in the campaign, he has flourished under his promoted former B-team gaffer Abel Ferreira. A couple of wonder goals from the playmaker – he never seems to score a simple strike – have helped to attract the attention of Lazio, Monaco... and Os Tres Grandes.
20. Panagiotis Retsos (Bayer Leverkusen)
Sometimes, you just know when something is right. In summer 2016 Olympiacos manager Victor Sanchez was so impressed by youth product Retsos – not quite 18 years old – that he threw him into the senior squad. By August the 6ft 1in defender was making his debut in a Europa League play-off. By February he was captaining the side. And by August 2017, barely a year after his senior debut, he was the most expensive player in Greek history, joining Bayer Leverkusen for €22m.
A versatile defender who has played at full-back despite being most comfortable as a centre-half, the 19-year-old is strong in the air and firm in the tackle, while he’s also willing and able to play out from the back. Born in Johannesburg to Greek parents, he made his senior international debut the day after his Leverkusen move, toward the end of Greece's World Cup 2018 qualification campaign. In the subsequent first leg of the doomed play-off against Croatia, he was brought on at half-time with his country already 3-1 down. Maybe they should have trusted him sooner.
19. Weston McKennie (Schalke)
There is an increasingly well-trodden path from the USA to the Bundesliga, and the road is littered with young promise. Christian Pulisic, John Brooks and Bobby Wood are among the United States internationals to have cut their teeth in the German top flight, and now McKennie is hoping to follow in his compatriots’ footsteps by stepping up to the senior national side in coming months.
In a world of false nines, inverted wingers and fantasistas playing percussive football, McKennie keeps it simple. A full-blooded holding midfielder, the 6ft 1in 19-year-old specialises in regaining possession for his team and moving the ball on simply to a team-mate. His connection with Germany goes back to his childhood; with a father in the military, young Weston spent three years in Kaiserslautern and played for a local club. After spending most of his teens coming through the ranks at FC Dallas, he hopped back across the Atlantic to join Schalke in August 2016. He made his first Bundesliga start against Bayern Munich in September, inked a new five-year-deal at Schalke just eight days later and scored on his full USA debut.
18. Dayot Upamecano (RB Leipzig)
If you were going to try to break into an international team in a given position, you probably wouldn't choose to be a wannabe France centre-back. Your path to the international seniors is blocked by Raphael Varane, Samuel Umtiti, Laurent Koscielny, Aymeric Laporte and Kurt Zouma.
However, don't rule out a late run on Russia from young Dayot Upamecano. Currently making waves with RB Leipzig – having cost €10m in January 2017 from sister club Red Bull Salzburg – Upamecano is an assured centre-back who reads the game well and is aggressive in the tackle, but the 19-year-old is also a tremendous passer. As his fellow Leipzig defender Marvin Compper says, “Dayot has everything needed to succeed in professional football” – no matter who's in his way.
17. Ezequiel Barco (Independiente)
Independiente are a proud old club: members of Argentina's unofficial Big Five, they have won 16 national championships and 10 more continental ones. After a spell in the doldrums including relegation from the top flight earlier this decade, they are back competing in continental competition – and at the heart of operations is a teenager. Independiente’s go-to creator, Ezequiel Barco is a diminutive attacking midfielder capable of operating on the left flank or in the centre.
The 18-year-old Argentine is a fantastic dribbler whose two-footedness allows him to take on his opponent on either side, and he's adept at wriggling out of tight spaces with his skill, balance and agility. Barco has scored six goals in his club career up to now, including a confident finish against Deportes Iquique in the Copa Sudamericana. There's no doubt about his self-confidence, but also from his team-mates too – the teenager is already entrusted with penalty duties. No pressure, kid.
16. Matheus Fernandes (Botafogo)
If Matheus Fernandes made a Christmas wish in 2016, there's a good chance it came true. In late January he made his first-team debut for the Botafogo club he'd represented since childhood. He obviously didn't make a complete pig's ear of it because in February he played in a Copa Libertadores qualifier. A combative, tough-tackling midfielder, the 19-year-old tends to sit in front of the defence and break up play, but he can occasionally be seen using his rangy frame to carry the ball forward.
By July he was starting in both legs of Botafogo’s 3-0 aggregate victory over Nacional to reach the Copa Libertadores quarter-finals. In November he renewed contract until 2019, by which time he may well be knocking on the door of the Brazil first team. What might he wish for this Christmas?
