Sergei YAREMENKO, Sergei ZIMMERMAN
Son of Gheorghe Hagi, Colombian Yaya Toure, younger brother Dejan Lovren, as well as the new “Mario Gotze” – The Guardian has compiled a list of the fifty most promising juniors in world football.
Panos ARMENACAS
Australia
"Udinese"
Attacking midfielder
Born August 5, 1998
A penchant for graceful dribbling and a goal-oriented streak - thanks to these qualities, Armenakas became a target for Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. However, the player himself eventually signed a contract with Udinese. Armenakas was born in California but grew up in Sydney. Add to this his Greek roots, and you will understand why the midfielder chose between three national teams. He played for Australia in the international youth tournament last year and has emerged as the future of the Socceroos.
Thomas finite
Argentina
"San Lorenzo"
Attack
Born March 30, 1998
Konieczny was born in southern Patagonia but moved to Buenos Aires to attend the San Lorenzo School. Currently, he is the main goalscorer of the club's youth team. The striker dreams of playing in the Premier League and calls himself a “typical No.9.”
This guy has already managed to create a dubious sensation - while playing PlayStation, he got so carried away that he fell out of the window and was injured. The good news is that in the real game he stands on a much stronger footing.
Ismail AZZAWI
Belgium
Wolfsburg
Attacking midfielder
Born January 6, 1998
The long-suffering “Anderlecht” did not have time to recover from the departure of the brothers Musonda and Januzaj, when Ismail Azzawi was also taken away from it. In January 2014, the gifted winger left for Tottenham.
However, he did not stay in England. After the departure of Kevin De Bruyne, Wolfsburg acquired Azzaoui for 1 million euros. An unusually large sum for a player who is yet to make his professional debut. It's unlikely we'll have to wait long for his first Bundesliga match.
Lincoln grows up at the club that gave the world Ronaldinho and Anderson. Manchester United have already expressed interest in this extremely fast and unstoppable player with a killer left-footed shot and a strong mentality. Lincoln made his professional debut in February. He will captain the Brazilian youth team at the upcoming U-17 World Cup in Chile.
MATEUS PEREIRA
Brazil
Corinthians
Midfielder
Born February 25, 1998
Brazilians love left-footed players who can put on a show on the pitch, such as Rivelino, Gerson or Alex. Perhaps the new left-handed hero will be Matheus Pereira. He had already been selected as the best player at the international youth tournament held in Spain in June.
Pereira is obviously talented, but there are concerns that he could be like Ganso, who played alongside Neymar at Santos but never reached the same heights as his star pal.
Jesus MARIMON
Colombia
"Once Caldas"
Midfielder
Born September 9, 1998
Manchester City had their eye on the player when he was just 15 years old. However, Jesus Marimon signed his first professional contract just a few weeks ago. And since then he has regularly played for the first team of Once Caldas. His agent boasts that Marimon is the only child playing for the South American club.
Cold-blooded and calculating beyond his years, Marimon is similar to Yaya Toure. He is also great at breaking up the opponent's game and launching attacks for his club.
Davor LOVREN
Croatia
Dinamo Zagreb
Midfielder
Born October 3, 1998
Yes, this is Dejan Lovren's brother. However, there is no need to compare him with a relative if you have not seen Lovren Jr. play. You can watch the Croatian in action in the Youth Champions League matches, in which the Dinamo Zagreb youth team plays.
This midfielder is one of the key players in the promising generation of the Croatian national team, which can shine at the 2015 Junior World Cup in Chile. The fleet-footed Lovren is already being compared to Eden Hazard.
Jacob BRUN LARSEN
Denmark
Borussia Dortmund
Attacking midfielder
Born September 19, 1998
This incredibly talented Lyngby graduate was invited to PSV and Liverpool, but he ended up in Borussia Dortmund. So far, everything is going well for the fast and goal-oriented Dane. He excels in the youth team and has already made his debut for the team in one of the friendly matches in September. Brun Larsen has more than 20 games for the Danish youth team.
Kaan KAIRINEN
Finland
Inter Turku
Midfielder
Born December 22, 1998
Kairinen made his Inter debut when he was just 15 years old. He soon won a place in the core of the team, which is fighting to qualify for European competition. The left-footed midfielder handles the ball confidently and reads the game well. Local journalists call him the greatest talent in the history of Finnish football and are waiting for Kairinen to become the second Andrea Pirlo. Finn attended trials at Aston Villa and Tottenham. It seems that his departure to the Premier League is a matter of time.
Bilal BUTOBBA
France
"Marseilles"
Midfielder
Born August 29, 1998
Butobba played his first match for Marseille at the age of 16 years, 3 months and 16 days. He became the youngest debutant in the club's history. In order to attract the attention of Marcelo Bielsa, the midfielder needed only one month in the Olympic youth team.
Butobba plays on the right flank, but often uses his left foot to shoot for goal. During the Junior Euro, the Algerian-born Frenchman scored one goal and provided 5 assists. The Blues led by him won the tournament for the first time since 2004.
Luca FERNANDEZ
France
"Real Madrid
Goalkeeper
Born May 13, 1998
Fernandez was also part of the French junior team that defeated the Germans in the Euro U-17 final with a score of 4:1. His finest hour came in the semi-finals, when the goalkeeper saved three post-match penalties in the match against Belgium.
Luca Fernandez has been playing in the Real Madrid system since he was eight years old. This is not surprising, because his father is none other than Zinedine Zidane, a legend of French football and part-time head coach of the Royal Club’s youth team.
