Sometimes it’s obvious in football which young players are destined for greatness. Lionel Messi is the one example that immediately springs to mind, although there are many others. It was patently clear that the Argentine had the potential to become a world-class footballer just a few years after he joined Barcelona aged 13.
Similarly, there are a handful of youngsters aged 21 or under in 2024 who appear to possess all the tools to become truly great footballers. We’re unlikely to see another Messi emerge any time soon, but that doesn’t mean they won’t become outstanding players in their own right.
10. Warren Zaire-Emery | France, Age 18
It says a lot that 18-year-old midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery has already broken into Paris Saint-Germain’s senior team and became one of the first names on the team sheet during the 2023-24 campaign. With all the money that’s been invested into building a team capable of competing for the Champions League, to trust such a young player to be a huge part of the club’s plans is a huge show of faith from manager Luis Enrique.
Zaire-Emery looks like an experienced and cultured player in the middle of the park with the composure of a seasoned veteran and the running power of a peak athlete. His ability to bring the ball forward and dominate games from the middle of the park alongside Manuel Ugarte showcase exciting signs that are on the horizon for the years to come, in which the French midfielder could be the focal point of the PSG team for the next 15 years.
9. Kobbie Mainoo | England, Age 19
Kobbie Mainoo has burst onto the scene with Manchester United in the past 12 months and impressed fans and pundits alike with his remarkably mature performances. Many young players struggle when they’re thrust into a team that isn’t firing on all cylinders, but Mainoo has seen this as his opportunity to shine and has taken it with both hands.
The defensive midfielder – who turned 19 earlier in the year – has forced his way into the England first-team, starting a knockout game for the Three Lions at Euro 2024 and looking comfortable. Mainoo produced the goods in the Premier League week in and week out in his attempts to make that dream a reality.
8. Arda Guler | Turkey, Age 19
The biggest compliment that can be paid to teenage wonderkid Arda Guler came when a former youth coach claimed the Real Madrid starlet has ‘more potential than Messi’, according to Football Espana. The coach in question was Erol Tokgozler, who worked with Guler at the age of 13 before his move to Fenerbahce. Tokgozler said:
“Messi is the greatest I have ever seen and Arda has great abilities. Messi has already achieved everything and Arda still has to do it all, he is still a child. But if we talk about potential purely, Arda has more potential than Messi. Although he still has a long way to go.”
It’s almost unfathomable that a 19-year-old who has only played 12 games for Real Madrid at the time of writing – mainly due to an injury sustained upon his arrival – could come anywhere near the level of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. Guler certainly did catch the eye of many during his time playing in Turkey by contributing 21 goals in only 51 games for Fenerbahce.
7. Endrick
Endrick may only be 17 years old, but he’s been making waves for a couple of years now thanks to his eye-catching performances in Brazil with Palmeiras. It came as no surprise when Real Madrid announced that they’d secured the teenager’s services back in December 2022. Los Blancos are expected to pay up to £50 million in total for the wonderkid.
From scoring potential Puskas Award contenders aged 15 to becoming the fourth-youngest player to represent Brazil’s senior team, there’s no doubt that Endrick has star quality and could become a major asset for Real Madrid when he completes his move to the Bernabeu this summer. The young superstar even scored his first two international goals against England and Spain.
6. Florian Wirtz
A long-term injury in a young footballer’s career can go in one of two ways. Either the player in question can use that setback to spur them on to return to the level they’d initially shown, or the body of the player can break down and become injury-prone due to the strain put upon them. Fortunately for Florian Wirtz, it appears that the latter is true as the German came back from a long spell on the sidelines and slotted seamlessly back into Xabi Alonso’s plans.
Wirtz has been phenomenal as Bayer Leverkusen incredibly dethroned Bayern Munich as Bundesliga champions. Wirtz will no doubt come up in conversations when clubs such as Manchester City and Real Madrid draw up their potential transfer targets for the summer of 2024 should he continue to perform
5. Pedri | Spain, Age 21
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Former Barcelona boss, Xavi, loved every minute of seeing Pedri step into the shoes he once filled. Xavi claimed Pedri is ‘at the same level’ as legendary midfielder Andres Iniesta in an interview in early 2023, per the Daily Mail. The Spaniard said: “He is a player who is on another level, I have seen very few like him. He is talented, he is at the level of Iniesta, but Andres had continuity to the point that he is still playing.”
It is extremely high praise to be given such a compliment from a man who experienced the brilliance of Iniesta first-hand. Pedri has been a prominent name in Spanish football for a few years now, despite only being 21 years old, and he is the star of his national team alongside Gavi.
4. Eduardo Camavinga | France, Age 21
In a world of inverted full-backs, Camavinga could have proved himself to be the best in the entire business with his world-class displays in the role last season. While the long-term plan is for the Frenchman to be playing every week as a main part of the engine room for Real Madrid, it is always a good thing to have the versatility to start in the full-back role before moving into the centre of the pitch to dictate play.
At the moment, he appears to be the higher-rated young French midfielder in Carlo Ancelotti’s side despite being three years younger than Tchouameni. The Italian manager trusts Camavinga to play in a multitude of positions, even in the biggest matches. It took a bit of time for the youngster to settle into life in Spain and get a regular starting spot, but now that everything has clicked, it is going extremely well.
3. Jamal Musiala | Germany, Age 21
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The jewel in the crown of both Bayern Munich and Germany, Musiala was the only player who could leave the 2022 World Cup with his head held high from the German camp after putting on some dazzling displays in Qatar. His unique dribbling technique that sees the 21-year-old slalom through opposing players with ease is a joy for fans to watch and a nightmare for other teams to deal with.
Even when midfielders and defenders look to resort to kicking Musiala, his strength and power shine through as he just keeps going. Being one of the first names on the teamsheet at the Allianz Arena is a remarkable feat for such a young player, as there is a vast array of talent capable of playing in the engine room for the former German champions.
2. Lamine Yamal | Spain, Age 16
Aged just 16, Yamal became one of the youngest players in La Liga history after entering the fray during a 4-0 win over Real Betis in April 2023. He became Barcelona’s youngest player to start a game in the competition after being handed his full debut earlier in the 2023/24 season. Per Fabrizio Romano, Xavi backed the youngster by claiming:
“Lamine Yamal is practically a chosen one. His decision-making is exceptional. He’s not perfect of course, he is 16… but how he makes a difference at such an age already tells you the type of player he is and can be. His growth this year has been insane.”
As well as La Liga, Yamal also featured during the Champions League, meaning he’s already gaining valuable experience on the European stage too. Yamal even made his debut for the senior Spanish squad and scored on his debut during a 7-1 win against Georgia. At 16 years old, many want to compare the Spaniard to a certain diminutive Argentine, who had an extraordinarily successful spell at Barcelona, but it’s a little too soon for that conversation.
1. Jude Bellingham | England, Age 20
It could be argued that Bellingham is the best-performing player on the planet at the moment, as the former Borussia Dortmund man has been dominating for both club and country as of late. His move to Real Madrid in the summer came with massive expectations, and he has somehow managed to exceed them completely. Despite being surrounded by world-class players at the Bernabeu, the England international was the star of the show in the 2023-24 season as Los Blancos secured a record 36th La Liga title and 15th Champions League crown.
It is not seen as a conventional path to the top for English players to play their football abroad without ever passing through the Premier League, but the 20-year-old has done so to this point, already cementing himself as one of the greatest British players to ever play abroad.
