Top Teenage Footballers In Europe This Season

Top Teenage Footballers In Europe This Season

Every now and again, a football prodigy with skills far beyond their years emerges out of nowhere, and takes the footballing world by storm, surprising everyone with the sheer amount of talent they possess at such a young age. The best thing about these youngsters is that they have their entire career ahead of them to hone their craft, while already having so much to give.

Kylian Mbappe

No surprise that Kylian Mbappe would make the list. The French striker exploded into the international scene with Monaco, at the age of 16, where he became the youngest player, as well as the youngest goal scorer.

Last year, he was loaned out to Paris Saint Germain for a whopping €180 million, making him the most expensive teenager in football history. He was definitely worth the price, as his season with PSG was nothing short of extraordinary. He scored 13 goals for his club last season, who took home the Ligue 1 cup.

He made his World Cup debut this year at 19, where he received the Best Young Player Award for his performance. He impressed anyone who watched him and played an instrumental role in France’s, the winning team, triumph.

He became the first teenager to score a goal in a World Cup final since Brazilian legend Pele. Mbappe is precise in his goal scoring abilities, incredibly quick on his feet and can whizz past defenders with ease. He won the Golden Boy award last year and is nominated for the coveted Ballon d’Or this year.

Gianluigi Donnarumma

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is another young player who is full of potential. About his club career, he has had a promising career with AC Milan. He began with them when he was just 16 years old, making him the second youngest player to compete in Serie A. Donnarumma is the youngest goalkeeper to play for the Italian National Team at the age of 17.

He’s made some great saves for both, and he has a reputation for being calm and composed on the field, and he’s often praised for his sharpness and quick decision-making skills. Several believe that Donnarumma will be able to fill the shoes of Gianluigi Buffon, one of the greatest goalkeepers in the world, and Donnarumma’s idol. Buffon himself has praised Donnarumma in the past and believes that young Italian goalie has a bright future ahead of him.

Matthijs de Ligt

Matthijs de Ligt made it on to the five men shortlist for the prestigious Golden Boy Award. At 19 years old, he shows a tremendous amount of skill for his age. He’s made a name for himself ever since he graduated from the Ajax Youth Academy, after which he a member of their senior team in 2016. Reportedly, some top-flight European clubs, from Barcelona to Manchester United and Liverpool, have an eye on the Dutch defender and are keen on signing him soon. He can seemingly take on some of the most formidable players with ease and confidence. With him at their disposal, Ajax certainly stands a chance at qualifying for the next Champions League stage. Many pundits, as well as his contemporaries, believe that he is a football star in the making.

Matthijs has been in great form playing for the Netherlands as well and is undoubtedly one of the best teenagers in football today.

Jadon Sancho

Jason Sancho began at Watford at just seven years old. In 2015, he was transferred to Manchester City when he was 14. Two years later, after being denied entry into the senior team, he decided to sign with Borussia Dortmund. It's hard to find a quality English player on foreign soil, but Sancho is just that. His form at Dortmund has been great, despite not having as much play time as his teammates. He became first Englishman to play in the Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund.

His performance with the English team is also noteworthy, especially at the youth level. During the UEFA European Under-17 Championship, he won the title of Player of The Tournament. This World Cup, he was called on to play for the main squad, and he became the first player born in this millennium to represent his national team.

Vinicius Junior

Vinicius Jr began his club career with Flamengo when he was 17 years old. Earlier this year, on his 18th birthday, he transferred to Real Madrid for €46 million, and he hasn’t disappointed. He became the first player in the main squad to be born in the 21st century.

Apart from his success at this club, it was his career at Brazil that caught everyone’s attention. He was a part of the winning team for South America Under-15 Championship, where he was the 2nd highest goal scorer. In 2017, he was the leading goalscorers in South America Under-17 Championship and was named Best Player of the tournament, one that his team won.

It was recently revealed that he was one of the five final nominees for this year’s Golden Boy award. He’s only 18 years old, but he has plenty of potentials and a lot to offer.

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