Dayot UPAMECANO
France
Red Bull Salzburg
Defender
Born October 27, 1998
He was a minute away from moving to Manchester United. PSG and Monaco also competed for the European junior champion, but Upamecano chose the modest Red Bull, with whom he signed a three-year contract. The defender is currently on loan to the Liefering team from the Austrian second division. There he regularly plays as a starter. In Salzburg they are confident that they have got a future star on their hands.
Fabian BENKO
Germany
"Bavaria"
Midfielder
Born June 5, 1998
The elegant and technical midfielder featured on Bayern's tour of China last summer. Benko played against Inter and received praise from Pep Guardiola himself. The Catalan noted that the guy has room to grow, but even now he surprises with the quality of his play.
Felix PASSLAK
Germany
Borussia Dortmund
Attacking midfielder
Born May 29, 1998
Passlack has been called "the new Mario Götze". He is very fast and dangerous on the attacking flank, but can also play in the No. 10 position and even on the right side of defense. The midfielder captained the German national team at the Euro Juniors. Already now it is called the future “mannschaft”. In September, Passlack received the Fritz Walter Gold Medal as Germany's best young footballer of his age.
Dimitris LIMNIOS
Greece
"Atromitos"
Attack
Born May 27, 1998
Limnios is only 17 years old, but he already plays regularly for the Greek U-19 national team. The left-footed forward, who loves to score acrobatic goals, scored a hat-trick in the match against Moldova. Limnios was on trial at Sampdoria, has already played for Atromitos in the Greek Super League and even made his debut in the Europa League.
This midfielder is similar to Kostas Mitroglou, who regularly terrorizes defenders with powerful runs.
Reza SHEKARI
Iran
"Zob Ahan"
Attacking midfielder
Born May 31, 1998
The speedy midfielder made his debut in the Iranian championship after outstanding performances for the national teams different ages. It is said that he can eclipse even Jawad Nekounam, who spent six seasons in the example, and play 150 matches for the national team. 17-year-old Shekari has already been called up to the youth team.
Haviv OKAYON
Israel
Maccabi Tel Aviv
Goalkeeper
Born August 17, 1998
Ohayon's godfather was Paulo Sousa, who coached Maccabi in the 2013/14 season. It was he who involved the 15-year-old goalkeeper in training with the adult team and called him a future star. Ohayon made his debut for Maccabi in August this year and saved a penalty in his first match. Tall height and data, like Thibaut Courtois, as well as fearlessness and leadership qualities are the trump cards of this goalkeeper.
Manuel LOCATELLI
Italy
"Milan"
Midfielder
Born January 8, 1998
Milan's chief scout Mauro Bianchessi calls Locatelli the future captain of Milan and says that this midfielder has something of Pirlo and Montolivo at the same time.
Locatelli is yet to make his Milan debut, but the arrival of a player with an impressive passing culture is highly anticipated at Milanello.
Manuel NICOLETTI
Italy
"Crotone"
Defender
Born September 12, 1998
A guy with a beard and slightly gray hair, Nicoletti looks older than his age. Last year he became the youngest footballer in Crotone's history, making his debut at the age of 15 years, 11 months and 20 days. A powerful defender with good technique, he is not shy about joining attacks on the left flank. They say that Juventus is closely monitoring Nicoletti, but the young player’s agent assures that foreign clubs are also interested in his ward.
Ritsu DOAN
Japan
"Gamba Osaka"
Attack
Born June 16, 1998
The forward, born two days after the historic match - Japan's first ever World Cup game - represents a new generation of Japanese football.
He made his debut for Gamba in the Japanese Championship and the Asian Champions League when he was not yet 17. An incredibly versatile Doan can even play on the wing and manage midfield in the junior team.
Pablo LOPEZ
Mexico
"Pachuca"
Midfielder
Born January 7, 1998
Lopez was named the best player of the CONCACAF qualifying tournament for the Junior World Cup. He is a dynamic central midfielder who is equally adept at holding the ball and joining in attacks. Pablo Lopez left his hometown of Queretaro when he was only 11 years old. Since then, the midfielder has been training in the Pachuca system, the best football academy in Mexico. Very soon he will be compared with Hector Herrera from Porto, who also went through the Pachuca school.
Ulysses TORRES
Mexico
"America"
Defender
Born February 17, 1998
The full-back, who loves to join in attacks, became the top scorer of the Mexican national team in qualifying for the 2015 Junior World Cup. Torres scored 4 goals in the qualifying tournament. Well-rounded, he is a great header, has excellent technical equipment and is a skilled crosser. It’s not easy for a young player to break into the “America” team, but his success at the Junior World Championship should give him a boost in competition with his club partners.
Hakim MATSUR
Morocco
"Milan"
Attacking midfielder
Born June 15, 1998
Hakim Matsur has 800 thousand friends on Facebook and 100 thousand followers on Twitter. Fame came to him at the age of 14, when Milan paid 500 thousand euros for the young talent. Since then, videos of the Moroccan’s exploits in the Red-Black youth team have been blown up on YouTube more than once. Matsur really made noticeable progress in three years in the Milanese Primavera and managed to play his first match for the Moroccan national team. In the new season, the midfielder defends the colors of Malaga on loan.
Justin BYLOW
Holland
Feyenoord
Goalkeeper
Born January 22, 1998
This guy started his career in the Feyenoord amateur team, but then asked to join the professionals. Bailou excels in one-on-one situations.
He already plays for the Dutch U-19 national team. If he continues to progress, he will soon oust his idol, Kenneth Vermeer, from the gates of the Rotterdam club.
Javairo DILROSAN
Holland
Manchester City
Midfielder
Born June 22, 1998
To say that Dilrosan began to progress early is to say nothing. Already at the age of four, the midfielder attracted the attention of Arsenal, which specifically asked the Dutch Football Federation to allow the boy to train in its Amsterdam branch.
