Top 10 youngster who broke through in 2022

The footballing world has witnessed a rise in new and young talents from around the continents.

The year 2022 is about to end, and what a year it has been for football fans. Due to the World Cup in winter this time, the league matches were rescheduled and there were fewer gaps between them, increasing the number of matches and thus the actions. After the leagues, the much-awaited World Cup began which just skyrocketed the fans’ excitement.

The World Cup became more and more thrilling with every match played, and the final between Argentina and France was arguably the best final ever. The World Cup gave chance to many youngsters to showcase their talent. It is obvious that after the World Cup, there will be total chaos in the transfer market in the upcoming January transfer window.

As per the leagues are concerned, they were already witnessing the rise of youngster, but the World Cup magnified it more. Many teams, across Europe, we're featuring their youngster, who are making their mark in these leagues. Many are under 21 but possess the talent more than any experienced players. These players are providing speed, agility and innovation to the game and are the future of their clubs, given they continue their present form.

Top youngsters who made their breakthrough in 2022:

Malcolm Ebiowei

Age – 19 Years

Position – Forward

The Crystal Palace forward is one of the youngest talents in the Premier League. He joined Crystal Palace from his former club Derby County and has shown potential in recent games. Although he hasn’t scored any goals in Premier League but is expected to grow into a fine forward.

Anthony Elanga

Age – 20

Position – Forward

The Swedish player is a Manchester United Academy product. He is a promising youngster. Elanga has played in 10 Premier League matches in the current campaign and is yet to score. He is linked to a transfer in the upcoming January window. He falls behind Anthony, Rashford, Sancho and Garnacho in the attacking pecking order which could trigger his departure and make room for Cody Gakpo.

Malo Gusto

Age – 19

Position – Defender

The Lyon academy graduate is the recent permanent addition to the Lyon defence. He has passing and receiving skills. He has caught the eyes of many big clubs in the European circuit. Manchester United and Chelsea are said to have interested in the young right-back. He has played in 14 matches so far for the French club. He is also part of the French U-21 squad.

Nico Williams

Age -20 years

Position-Midfielder

Nico Williams has helped Athletic Bilbao to 4th position this season. He is an important part of their squad having scored 3 goals and provided 3 assists this season. He has speed and excellent dribbling talents. Neco was selected for the Spanish World Cup squad and proved to be amazing in their attack. He brought pace and agility to the winger positions and was putting crosses and setting up passes for the Spanish attack.

Xavi Simmons

Age – 19 Years

Position – Midfielder

The once-Barcelona sensation seems to have found his pace with the Dutch side PSV. He was the future prodigy for Barcelona, but things didn’t turn out well with the club, and he moved to PSG. He struggled with his form in PSG colours in the first team and later moved to PSV. In PSV, he is showing his true colours. He has been remarkable for the Dutch Side. Xavi has played in 14 matches in the Eredivisie scoring eight goals and bagging three assists. He has also scored a goal in five Europa League matches.

Alejandro Garnacho

Age – 18 years

Position – Forward / Winger

The youngster from Manchester United rising star from Argentina has caught everybody’s eye with his goals in the 2022 campaign just before the World Cup. He has displayed excellent performance for the Manchester United under-18 teams and scored a number of goals for them. He is fast and has amazing goals scoring skills. Garnacho has played in three Premier League matches and four Europa League matches, scoring a goal in each of the competitions. However, he was not included in the Argentinian squad for the Qatar World Cup.

Harvey Elliot

Age – 19 Years

Position – Midfielder

The former Fulham player was the youngest ever to play in the EFL Cup. He later joined Liverpool in 2019. The youngster is the attacking pillar of the midfield and is amazing in that position, thus the reason why Liverpool signed him. He has appeared in 14 matches this season scoring one goal and providing one assist. He has also played in six Champions League matches and scored two goals.

Alejandro Balde

Age- 19 years

Position- Left Back

The La Masia graduate is in amazing form this season and is a regular starter with the Barcelona side. The 19-year-old youngster can play on both sides left and right but prefer Left. He is fast and has amazing passing and dribbling skills. He is effective in defence as well as offence and has provided 3 assists in La Liga this season. Balde has been seen linking up with Lewandowski making them a deadly pair. He was called up for the national side and was effective for the Spanish side in the Left flank. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see much of him as Spain was eliminated in the Round of 16 of the World Cup.

Youssouf Moukoko

Age – 18 Years

Position – Forward

He is the youngest ever to play and score in the Bundesliga. He is also the youngest player ever in Champions League history. Moukoko was also part of the German World Cup squad for the FIFA World Cup 2022. The Borussia Dortmund player has made 14 appearances this season and scored six goals and provided 3 assists. He has also provided two assists in six Champions League matches.

Endrick

Age – 16

Position – Forward

The young Brazilian sensation has joined Real Madrid from his former club Palmeiras.  Los Blancos has reached an agreement with the Brazilian side to sign Endrick in the summer of 2024 when he becomes 18 years old. He is termed the “Next Big Thing”. Endrick is the youngest player to play and score in Palmeiras' history. He is also selected for the Brazil U-20 squad. He has played seven club matches so far and has managed to score three goals.