NXGN winners over the years: Where are they now?

The award is handed to the best European young player of the year

Goal has ranked the 50 best players every season, since 2015–16, aged 19 and under, with the help of their network of journalists. The list, called the ‘NXGN’ list, has the names of the brightest and biggest upcoming talents in world football.

The top-ranked player in each season’s list is given the NXGN winner's award. Seven players have won the award over the years, and we take a look at how they have fared and where they are right now.

Youri Tielemens (2015–2016)

Youri Tielemans currently plies his trade with Leicester City in the English Premier League. The Belgian was with Anderlecht in his homeland when he won the inaugural NXGN award.

A year after he did, the midfielder left for AS Monaco where he established himself as one of Europe’s most promising midfielders, which saw Leicester take him initially on loan before making his moe permanent. He has had three successful seasons with the Foxes, and with just one year left on his contract, he is expected to change clubs this summer.

Gianluigi Donnarumma (2016–2017)

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma currently occupies the place between the posts for Paris Saint-Germain. The AC Milan product, who became the second-youngest goalkeeper to make his Serie A debut, won the NXGN award during his formative years with the Italian club.

Since then, he made more than 200 appearances with Milan before leaving the club on a free transfer to the French champions, where he’s expected to man the posts for many years to come.

Justin Kluivert (2017–2018)

Justin Kluivert won the NXGN award during his time with Ajax. A product of the Eredivisie club, his performances in the Netherlands saw AS Roma part with €18.75 million to make him the fifth Dutch player to represent the Italian side.

Despite becoming the youngest Roma player to score in the Champions League, it hasn’t worked out for him at Roma. The son of legendary Dutch player and coach Patrick Kluviert, the 23-year-old has spent the last two seasons on loan with RB Leipzig in Germany, scoring four times in 27 appearances, and Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice in France, scoring six times from 31 games.

Jadon Sancho (2018–2019)

Jadon Sancho won the 2018-19 NXGN award on the back of his fantastic performances with Borussia Dortmund. He set the league alight, with his performances being rewarded with an England call-up too.

The winger has since moved to Manchester United, where he has had an underwhelming first season. Under Erik ten Hag, the 22-year-old seems to have rediscovered his mojo as he’s looked almost unstoppable in pre-season this summer.

Rodrygo (2019–2020)

The Brazilian made headlines when Real Madrid paid an eye-watering €45 million to sign the unproven teenager from Santos FC in Brazil. Despite the weight of the fee on his young shoulders, Rodrygo scored within a minute of his debut to give fans a glimpse of his talents.

The 21-year-old became the second youngest player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League. He is also the first player born in the 21st century to score in the tournament. In his first season, he managed to make 19 appearances, while scoring two goals. His importance in the squad has increased with each season, with Carlo Ancelotti considering him one of the most important players in the squad currently.

Ansu Fati (2020–2021)

Anssumane ‘Ansu’ Fati Vieira Guinea-Bissau-born Spanish player who plies his trade with FC Barcelona. The second-youngest player Barca debutant (16 years and 298 days) is also the club’s youngest goalscorer and the third-youngest scorer in La Liga history. He is also the youngest player in La Liga to both score and assist in the same match. He’s broken many more records since, which point to a talented player who is making his mark with every passing season.

Circumstances have favoured the 19-year-old, an NXGN winner in 2020-21, in his young career. Following Lionel Messi’s unexpected departure and Xavi Hernandez’s return to the club as the manager. The forward has established himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Jude Bellingham (2021–2022)

The latest winner of the NXGN award is Jude Bellingham. The Englishman made a name for himself while he was playing in the Championship with Birmingham City FC. At the age of 16 years, 38 days, he became the club's youngest debutant in August 2019. 25 days later, he also became the club’s youngest ever goalscorer

In the summer of 2020, Borussia Dortmund signed Bellingham for £25 million, excluding several performance-related criteria. The move made him the most expensive 17-year-old in the history of the game. On his debut in Germany, the teenager became Dortmund’s youngest ever goalscorer. The 19-year-old, who has made more than 60 appearances for Dortmund, is now the most important player for the Bundesliga club, following Erling Haaland’s departure. The future looks bright and promising for the lanky teenager.

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