In more mature age Ajax drew attention to Dilrosan, but English clubs beat him to it. Manchester City turned out to be luckier than others. Most recently, this midfielder scored three goals against the England youth team, for which three of his club friends played.
Han Wang Son
DPRK
Club "Forward"
If the South Korean player of Barcelona Lee Sun Woo was a kind of Messi at the Asian Cup for players under 16 years old, then Han Wan Son is Ronaldo. True, the North Korean himself says that he likes Ronaldo the Brazilian better. After Park Doo Ik, of course. The same one that in 1966 helped the DPRK beat Italy at the World Cup - he scored the only goal and allowed his team to leave the group. Han Wan Seong has determination and self-control. And if he steps forward as expected, he could become the first true North Korean star.
Martin EDEGOR
Norway
"Real Madrid
Attacking midfielder
Born December 17, 1998
One of those players on this list who is already quite famous. The midfielder, who showed his talent quite early, received invitations from many top European clubs, from Bayern to Arsenal. So he had to think carefully before choosing Real Madrid.
Martin became the youngest player to make his debut for the Norwegian club Strømgodset and in the Norwegian top league in general. This happened when the player was 15 years and 253 days old. And although he now has to fight for his place in the sun at Real Madrid, there is no doubt that Martin has talent that he can realize on the field. But we must take into account that at such a young age the press is already paying quite a lot of attention to Martin. In such a situation, the role of the football player’s father, Hans Erik, increases many times over.
Rafik ZEKHNINI
Norway
Club "Odd"
Attack
Born January 12, 1998
When Mats Hummels was told after Borussia Dortmund's game against Odd in the Europa League qualifying round that the Norwegian striker was only 17 years old, he didn't believe it and even looked stunned. In that match, Zehnini tore apart the Borussia defense so much that he even forced Dortmund head coach Thomas Tuchel to replace Gonzalo Castro at half-time. And although Borussia still won 11:5 on aggregate, Hummels hardly forgot Zehnini. The latter made his debut at Odd in July this year and immediately became noticeable in the Norwegian top league. He is fast and technical. The left foot is stronger than the right, but Zehnini has already shown himself to be an all-rounder when he scored with his right in his second Norwegian league match against Tromso. Top clubs in Europe have already appreciated Zehnini's potential. Odd confirmed that their midfielder was being watched by Manchester United, and, less surprisingly, by the same Borussia. Unlike his compatriot Odegaard Zehnini plans to stay in Norway for another year. At least that's what his agent says.
Christian BELIK
Poland
"Arsenal"
Defender
Born January 4, 1998
Despite the fact that Belik played only five matches for Legia, Arsenal and Hamburg immediately entered the fight for him. At the same time, the “gunners” felt: it was better to pay more, but still get the Pole. Arsene Wenger, in turn, turned Belik from a midfielder into a defender and was not mistaken. Bielik is quite tall - 189 cm. Several years ago in Poland, basketball coaches paid attention to him. But attempts to lure Belik into basketball were in vain. By the way, the midfielder’s skills are useful to the Pole at Arsenal. Especially when it comes to launching attacks. It is expected that Bielik's first call-up to the Polish national team is just around the corner.
Pedro PEREIRA
Portugal
Sampdoria
Defender
Born January 22, 1998
Pedro Pereira's first few months at Sampdoria after joining from Benfica have been a whirlwind. Although the right-back came to Italy as a dark horse. However, Sampdoria head coach Walter Zenga acquired the Portuguese without hesitation. Pedro started the season on the bench, but in the third round of Serie A in the match against Bologna he came on as a substitute instead of Cassani, and in the next match against Torino away he appeared in the starting lineup. The Portuguese looked good, especially considering his age. So in Italy he has everything to progress. Pedro has 32 caps for Portugal's youth teams.
Janis HAJI
Romania
FC Viitorul
Attacking midfielder
Born October 22, 1998
The name of his father certainly weighs heavily on Ianis Hadži. But he seems to be coping. “He's better than I was at his age. This is the future captain and leader of the Romanian national team. Janis has amazing qualities,” says “big” Gheorghe Hagi, a former player for Barcelona, Real Madrid, Galatasaray and the Romanian national team, about his son. Iannis made his debut in the top division of the Romanian championship at the age of 16 years and one month. Following the first half of the season, Fiorentina signed a contract with Hadji Jr., paying 1 million euros for him. True, for now Janis returned to Viitorul. To the club that his father created and runs. But in the summer, Janis will most likely go to Fiorentina. Haji Jr. can play as a forward and forward. He was the captain of Viitorul at the beginning of the season.
Artem GALAJAN
Russia
Lokomotiv (Moscow)
Attack
Born May 22, 1998
Born in Novorossiysk, the main Russian port on the Black Sea. He started playing football at the age of 7, and five years later Artem's coach took him to Moscow to demonstrate his talent to the capital's clubs. CSKA nothing remarkable in young man I didn't see it. But Lokomotiv was happy to give him a chance in one of their youth teams. Not too much time has passed since then, and in May of this year, the 180 cm tall striker went to Euro U-17 as captain of the Russian national team. His favorite players are Karim Benzema and Sergio Aguero. He has excellent positional thinking, a scoring instinct, and, given his age, reads the game remarkably well. The young Russian, unlike many of his compatriots, speaks English fluently. Already scored five goals in 11 games for the Russian U-17 national team and 13 goals in 19 matches for Lokomotiv’s youth teams.