15. Toni Lato (Valencia)
Somewhere outside Valencia, or possibly in a secret warren underneath it, there must be a fiendish laboratory somehow producing a succession of startlingly good left-backs. OK, Jordi Alba was a polish-and-finish job after being released from Barcelona at 16, but since he returned to the Camp Nou in 2012 for €14m, los Che's academy has produced Juan Bernat (sold to Bayern in 2014), converted striker Jose Luis Gaya (coveted by Arsenal and Man City) – and now Antonio Latorre Grueso, aka Toni Lato.
The 19-year-old was handed his first La Liga outing in January and hasn’t looked out of place since then, demonstrating an ability to contribute in both the attacking and defensive phases. For instance, Lato was superb during Valencia’s trip to Real Madrid in August, defending well against Gareth Bale and providing an assist as his team drew 2-2 with the continental champions. A fast, athletic full-back who is also comfortable in possession, Lato has been linked to Liverpool in successive summers.
14. Matheusinho (America Mineiro)
Students of linguistics (or football history) will know that the Brazilian nominative suffix "-inho" indicates youth or diminutive stature. Matheus Leonardo Sales Cardoso won't be young forever, but considering he turns 20 in February and is still only a shade over 5ft 4in, it's a fair bet he'll always need help to get things off the top shelf. There shouldn't be a shortage of helpers for one of the most talented young players in Brazil right now.
With lightning-quick feet and a low centre of gravity, the 19-year-old attacking midfielder – well, he was hardly going to be a centre-back – drifts past opponents with ease whether playing out wide or through the middle. Matheusinho has also improved his end product in recent months, scoring the winner in a crunch Serie B clash with Santa Cruz earlier this season to keep America Mineiro on track for promotion, but his progress will be checked following a knee ligament rupture in October’s 1-1 draw with Parana.
13. Timothy Fosu-Mensah (Crystal Palace, on loan from Manchester United)
Born in Amsterdam to a Ghanaian family, Fosu-Mensah joined Ajax at eight years old and switched to Manchester United at 16. His compatriot Louis van Gaal gave him a first-team debut at 18, replacing Marcos Rojo at left-back against Arsenal in February 2016, and United have his contract locked down until at least 2020. The versatile Dutchman can play at right-back, left-back, centre-half or in midfield, which can come in handy.
Having represented the Netherlands at U15, U16, U17, U19 and U21, Fosu-Mensah made his senior debut in a 4-0 hammering by France. As a World Cup Qualifier, it was a terrible night for the Oranje but at least they have beaten Ghana to the previously dual-eligible Fosu-Mensah. At club level, in summer 2017 he opted to join another Dutchman, Frank de Boer, at Crystal Palace on a season-long loan; De Boer didn't last long, but his young hire has a good career in front of him.
12. Felix Passlack (Hoffenheim, on loan from Borussia Dortmund)
You may have noticed that Jurgen Klopp is a passionate man. He found leaving Dortmund a difficult decision for many reasons, not all of which were immediately obvious. Borussia have a tremendous track record of producing talented young players, and Passlack is among the latest starlets off the production line. Cue Klopp, after announcing his own intention to leave in summer 2015: “I could start crying knowing that I won't be coaching this guy.”
That summer, Passlack captained his country at the U17 Euros, where he scored three goals and played every minute as Germany reached the final. Currently on loan at Hoffenheim, the right-back has been compared with Bayern Munich’s Rafinha due to his pace, dynamism and composure on the ball.
11. Tom Davies (Everton)
Lately there's been a trend toward fans celebrating "one of our own", but down at the School of Science they've long been proud of their home-bred heroes – from Colin Harvey through Wayne Rooney to Ross Barkley. Tom Davies, the nephew of former Goodison graduate Alan Whittle, may be the next name on the list: joining Everton at 11, Davies is an energetic, box-to-box midfielder with physical and technical gifts.
Davies has represented England at U16, U17, U18, U19 and U21 levels and should soon play under the fourth Everton manager of his young career, having been promoted by Roberto Martinez, encouraged by stand-in David Unsworth and become a regular under Ronaldo Koeman. Everton's Young Player of the Year for 2016/17, he was superb in Everton’s 4-0 January thrashing of Manchester City, scoring a brilliant individual strike which was named the club’s Goal of the Season. Uncle Alan wasn't able to establish himself in the Toffees' first team; you wouldn't bet on young Tom suffering the same fate – no matter who's in charge.
10. Manuel Locatelli (AC Milan)
Among the many ways to announce yourself to the fans, one of the best is to score a stunning volley at San Siro. Such was the method chosen by Manuel Locatelli in October 2016, downing Sassuolo to secure a much-needed victory, but it was his reaction that melted Rossoneri hearts. Promptly bursting into tears, he was still sobbing during a post-match interview: “It’s the moment that every kid hopes for in their life.”
