The 20 best teenagers in world football have been ranked
Daniel Hepburn
34 – 43 minutes
Summary
Many teenagers throughout the world have been making big impressions on football fans.
Premier League stars such as Myles Lewis-Skelly and Leny Yoro feature in a list of the top 20 best teenage stars in the world right now.
Two of the world’s best teenagers play for Barcelona: Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi.
Best Teenagers in World Football Right Now
Rank
Player
Team + Nation
Age
1.
Lamine Yamal
Barcelona + Spain
17
2.
Warren Zaire-Emery
Paris Saint-Germain + France
18
3.
Pau Cubarsi
Barcelona + Spain
17
4.
Endrick
Real Madrid + Brazil
18
5.
Arda Guler
Real Madrid + Turkey
19
6.
Kobbie Mainoo
Manchester United + England
19
7.
Leny Yoro
Manchester United + France
19
8.
Kendry Paez
Independiente + Ecuador
17
9.
Desire Doue
Paris Saint-Germain + France
19
10.
Jorrel Hato
Ajax + Netherlands
18
11.
Willian Estevao
Palmeiras + Brazil
17
12.
Vitor Roque
Real Betis + Brazil
19
13.
Kenan Yildiz
Juventus + Turkey
19
14.
Archie Gray
Tottenham Hotspur + England
18
15.
Mathys Tel
Bayern Munich + France
19
16.
Myles Lewis-Skelly
Arsenal + England
18
17.
Franco Mastantuono
River Plate + Argentina
17
18.
Antonio Nusa
RB Leipzig + Norway
19
19.
Lewis Hall
Newcastle + England
18
20.
Jobe Bellingham
Sunderland + England
19
That being said, there are a host of teenage phenomenons currently stamping their authority in the Premier League and elsewhere in the world – from ever-flourishing defenders to midfielders wise beyond their years to forwards that just have that knack for goalscoring. And to celebrate their talent, GIVEMESPORT have assembled a list of the 20 best teenagers in world football – ranked in order.
1 Lamine Yamal
Barcelona and Spain
FC Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal
Being produced by the same academy set-up that formed the brilliance of Lionel Messi that all football fans know and adore is no easy feat. The pressure, especially at just 17 years of age, is enough to make the finest of footballers crumble, but not Yamal. He has taken to senior life in Blaugrana like a duck to water.
After a stellar showing at Euro 2024, Yamal also now holds the record for youngest player to appear at a European Championship, the youngest player to score at a European Championship, and also the youngest-ever player to start a major international tournament final – which broke a 66-year record previously held by none other than Pele. Generational.
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2 Warren Zaire-Emery
Paris Saint-Germain and France
Out goes Marco Verratti, in goes Warren Zaire-Emery – almost a like-for-like replacement – meaning that the Italian’s departure in September 2023 has gone somewhat unnoticed. In a team bolstered by players with staggering price tags and heaps of elite-level experience, the 18-year-old waltzed into the centre of the park and hasn’t looked out of place for one minute.
Warren Zaire-Emery – 2024/25 Statistics
Games
22
Minutes
1,590
Goals
2
Assists
1
Barcelona and Spain
Emerging as Inigo Martinez’s partner in crime in the heart of the Barcelona defence has been 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi – 16 years the aforementioned defender’s junior. Not overly imposing at just 6ft tall, the youngster’s modern-looking traits set him up to be a long-term option for La Masia in the future – and, in fact, right now.
Pau Cubarsi – 2024/25 Statistics
Games
25
Minutes
1,971
Goals
0
Assists
1
4 Endrick
Real Madrid and Brazil
Born in 2006, the world really is Endrick’s oyster. He has already cemented his name in Palmeiras mythology – but his career is poised to reach potentially unrivalled heights since arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu last summer. No doubt one of the most exciting prospects in world football, the 13-cap, three-goal international could go on to become on the same level as Brazil greats. Watch this space.
5 Arda Guler
Real Madrid and Turkey
After spending much of last term slowly being integrated into Carlo Ancelotti’s first-team plans at Real Madrid, Arda Guler exploded into life at EURO 2024. The Turkish sensation stunned the tournament with a magical strike against Georgia in the group stages, before becoming the focal point of an attack that fired The Crescent-Stars into an unexpected place in the quarter-finals.
Arda Guler – 2024/25 Statistics
Games
20
Minutes
676
Goals
1
Assists
3
6 Kobbie Mainoo
Manchester United and England
Despite being thrown in at the deep end, particularly during a season of mass transition at Old Trafford, the Stockport-born ace has been a cut above the rest in midfield, dictating games and keeping it simple. Destined to become a club legend in years to come, the cool and collected Mainoo is deceptively strong thanks to his small frame – but what we’ve borne witness to is, surely, just the start, even if the 2024/25 campaign is yet to bear any fruits for the maestro.
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7 Leny Yoro
Manchester United and France
Leny Yoro – 2024/25 Statistics
Games
6
Minutes
306
Goals
0
Assists
0
Ruben Dias, William Saliba, Leny Yoro and Virgil van Dijk.
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8 Kendry Paez
Independiente and Ecuador
Kendry Paez
Kendry Paez is set to light up the Premier League in 2025, with Chelsea sealing a deal to bring the dazzling wonderkid to Stamford Bridge from Independiente del Valle. Remarkably, he was just 15 when the Blues swooped in, shelling out nearly £20 million to secure his immense talent.
For some, that price tag might raise eyebrows — but Paez is no ordinary prospect. Tipped to hit world-class heights, the Ecuadorian midfielder’s silky touch and mesmerising ball control already hint at greatness. His star turn came in 2022, guiding his side to glory in the Copa Milo Mitad del Mundo final. Yet, for all his brilliance so far, this feels like just the opening chapter of what promises to be an extraordinary career for a player teeming with skills, as well as numbers to back up his potential.
9 Desire Doue
Paris Saint-Germain and FranceRennes forward Desire Doue in action
Likened to none other than Ronaldinho, inarguably one of the most entertaining footballers to ever grace the turf, the twinkle-toed 19-year-old has all the tools to become the next best thing to come out of his native France – especially given he has the knack of working diligently both in and out of possession.
Desire Doue – 2024/25 Statistics
Games
19
Minutes
776
Goals
2
Assists
4
10 Jorrel Hato
Ajax and Netherlands
Ajax defender Jorrel Hato in action
2023/24 wasn’t necessarily a great season for Ajax – the Dutch club was nowhere near their best last year, and at points earlier in the campaign, relegation looked like a real possibility. They turned things around somewhat, though, and finished fifth in the league. It’s still not great, but one major positive is the emergence of Jorrel Hato as a regular fixture in senior proceedings at the capital outfit.
The 18-year-old played 46 times for his club last season and has taken to first-team football seamlessly. He’s already showing maturity well beyond his years and should be a key figure for Ajax for years to come. Or until one of Europe’s biggest clubs eventually comes knocking and snaps him up in a high-profile move – as tends to usually be the case.
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Kenan Yildiz has been a revelation for the Old Lady this season while also producing the goods for his nation, Turkey. The same can be said for the versatile Archie Gray, a player who earned his big-money move to Tottenham Hotspur over the summer.
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Picked up and sent back on loan by Manchester City, 18-year-old Claudio Echeverri is poised to rise straight to the top in the coming years – but, for now, has to settle for 19th place. Jobe Bellingham, the younger brother of Jude, is still plying his trade for Sunderland but – surely – not for much longer with his string of red-hot performances for the Black Cats.