Zerudin MEKHMEDOVICH
Serbia
"Chukarichki"
Attacking midfielder
Born March 15, 1998
Some experts have already seen in Mehmedovic “the new Dragan Stojkovic.” Possibly due to his superior technique and small stature. In the footballer’s homeland they say that he will be the “Serbian Messi”. But one thing is for sure: Zeko is a classic #10. If you want, like Dragan Stojkovic. He studied at Manchester City and Arsenal, so, according to rumors, he promises to develop into an interesting player.
Jan MLAKAR
Slovenia
Fiorentina
Attack
Born October 23, 1998
An attacker who knows no mercy. The same as, say, Huntelaar, Cavani or even Lewandowski. This teenager is already playing very confidently and scoring a lot: 16 goals in 16 matches for the Slovenian U-16 and U-17 national teams. Rumors of interest in Jan from Liverpool, Everton and Tottenham arose after Mlakar scored against his English peers in March this year. However, Fiorentina paid the Domzale club 1 million euros last year and agreed on bonus payments.
Liam JORDAN
South Africa
"Bidvest Vist"
Attacking midfielder
Born June 30, 1998
Jordan made his professional debut at the age of 16 at Bidvest last season. Now 17, he recently lost his father, former footballer Kierin Jordan, who battled cancer for a long time. A young man who controls the body like Cristiano Ronaldo has already attracted the interest of European clubs: Manchester United, Sunderland and Brøndby. So its appearance in the Old World most likely comes down to the word “when” rather than to the word “if”.
Lee Song Woo
Korea
Barcelona
Attack
Born January 6, 1998
The "Korean Messi" cannot play for Barça until he reaches his 18th birthday. This will happen in January. Lee is worth the wait. Fast, versatile, confident, he is arguably the preeminent Asian talent. This is exactly what the South Korean national team needs.
Jose Maria AMO
Spain
"Seville"
Defender
Born April 9, 1998
Central defender, whose surname translates as "Master". In the long term, this makes it a journalist's dream. Knows how to choose a position, is strong, plays well on the “second floor”. Called up to the Spanish U-19 national team, despite the fact that he is actually a year younger than most of the players on this team. Although he plays for the Sevilla farm club in the third division, he has been called up to UEFA Youth League games twice this season. As a child, his idols were Carles Puyol and Sergio Ramos. He claims that if he had failed to become a football player, he would have tried to become a torrero. In Seville they say he could have done just as well.
Dani OLMO
Spain
Dinamo Zagreb
Attack
Born May 7, 1998
A captain of Barcelona's youth teams and the Spanish national team due to his age, Olmo came to the Blaugrana school from the Espanyol academy at the age of 9. In the summer of 2014 he moved to Dinamo Zagreb. He was only 16 years old at that time. But Olmo really wanted to try himself in adult football, so he decided to move to Croatia. It’s still impossible to play at the Nou Camp at that age. “There is no other club like Dynamo that would provide me with so many opportunities. Here I trained and played with football players from different countries who have experience of performing at the World and European Championships,” said Olmo. He now played for Dynamo in the UEFA Youth League, and in September he played for the first team in the Croatian Cup, where he scored his first goal for the main team.
Zacharias FAUR
Sweden
Manchester City
Attack
Born March 19, 1998
If you are a gifted striker from Malmö and your name begins with the letter "Z", then comparisons with another striker whose name is "Zlatan" are inevitable. But Zacharias, nicknamed "Zaki", seems to be able to handle it. He started playing football at Malmö when he was not yet five years old. At 13 he was already being followed by big European teams. In the end, Manchester City paid £400,000 for the talented forward. He has a predatory instinct, a good strike. Many young Swedes ended up in the academies of English clubs, but not many eventually made it to the top. But maybe a different fate awaits “Zaki”?
Ibrahim DEMIRBARG
Türkiye
"Galatasaray"
Attack
Born October 30, 1998
In the mid-1990s, Galatasaray's golden generation won the championship four times, the UEFA Cup and the European Super Cup. Almost half of the players on that team were their own students. But then the conveyor stopped, except for Arda Turan. Perhaps with the arrival of Ibrahim Demirbarg the situation will change. He is an undisputed pearl among the youth of the current Galatasaray. The 16-year-old forward can play in a striker position similar to Thierry Henry's role. Some European clubs are keeping a close eye on the Turk, who has already scored 73 goals in 127 games at youth level and is regularly called up to the national team for his age.
Christian PULISIC
USA
Borussia Dortmund
Attack
Born September 18, 1998
Christian Pulisic was born in Pennsylvania. Young No. 10, small in stature but with good dribbling ability. What he, in particular, demonstrated in the spring match of the US U-17 national teams - Trinidad and Tobago. Borussia expects a lot from him. As a teenager, he trained at Porto, Chelsea, Barcelona and PSV, but was widely considered to lack physical qualities. Then Christian returned to Pennsylvania and began doing the same thing as hundreds of boys: playing computers, watching movies, chatting with friends. But at the same time he played a lot of football. At some point, Christian joined a national youth soccer development program and ended up in Florida. There he was noticed by Borussia scouts. “He didn’t outplay his peers. He took advantage of his football thinking. This is his strength,” Steve Klein, coach of Pulisic’s team in Pennsylvania, said about Christian.
Federico VALVERDE
Uruguay
"Real Madrid
Midfielder
Born July 22, 1998
Valverde's name is already accompanied by videos on the Internet, rumors and newspaper publications. But against the backdrop of all this hype, the footballer stands out with his talent. No wonder Real paid Penarol an additional 5 million euros, and the footballer ended up in Madrid after disputes over him with Arsenal and Chelsea. Then the midfielder was loaned to the same Peñarol. He will return to Madrid in the summer. The chances of getting into the main team will depend on how quickly he adapts here.
