Top 11 best youngsters in world football in 2024

Published at :March 22, 2024 at 9:26 PM

Modified at :March 22, 2024 at 9:27 PM

Some of the best youngsters aged 21 or less

In football, time moves so fast. Once there was a time when Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo seemed ever-lasting. But reality has shown they have moved to quieter competitions now. The likes of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland may be circling the newspaper headlines for a while but there are upcoming future talents right behind them.

In this article, we have clubbed together a list of the 11 best youngsters in world football. All of these eleven are 21 or under in the age category but have immense potential for their future.

11. Joao Neves

“I don’t know if United rumours are true, but I know he is ready for that big jump,” said club captain of Manchester United, Bruno Fernandes on the association of João Neves with the Red Devils. Neves currently plays for the SL Benfica first team in Portugal who are competing for the Liga Portugal title. The defensive midfielder is just 19. In the Portuguese first tier, two goals and two assists have been part of his 26 appearances this season.

10. Warren Zaire-Emery

Another teenager who has made a big name for himself in such a short time. At just 18, Warren Zaïre-Emery controls the midfield of the side that has Kylian Mbappé as the main forward. For Paris Saint-Germain, Zaïre-Emery has been used consistently this Ligue 1 season. two goals and two assists are not a bad return after 22 appearances.

9. Endrick

At just 16, Real Madrid made a deal with Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras to sign Endrick in July 2024. With his moves nearing, let’s talk about the forward who is still just 17. Talking about his mentality, the Brazilian youngster let his feelings known to the world when he was compared with the legend Pelé, “I want to be Endrick and I don’t care what people talk about.”. The left-footed player’s talent was also identified by athletic brand New Balance who now have a deal with him.

8. Lamine Yamal

A La Masia youth product who now headlines the starting XI of the FC Barcelona team in Spain. Want to know his age? Lamine Yamal is just 16. A first-team regular who has enjoyed 28 LaLiga appearances for the 2023-24 season so far. The winger has a brilliant output also with four goals and six assists. Just wait for Endrick to arrive and the El Clásicos are surely about to heat up with these two involved.

7. Eduardo Camavinga

Talking about El Clásico, Yamal’s opponents have a champion named Eduardo Camavinga. The 21-year-old French international is a Real Madrid regular. After growing up in the ranks of the French side Stade Rennais, Camavinga moved to the capital of Spain back in August 2021. The midfielder is left-footed and versatile enough to play a different set of positions. He already has 131 first-team appearances under his belt for the Los Blancos and also has lifted the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League trophy with them.

6. Alejandro Garnacho

Currently, Alejandro Garnacho is off with the Argentina national football team to take part in two friendlies against El Salvador and Costa Rica. At club level, the 19-year-old takes a stroll on the pitches of Old Trafford while he calls Manchester United his home. The winger was born in Madrid, Spain but represents the 2022 FIFA World Cup winners internationally. It is also worth noting that in the rumours we have Garnacho dreaming of a move to Real Madrid. Remind anyone else of Cristiano Ronaldo’s similar desire back in 2008?

5. Xavi Simons

The player who wears 20 on his back at RB Leipzig is also just 20 years of age. Born in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, the footballer attracted a lot of interest as a kid. The early move away from PSG may have been a setback but Xavi Simons knows how to bounce back bigger and brighter. A year later, PSG signed him back from PSV Eindhoven. His loan stay at Leipzig from Les Parisiens will expire this June. So far, Simons bundled 7 goals and 11 assists in the Bundesliga.

4. Jamal Musiala

The wearer of the number 42 is exactly half of that. That is right, Jamal Musiala still falls in the under-21 category given he is still 21. In the Bundesliga, the attacking midfielder continues to shine for Bayern Munich. This league season the player has made 21 appearances that involved scoring 10 goals and providing six assists. In the UCL, Musiala was involved in three goals for his team having made seven appearances.

3. Florian Wirtz

Another young German player shining brightly this season in the German first-tier league. Florian Wirtz can cause mayhem for any opposition. The attacking midfielder is just 20 and has been in the ranks of Bayer Leverkusen‘s first team since July 2020. Of the 66 goals scored by his club in the league so far, 17 had to do with the involvement of Wirtz in one way or another.

2. Cole Palmer

In the Premier League, Chelsea may be having a cold season but not Cole Palmer. The Blues are struggling in mid-table with just 11 league games to go. On the other hand, Palmer is being stalked by the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United. The 21-year-old has made eight assists in 24 PL games while also converting 11 shots as goals.

1. Jude Bellingham

A household name in world football already – Jude Bellingham is roaring at the heart of Spain. The Englishman arrived just this season at Real Madrid and has already become a superstar at the club. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder leads the LaLiga goal-scoring charts with 16 goals. Amazingly in the UCL competition in just six appearances, the player has four goals and four assists. Is another UCL title incoming for Los Blancos?

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