The future of football is bright, and it's younger than you think. In stadiums and training grounds around the world, a new generation of talented teenagers is emerging, ready to take the beautiful game by storm.
From prolific goal-scorers to skilled playmakers, these young players are already making waves in top leagues and international competitions. In this article, we'll count down the top 15 teenage footballers in the world, featuring players from Argentina to Spain, and from the Premier League to Serie A. Get ready to meet the stars of tomorrow, today.
1. Lamine Yamal
Already a starter for Barcelona and Spain, his vision and skills are exceptional. He's a creative playmaker with a keen eye for goal, and his maturity on the pitch belies his young age.
Imagine playing for your country in a major tournament aged 16. Lamine Yamal has done just that.
The Barcelona star became the youngest man to play at the European Championship as he played a key role in Spain's vibrant 3-0 win against Croatia on Saturday.
He was up against Real Madrid's 38-year-old Luka Modric, who was 21 when Yamal was born, had just won his second Croatian league title and had made 14 appearances for Croatia.
2. Endrick
A prolific goal-scorer with impressive speed and skill, attracting top clubs' attention. His clinical finishing and clever movement off the ball make him a nightmare for defenders.
3. Gavi
A talented midfielder with excellent vision, already a regular for Barcelona and Spain. His ability to control the tempo of the game and pick out precise passes has drawn comparisons to legendary midfielders.
Pablo Gavi is essentially capable of whatever any coach asks. He's composed, his passing is exquisite, his movement looks choreographed and his pausa is beautiful to watch. It's like he's being controlled by remote: he's able to receive, turn, swivel and stop to a halt. He's excellent in all phases of play. He seems capable of absorbing information and bossing midfields in equal part.
4. Youssoufa Moukoko
A clinical finisher with impressive strength and speed, playing for Borussia Dortmund and Cameroon. His powerful shots and clever footwork have already made him a fan favorite in the Bundesliga.
Youssoufa Moukoko knows such thing as impossible. He burst into the Borussia Dortmund team as a 16-year-old when Erling Haaland was king and got fans off seats just as often, with his lightning speed captivating onlookers. He will look for the shot even when the angle is ever-closing, like a shutter in Mission Impossible. He can receive wherever, whenever and drive.
5. Alex Garnacho
A skilled forward with great speed, playing for Manchester United and Argentina.
He's comfortable dribbling in-field or stretching play, his eye for goal is excellent and his vision is good, too. But where Alejandro Garnacho really thrills - where he's truly a Manchester United player - is in his timing.
It's not just the instinctive runs that he has a superb knack of making behind backlines; it's that he always seems to make them exactly when his team needs them. Garnacho has the clutch gene. He has a solid base to build from as a footballer but more importantly for a young attacker, he's in tune with the rhythm of older team-mates already. He could be unstoppable soon.
6. Warren Zaire-Emery
France in the last decade has produced Pogbas, Camavingas, Tchouamenis... and Zaire-Emery is something particularly interesting in comparison. He controls tempo and he seems more than able to orchestrate a team of players almost double his age. But he can do it all. He's a jewel in this crown.
7. Rico Lewis
Manchester City youngster Rico Lewis is also considered one of the most valuable wonderkids in the world alongside Paris Saint-Germain star Warren Zaire-Emery and Ajax defender Jorrel Hato, both of whom are the youngest players in the top ten.
Back in the day, full-backs were famoushly failed wingers, before Pep Guardiola took to the laboratory to convert midfielders. Rico Lewis is a new breed, capable of inverting from left or right, secure in possession and excellent positionally. It's not often that the Catalan drops teenagers into his lineup but the trust that he's shown Lewis is a huge statement about how talented this boy is.
8. Arda Guler
Arda Guler is special: you have to be, to be compared with the likes of Mesut Ozil and Lionel Messi. He has the same velvet sweep with his left foot, similar 8K vision - but watch his movements and you'll see the whole of the game. In a Real Madrid side of muscle and bustle, he looks primed to be the artist - yet the signs are good that he could become a pure output machine, should he find himself in the right spaces.
Players this inexperienced don't often make the step up to 14-time European champions without a stepping stone. That in itself is hugely exciting - just watch him take Madrid by storm.
9. Kobbie Mainoo
Mainoo is a graduate of Manchester United's youth system and won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award in 2023. He made his first-team debut in an EFL Cup match in January 2023. Mainoo played for England at under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels, before making his debut for the senior team in March 2024.
10. Evan Ferguson
Ferguson is Kane's natural successor in the poise with which he wallops the ball, his instinctive movement in the 18-yard box and the way he uses his body. Whether he can add Kane's passing range and drift out of the box remains to be seen - but he has everything else you'd want from a complete No.9. He's taken to senior football with precious little adaptation time: just as he can swivel from any position within range to hit the target, he's looked as natural as you like when dropped into Brighton's lineup.
11. Victor Roque
He's everything that his elders brought over from Brazil to Catalonia: he's explosive, tenacious and an excellent ball striker. There are shades of R9, of course, in the way that makes the square foot of space around defenders' ankles his playground - but Roque is his own man and watching him pick apart defences in La Liga (not to mention face Endrick) is going to be a hell of a ride.
12.Gabriel Moscardo
Moscardo is virtually unpressable in his own third, can stride through the middle of the pitch with ease and his defensive awareness is already lightyears ahead of his age group. His passing range is great - he can loft a long ball or ping one to players around him - and his long-legged gait makes him inevitable when he bears down on attackers.
13.Antonio Nusa
No one does a wonderkid like Norway these days. The Norwegian Neymar may seem like a bit of a stretch - but the comparisons are obvious.
Antonio Nusa himself says that he admires the Brazil record scorer's penchant for chaos, though there's far more to his game than just taking players on and stretching play. Nusa's vision belies his age, with the ability to pick a lock from the left wing - and he's versatile enough to switch up his game if he moves to the right. Playing in a team with Haaland and Odegaard can only be good for you, right?
14. Valentin Barco
Barco is phenomenal in full throttle like a freight train - and with his considerable ball-striking ability, there have been obvious parallels made to Roberto Carlos. He's one of the most complete full-backs in world football already: the sky is the limit.
15. Leny Yoro
After experiencing something of a breakthrough campaign during the 2022/23 season, playing 13 times in Ligue 1 for Toulouse, Leny Yoro has since established himself as a regular member of the club's first team. Despite being just 18 years old, he's already become a key figure for the French club.
The centre-back is already worth close to £50m and if he continues playing at the level he currently is, his value should only continue to rise in the years to come. Toulouse has a very special young talent on their hands, shown by the fact he was named in the top 10 of NXGN's best wonderkid's in world football. Whether it's with the Ligue 1 side or elsewhere, he seems destined for big things.
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