Jeff RAINE-ADELAIDE
France
"Arsenal"
Attack
Born January 17, 1998
Arsene Wenger knows a lot about young French players and knows which of them to invite to his team. True, there have been failures, but there is hope that Reine-Adelaide will prove to be a great player at the Emirates. He already made an impression in the pre-season matches, and in particular in the match with Wolfsburg.
Timothy FOSU-MENSAH
Holland
Manchester United
Defender
Born January 2, 1998
“The next Pogba” is what Manchester United fans have often called the Dutchman since his £300,000 move from Ajax a year ago. In fact, Timothy differs from Pogba in the position in which he plays. Fosu-Mensah is more accustomed to playing in the center of defense. But it is quite possible that it can be used closer to the attack. The captain of the Dutch U-17 national team already plays in the Manchester United youth team for football players under 21 years old. There he can quickly rise to the main team.
Dominic SMEKAL
Czech Republic
"Inter"
Attack
Born January 22, 1998
The right attacking midfielder is trying to become the first Czech player to join Inter Milan's first team squad. He has been in the system of this club since he was 16 years old. “Playing for the youth team of Banik Ostrava, Dominic was in some ways reminiscent of Milan Baros, in some ways Vaclav Sverkos,” says Pavel Malura, former Banik youth coach. Now he is helping Smekal grow as assistant head coach of the Czech Republic U-18 national team.
Evander FERREIRA
Brazil
"Vasco da Gama"
Attack
Born June 19, 1998
Evander Ferreira still plays exclusively in the Vasco youth team, but is already quite famous. Spanish media wrote that Barcelona was watching his every move. It is expected that he could follow in Neymar's footsteps. Like many other Brazilians, Evander took his first steps in futsal, where he honed his technique and good vision of the field. Last year, Ferreira became the top scorer of the Brazil U-17 national team with 26 goals. His next goal is to become the best at the U-17 World Cup, which could help him get into the Vasca first team.
Jose Luis "Cookie" SALAZAR
Spain
"Malaga"
Attack
Born May 5, 1998
He was born in Montevideo (Uruguay), but at the age of one he ended up in Spain, where his parents moved. The fact is that Jose Luis Salazar Sr. played in Cadiz and Espanyol, but was most remembered for his performances for Albacete, where he scored 70 goals. He played for the Uruguay national team at the 1986 World Cup. But “Kuki” already represents Spain at U-15, U-16 and U-17 tournaments, including at the European Championships in May. English clubs are already following him, but Malaga wants to retain young talented players. Jose Luis "Cookie" Salazar is in his fourth year at Malaga and his contract with the club runs until 2018.
Sandi LOVRICH
Austria
"Storm" Graz
Midfielder
Born March 29, 1998
Whether at school or on the field, Sandi Lovric gets straight A's. Former Sturm coach Darko Milanic gave him his debut in the Austrian Bundesliga at the age of 16. This was in August last year. And Sandy did not disappoint. He is already physically strong – height 180 cm, weight 75 kg. Reads the game well. This spring he refused to move to Juventus and Inter. He said that he wanted to finish school and then play in the English Premier League.
Sidiki MAIGA
Mali
Real Bamako
Attack
Born December 28, 1998
Mali is currently producing some talented young players. Third place at the U-20 World Cup is evidence of this. Plus the victory of the U-17 team in the African Cup for this age. One of the heroes of this tournament was Maiga, although he was second from bottom in terms of seniority in his team. Samuyul Eto"O considers him to be a role model.
Franco LOPEZ
Argentina
"River Plate"
Attack
Born April 1, 1998
Franco Lopez arrived at River Plate at the age of 13, and just four years later he became the best player for his age. Here he is called "Dinho" due to his resemblance to Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho. Dinho is similar to him both in figure and technique. In February, while playing for the youth team, he managed to score against peers from Real Madrid and Milan at a tournament in Qatar. Perhaps this is just the beginning.
Young football players in FIFA 14
In 2014, FIFA's player career mode underwent significant changes. Not everyone liked it. However, it can be argued that now, thanks to the emergence of new opportunities, the game has become much more interesting. For example, there is no indicator of general skill, which complicates the search for new players. It is now impossible to search for them on the transfer market, filtering them out by rating. According to the new rules, promising football players can be found exclusively through the scouting system.The following are five of the most promising young players. Each of them has a potential. A player's potential rating largely depends on how well he has played over the past few seasons, as well as on his playing practice. One of them is Zakaria Bakkali. He plays for PSV. His potential is ninety. The football player is only seventeen years old. Another young player is Anthony Martial. This eighteen-year-old football player plays for the Monaco club. The growth potential of this player is eighty-eight.
Nineteen-year-old Galatasaray footballer Bruma is one of the owners of high potential, which he has equal to eighty-eight. Victor Fischer from Ajax is also only nineteen. His growth potential is eighty-six. Angel Correa, who plays for San Lorenzo de Almagro, has the same potential. Angel turned eighteen years old.
The best young football players of the Russian national team
The best players will take part in the Russian national team at the World Championships in Brazil. Who exactly it will be is already known. The composition was announced by the head coach of the Russian national team, namely Fabio Capello. The roster included twenty-three players. 
Among the national team we can name the youngest football players. One of them is Yuri Lodygin. The football player is twenty-four years old. He plays for Zenit and, according to fans of this team, is the best player of the season.
Georgy Shchennikov is twenty-three years old. He plays for CSKA. For this team, the player managed to score a goal for the first time in a cup match with the Terek team, which turned out to be victorious for the army team.
The central defender of Terek, twenty-five-year-old football player Andrei Semenov, is also one of the youngest players in the Russian national team. Andrei was included in Capello’s application just a month ago. His debut took place in the national team in a match with Norway.