Since then, he’s become known for his calm maturity. Originally a stand-in for stricken skipper Riccardo Montolivo, Locatelli became indispensable to boss Vincenzo Montella, adding another belter against Juventus and ending 2016/17 with 25 Serie A appearances. Averaging 3.5 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, he nonetheless caught the eye with his ability on the ball, completing 82.2% of his 49 pass attempts per 90 minutes, helping Milan ensure a long-overdue return to Europe. Summer signings have elbowed him down the pecking order but he won’t be away for long.
9. Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
In life and football, success is not solely about ability. Without the self-belief and confidence to push on, even the greatest talent will stagnate; at certain times, you have to step up and prove yourself. Take Trent Alexander-Arnold at Hoffenheim in August. In a Champions League qualifier crucial to Liverpool’s self-image and bottom line, he stepped forward to send a free-kick brilliantly into the top corner and the Reds effectively on their way to football’s richest beanfeast. Steven Gerrard called it “a beauty” and that master of the grand gesture will have appreciated both the hit and the chutzpah: rather than meekly deferring to Jordan Henderson, Mo Salah or Emre Can, he backed his own ability.
It's this quiet assuredness in his own technique – visible every time he has the ball at his feet – that marks Alexander-Arnold out as a player of serious pedigree. A product of a youth academy whose output has somewhat dwindled since Gerrard and Michael Owen, the full-back is – along with the similarly precocious Ben Woodburn – one half of a glittering pair who hint at renewed distinction among Melwood's youngsters. That he was granted his first league start at Old Trafford having barely turned 18 is a mark of the esteem in which he’s held by Jurgen Klopp. The German is wary of overstretching his young players, but you can bet Alexander-Arnold won’t be shy when called upon.
8. Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax)
You may be unsurprised to learn that the pride of Ajax is a thinking man’s footballer, a cultured, ball-playing centre-back. You will be similarly unamazed to learn that he came through their youth ranks, having joined age nine. But even among the vaunted history of promoted youth, Matthijs de Ligt is a stand-out: the youngest Dutchman to play in a European final, the youngest Netherlands debutant since World War II, the second-youngest scorer in Ajax history (after Clarence Seedorf). Oh, and he scored that goal on his debut. As a centre-back.
Before you start hating him, know that not everything in De Ligt’s career has gone to plan. They lost that Europa League final to Manchester United, and his Dutch debut was curtailed at half-time after he was blamed for two goals conceded. But these harsh lessons, learned at age 17, won’t have affected a player who is anything but fragile. Two-footed, visionary, smart tactically, a superb passer and extremely comfortable in possession, he has focused on his football and with Davinson Sanchez moving to Tottenham he has become Ajax’s leader at the back. Expect his phenomenal progress to continue; if he develops into one of the best defenders of his generation, don’t be surprised.
7. Douglas Luiz (Girona, on loan from Manchester City)
When one is faced with adversity, it can be good to treat the situation not as a threat but as an opportunity. Or in other words: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. For instance, Vasco da Gama fans were stunned in 2015 when their famous old club was relegated from the top division, but for promising prodigies at the club's academy, it was actually positive news. Under the guidance of 1994 World Cup winner Jorginho, many shone in Serie B – none brighter than Douglas Luiz. A versatile box-to-box midfielder, skilful on the ball and determined without it, Douglas helped the club to promotion – and himself to a dream transfer.
After a handful of top-flight games, he was snapped up by Manchester City for €12 million, with football director Txiki Begiristain hailing the capture of “an exciting player with great potential… we are looking forward to helping him develop his talent.” That has come by immediately loaning him to their Spanish partners Girona. Having impressed against Barcelona and been praised by Brazil boss Tite, the youngster is certainly taking the chances – and making lemonade.
6. Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen)
In life, as in comedy, timing is everything. Had the Court of Arbitration for Sport reached a decision in the contractual case of Hakan Calhanoglu a few days earlier than February 2, Bayer Leverkusen would probably have reacted to the Turk’s four-month ban by making a signing. As it is, with the window firmly closed, they had to find the answer within their youth ranks. Cue Kai Havertz, who had already become the club’s youngest-ever debutant aged 17 years and 126 days; he’d once missed a Champions League game because of school exams, but he wasn’t missing this chance.
Magically two-footed and blessed with an outrageous passing range, Havertz displays such intelligence and calmness under pressure that his captain Lars Bender has gushed "I have never seen such a complete player at the age of 17”. He’s been compared to Mesut Ozil, except that he’s a physically strong 6ft 1in and good in the air. Liverpool have been linked but if he continues to impress, the may have rivals for his signature. It might come down to timing – and perhaps another January-window drama?
5. Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina)
It’s understandable that some people fear change: especially if things aren’t going too badly, it may seem an unnecessary risk to stability. So when Fiorentina binned gaffer Paulo Sousa in summer, young Federico Chiesa may have been sad to see the departure of the man who’d given him his breakthrough, and wondered if the incoming Stefano Pioli would allow him the same chances.
He needn’t have worried. In a poor Viola season, Chiesa had shown promise at wing-back; but switched to the attacking trident in Pioli’s 4-2-3-1, he has excelled. Effective on either flank or through the middle, he is energetic, dynamic and skilful, able to burst beyond defenders using his speed and incredible technique. He needs work on his finishing, but for help he could ask his dad Enrico, who bagged 200+ in a career encompassing the Azzurri and 10 clubs. Clesarly he didn’t mind change, and neither should his lad.
4. Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund)
As a proud American, Christian Pulisic will be very sad that his team won’t be at the 2018 World Cup. But as a player, it might do his body good to have a rest: after all, it can’t be easy to be a teenager carrying a nation of 323 million on your back. Throughout a frequently catastrophic attempt at qualification, Pulisic was a constant cause of hope. He grabbed the must-win penultimate game against Panama by opening the scoring from a tight angle before bamboozling his marker to lay one on a plate for Jozy Altidore; even in the final failure in Trinidad he rifled in a 20-yarder.
At club level, the Pennsylvanian has spent the last two years establishing himself as a standout player in Borussia Dortmund’s thrilling high-energy attacking unit. Although much of his game time has come on the flanks, the accepted wisdom is that Pulisic is destined for a central role. It makes sense: he is adept with both feet and possesses the shape-shifting change of balance that is the signature of the best modern-era No.10s. Meantime, Dortmund have barely noticed the summer sale of Ousmane Dembele to Barcelona. After all, they can rely on Pulisic instead – and now he’ll enter their 2018/19 campaign fully rested.
3. Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
When opportunity knocks, it can make a variety of sounds. In Marcus Rashford’s case, it was the gentle ping of a hamstring, followed by a groan and a grimace from Anthony Martial. The Frenchman knew he was out of the imminent game against FC Midtjylland; he might not have guessed that the local kid who came in, so unknown that he didn’t even have a Wikipedia page, would end up threatening his place for the following 20 months and beyond.
Being a striker, Rashford took his chance. Two goals against the Danes were swiftly followed by two more against Arsenal, and soon everybody knew the name. They also got to know his pace, deftness of touch, and fearlessness; his intelligent runs, early whipped crosses and perfectly-timed arrivals. And the truly terrifying thing is, he’s still learning.
2. Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Life comes at you fast. It’s barely a year since not many people had even heard of Kylian Mbappe; since then he has become one of the world’s most sought-after players, and subsequently bought for one of football’s highest price-tags. Not bad for a bloke who scored once in his first 18 appearances. Suddenly catching fire against Montpellier last October with a goal and two assists, he just kept going, ending the season with 26 goals and 15 assists. That included notching in five Champions League knockout games as Monaco banged 12 past Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund before falling to Juventus.
That gave him his pick of summer destinations, and he chose PSG while Monaco trousered €180m. So far he has been tried in all three front-line positions as Unai Emery attempts to get the best from Mbappe, Edinson Cavani and some fella called Neymar. And now Mbappe is a full France international, he may spend the summer battling his new mates for the World Cup Golden Boot.
1. Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan)
Goalkeepers don’t win much. Well, a good one will win you games, and a great one will win you trophies, but they attract a curious absence of praise considering they are frequently the difference between triumph and parity, between deadlock and defeat. In the half-century of Ballons d’Or, only once has a goalkeeper won the top gong – and that was in 1963. But Gianluigi Donnarumma wins our award, and we doubt it will be the last.
This is the kid who was thrown into Milan's starting XI as a 16-year-old, back in October 2015. The 6ft 5in shot-stopper who, playing behind an average-to-awful Rossoneri defence, kept 27 clean sheets in his first 80 games. The hero whose 2016 Supercoppa Italiana penalty shootout secured his club’s first trophy in five years. He makes few of the errors that might blight a youngster, and on the rare occasion his footwork gets him into trouble, his athleticism and gangly frame help him to recover. And in perhaps the greatest tribute of all, he’s the reason few Italians fear the retirement of Gigi Buffon. The legendary keeper calls Donnarumma “The chosen one” – and so do we.