Russian national team midfielder Alan Dzagoev is only twenty-three years old. Despite his young age, he has already played twenty-three matches for the national team. He is rightly called the most talented player of the Russian national team. However, there are many positive and negative moments in his career, which is associated with his explosive nature. Due to lack of restraint, Dzagoev is often removed from the field.
Zenit's attacking midfielder, twenty-three-year-old Oleg Shatov, also joined the national team and will go to Brazil. This young talent has already played six matches for the national team, Oleg managed to score two goals. He acquired amazing equipment while playing mini-football. It was for this technique that Capello invited Shatov to the national team. The only goal scored in the match with Norway was scored by this young national team player.
Alexey Ionov is twenty-five years old. His home club is Dynamo, where he moved from Anzhi. Capello invited him to the national team due to the fact that by the end of the season the player had developed himself and began to show excellent results.
Maxim Kanunnikov turned twenty-two. This young football player is the author of Amkar's most beautiful goal. The striker received playing practice in the Perm club. He earned a call to the national team with his assertive play. Maxim played two matches with the national team.
Another young footballer of the Russian national team is twenty-three-year-old Dynamo striker Alexander Kokorin. In twenty-one matches he appeared on the field as part of the national team. He already has five goals to his name. He is in the prime of his life. Capello considers him the main hope of the Russian team at the upcoming World Cup.
The best young footballer in the world
According to the TOP rating of the best young football players in the world, twenty-one-year-old goalkeeper Tibois Courtois is in first place. He plays for Atletico Madrid. Thibois is on loan until the end of the year from Chelsea (London).Today he is considered the best goalkeeper in the world and, naturally, the receiver of Petr Cech in London's Chelsea. Thanks to this player, the team is on the same level as Barcelona. No one doubts that at the end of the World Championship he will be among the best players.
Messi and Ronaldo will retire soon. Replacing these two star performers will not be easy, although there are many promising players in the world who have already made a name for themselves. The editors of our site have compiled a list of the 10 best young football players in the world who could soon become big stars, like Ronaldo and Messi.
Top 10 young talents in football for 2018:
| № | Football player | Club | Nationality | Age |
| 1. | Kylian Mbappe | Paris Saint-Germain | France | 19 |
| 2. | Gianluigi Donnarumma | Milan | Italy | 19 |
| 3. | Ousmane Dembele | Barcelona | France | 20 |
| 4. | Gabriel Jesus | Manchester City | Brazil | 21 |
| 5. | Marcus Rashford | Manchester United | England | 20 |
| 6. | Christian Pulisic | Borussia Dortmund | USA | 19 |
| 7. | Rodrigo Bentancur | Juventus | Uruguay | 20 |
| 8. | Justin Kluivert | Ajax | Netherlands | 18 |
| 9. | Renato Sanchez | Bavaria | Portugal | 20 |
| 10. | Youri Tielemans | Monaco | Belgium | 20 |
Kylian Mbappe (19 years old)
Mbappe was born in Paris and went through the Clairefontaine academy before ending up in Monaco. Already at the age of 16, Kilian began to approach the base of the Monegasques. Kilian has enormous potential, which he is ready to realize in the coming years. He is an excellent dribbler, has a good shot with both feet, and also has good starting speed. Young Mbappe is not afraid to take the game on himself and beat several opponents in one pass. After the triumphant 2016-2017 season with Monaco, the forward became a transfer target for many giants of European football. In the summer of 2017, the player moved to PSG, where he quickly adapted and, along with Cavani and Neymar, formed one of the strongest attacking trios on the planet.
Gianluigi Donnarumma (19 years old)
Donnarumma made his Serie A debut when he was 16 years and 8 months old. He became the second youngest goalkeeper after Gianluca Paciarotti to make his debut in the Italian Championship. Gianluigi quickly became Milan's main goalkeeper. The player's brilliant reaction and crazy jumps gave rise to comparisons with the legendary goalkeeper of Juventus Turin and the Italian national team Gigi Buffon. On at the moment Donnarumma continues to play for Milan, but in the near future he may move to a more famous club, for example, Real Madrid.
Ousmane Dembele (20 years old)
It only took one season for Dembele to transform from an average player into a star. Under the leadership of Thomas Tuchel, Usman quickly blossomed at Borussia Dortmund. His strengths are dribbling, speed, and the ability to use free space wisely. The Frenchman is a versatile player and can play well as a winger or playmaker. Many European clubs with the prefix “top” dreamed of luring such a promising footballer, but not many could pay a large sum for him. Only the Spanish Barcelona decided to make an expensive transfer, buying the rights to Dembele from Borussia Dortmund for € 105 million. A serious injury did not allow the French midfielder to realize his potential in Catalonia from the first season, but he still has everything ahead of him.
Gabriel Jesus (21 years old)
For the next 10-15 years, the Brazilian national football team will not have to worry about who will play for the team in attack. Neymar and Firmino are already established stars with considerable performance experience, but Gabriel Jesus has not yet fully revealed himself. Since 2016, the talented Brazilian has been playing for the English Manchester City. This young footballer shows great promise, and the club bosses hope that Gabriel will become a good replacement for Sergio Aguero, who plans to go home to finish out his career. Jesus is a very fast and technical footballer. He is always focused on fighting and is not afraid to go into dangerous situations. City head coach Pep Guardiola trusts the Brazilian striker and often plays him in the starting lineup. Now it is important for Jesus to become the club’s main goalscorer in order to have more match practice and develop himself at a high level.
Marcus Rashford (20 years old)
For the second season in a row, Rashord is playing at a high level. Despite his youth, Marcus is already a main player for Manchester United. Manchester United head coach Jose Mourinho takes advantage of the player's versatility, deploying him on the midfield flank or in the No. 10 position. The Englishman is good at dribbling, has a good passing ability, and also shoots skillfully with his right foot. Marcus Rashford is also called up to the England national team. This young man has a great football future.
Christian Pulisic (19 years old)
Pulisic is the youngest scorer of a brace in the German Bundesliga. In a short period of time, the American adapted to European football, and is gradually becoming the main player of Borussia Dortmund, one of the strongest clubs in the world today. Christian recently re-signed a contract with the Bumblebees, who are counting on the player and believe in his bright future. Many American fans believe Pulisic has the potential to become as great a player for the United States as Landon Donovan. This young midfielder is improving his game intelligence with every match, and at the moment Borussia D is best place for its progress and development.
Rodrigo Bentancur (20 years old)
Bentancur announced himself at the Argentine club Boca Juniors. His role was as a defensive midfielder, but Boca coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto used him more often in the ten position, as the player stood out for his football intelligence and also knew how to quickly develop his team’s attacks. The Uruguayan surprised more than one European club with his performances. Real Madrid and Arsenal wanted to get him, but Juventus of Turin intercepted the promising midfielder. In the team of Massimiliano Allegri, Bentancur has not yet established himself in the main team, but he is still young and he has time to prove his “I” to the head coach of Juventus.
Justin Kluivert (18 years old)
Patrick Kluivert was 18 years old when he scored the winning goal for Ajax against Milan in the 1995 UEFA Champions League final. His son Justin has also dedicated himself to football and may soon become a global star. Unlike his father, Justin plays as a winger. He is a fairly technical footballer who can beat several opponents without much difficulty. Now Kluivert Jr. plays for Ajax Amsterdam. He is improving with every match, and if he continues to grow and improve his skills, perhaps very soon Barcelona will decide to sign him, as they did earlier with his father.
Renato Sanchez (20 years old)
Sanchez was born in Lisbon and played for Benfica from the age of 9. Since October 2016, the youngster began playing for the Eagles’ starting team. Benfica bosses saw significant progress in the player and decided to sign a new contract with him, setting a release clause of €45 million. The player's great potential was also noticed by the head coach of the Portuguese national team, Fernando Santos, who invited him to the team. At Euro 2016, the midfielder made the most of himself, demonstrating excellent football. He became the European champion with Portugal, after which he was bought by Bayern Munich. Due to the huge competition in the German giants, young Renato Sanchez has slowed down his development a little, but he is still ready to declare himself to the whole world. He has great prospects.
Youri Tielemans (20 years old)
The Belgian phenomenon Youri Tielemans closes the top of the best young football players in the world. At the age of 16, Yuri began playing for the Anderlecht main team. The talented midfielder’s excellent football attracted the attention of such famous clubs as Chelsea, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, and Manchester United. But the footballer himself was in no hurry to immediately move to a top club. He decided to test himself in a less strong team, which was Monaco. The Monegasques paid €25 million for the Belgian. This football player can be brought to high level Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim, who recent years revealed several of his players, including Kylian Mbappe.
15-year-old Genoa player Pietro Pellegri played his first match in the Italian championship this week. Sportbox.ru talks about the young man’s debut and remembers other “young and early ones.”
Europe
The debut of 15-year-old Pietro Pellegri in Serie A is the latest case of a teenager appearing on the pitch. The guy, who has yet to graduate from high school, repeated the national record on December 22. The young footballer took to the field for the first time as part of the main team and took part in the match of the 18th round of the Italian Championship against Torino. Even though he spent only a few minutes on the field (in the 88th minute he replaced Tomas Rincón), the previous achievement was repeated. Amadei also made his debut for Roma at the age of 15 years and 280 days. This happened almost 80 years ago - in 1937.
https://twitter.com/TransfersCalcio/status/812293433511604224It is clear that Pellegri did not deserve to enter the field for beautiful eyes, but for its enormous potential. Suffice it to say that he is already being actively recruited into the U17 youth team, and the difference between the ages at that age is colossal. The legend of Milan and the Italian national team Gianni Rivera is confident that the debut of the 15-year-old player will be good sign for Italian football: “This gives us confidence in our future. Congratulations to the boy on his debut. If the coach released him at that age, then he deserved this chance. This is a good sign for all our youth.".
Norwegian Martin Odegaard became famous in world football thanks to his early debut. He first played for his first professional team at the age of 15, and the talented guy was already being watched by Manchester United, Man City and Bayern. And just a year later, Odegaard had already signed a contract with Madrid. In his debut match, he replaced Cristiano Ronaldo himself, becoming the youngest player in the history of the club to make his debut in the Spanish Championship. True, this is where the young man’s achievements end.
Now he is gaining experience in Castilla, Real Madrid's youth team. However, even there things are far from enchanting for the 18-year-old attacking midfielder: in 13 matches of the third-ranking division of Spain, he scored three goals and did not give a single assist. Over the past year, Martin's estimated transfer value has dropped exactly by half: from 4 to 2 million euros. Moreover, the salary of the highly promoted young man is 3.5 million euros per year! Recently, Odegaard went on trial to the French Rennes, who were going to rent the Norwegian, but after getting acquainted with his abilities in training, the team’s coaching staff abandoned the idea of inviting a player who, just a few years ago, everyone unanimously called a prodigy.
These are now the ears of a Welsh elf - the most famous in world football, but Gareth could easily be called an asterisk back in adolescence. The footballer made his debut for the main English team at the age of 17, but attracted the attention of specialists in children's and youth football when he was only nine. Saints scout Rod Ruddick noticed the boy’s phenomenal speed and immediately sent a fax to the club: “We have to take it!” As a teenager, Manchester United also became interested in the footballer, but the young talent refused the offer. So Bale is that rare case when the high expectations following a bright debut are completely justified.
Mustafa Kapi
https://twitter.com/TSBible/status/784835005755383809This October, another teenager became an overnight hero: 14-year-old Mustafa Kapi made his debut for the main team. Coach Jan-Olde Riekerink, wanting to please the guy and add motivation to him, sent him on as a substitute in the 89th minute of a friendly match against the Bulgarian Levski. The young midfielder was not at a loss and immediately demonstrated a good set of skills - he took part in single combat and scored with an accurate pass. Galatasaray eventually won with a score of 2:0. Riekerink was pleased with the young man's debut.
“In this friendly match, we decided to give a chance to those who usually do not make it into the squad, including Mustafa,” noted the Dutch specialist. “And this chance is very important for him.” At the same time, Mustafa was no worse than older guys.
Interestingly, in Turkey Capi is already being compared to Paul Pogba. The young man earned this compliment thanks to his long strides and confident long-range strike.
Russia
In recent years, coaches have been giving young football players a chance. A bright debut in 2009 was made by 16-year-old Ananidze. For the first time in the starting lineup, the young midfielder came out in the Russian Cup match against Krasnodar and immediately scored a goal. In the same year, he made his debut in the Russian Championship - in a match against Kuban, and a few months later, already at the age of 17, he managed to distinguish himself for the first time in the Premier League. It is interesting that Zhanot scored his first goal not just for anyone, but for Lokomotiv Moscow, becoming the youngest scorer in the Russian championship. After a while, the midfielder recalled with pleasure both his bright debut and the first months at Spartak.
“Everyone thought that Jeannot was a Frenchman, and they were surprised that I was Georgian,” he said in an interview with Sport Express. - At the age of 16, I started in the reserve team, then got into the main team. And before that, I was released for half time in a training match, during a trial. We led 1:0, came out, scored two and assisted two, won 5:1. And they immediately said: the contract is not discussed, we sign it.
But Alexey Rebko at one time became the youngest football player in the history of Spartak. Oleg Romantsev himself then believed in the player, entrusting the young man with a place in the squad when he was only sixteen. Rebko first played for the main team in 2002, coming on as a substitute in a match against Zenit instead of the injured Dmitry Sychev at the age of 16 years 78 days. However, hopes were not met, largely due to the unfortunate injury of the midfielder. As a result, Rebko rarely appeared in the red-and-white lineup, and after leaving Spartak, he managed to change many teams. Now the midfielder plays for Luch-Energia. Recalling the time spent at Spartak, Rebko does not deny that the reasons for the failures lay not only in injury.
“There was crazy competition in Spartak,” the midfielder noted in an interview with Sport Express. - And when I was young, I already imagined that I should play in the first team.
Midfielder Ilzat Akhmetov is one of the latest young debutants of the Russian Championship. He first played for the Kazan team in 2014, at that time the football player was also only sixteen years old. First, Akhmetov took the field in the National Cup match, when Rubin met with Vladivostok Luch, and then showed his worth in the national championship match against Saransk Mordovia. For his debut, the young man received a positive assessment from the coaches, who considered that the midfielder had coped with his task. True, under Javi Gracia the young footballer is not yet getting much playing time. This season, Akhmetov has taken part in only three matches so far and, as a rule, has not spent more than 50 minutes on the field. He also came on as a substitute in the second half of the cup match against Khabarovsk SKA.
Every year new young talents appear in the world, who are immediately included in the list of promising football players. Some actually grow into great or at least very good players. Others remain at the same level. In fact, there are many reasons why young talents are not able to become truly great football players. Some people simply stop playing, basking in the rays of unexpected fame. And others (Alesandro Patu, for example), stop in their development due to constant injuries.
List of the youngest talented football players
This year's list of the most promising players includes:
- Kingsley Coman.
Team was born in 1996 in Paris. Today he plays for Bayern Munich as a winger. However, his rights belong to Juventus of Turin. Coman's achievements so far include the fact that he became the youngest PSG player to take the field in official matches.
- Leroy Sane.
Sane was born in 1996. He plays for the German national team, but also has French citizenship. Today his main club is Manchester City, where Sane plays as a midfielder. A significant fact of his career: the footballer first appeared for the main German national team in a match against France.
- Youri Tielemans.
Tielemans was born in 1997. His football career began with playing for the children's and youth teams of Anderlecht. Tielemans still defends the colors of this club today, playing as a midfielder. In the 13/14 season he became the best young player in Belgium.
- Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The Italian press calls him the man who can replace Buffon on the throne. Donnaruma was born in 1999, but despite such a young age, he has been Milan's main goalkeeper for almost a whole year. Moreover, he has already managed to break one of Buffon’s records: Donnaruma became the youngest goalkeeper ever to take the field in Serie A. 
- Brel Embolo.
Embolo was born in 1997. WITH early childhood he played for Basel, but in 2016 he moved to Schalke 04. The compensation amount was 27 million euros, which is quite a lot for a 19-year-old football player. Having Cameroonian roots, Embolo plays for the Swiss national team, being one of the most promising strikers in the world.
- Bamidele Alli.
This 20-year-old midfielder (born in 1996) today plays for Tottenham and the England national team. Alli was twice recognized as the best young player in England and according to the PFA.
- Kennedy.
Today this midfielder, born in 1996, plays for London Chelsea. Previously, his fate was connected with the Brazilian Fluminense, where Kenedy did not achieve outstanding results.
And finally, we invite you to look at the best saves of the youngest and most promising goalkeeper of our time - Gianluigi Donarumma, who is not yet 18.
