Top 10 Best Young Footballers Under 21

Over the last decade, football has changed significantly. If in the past, young players struggled to make it into the main team and only the brightest talents got regular playing time, now the situation has noticeably changed. Clubs are increasingly betting on youth. Guys under 21 are not just substitutes - they become key figures in projects. The second place of 18-year-old Yamal in the voting for the "Golden Ball" last season confirms this. In this article, we decided to compile a list of the top ten young players in the world who are already making the football world talk about them.

10th place — Estevao (Chelsea/Brazil national team)

Age: 19 years old

Value (Transfermarkt): 80 million euros

Position: Right winger

Brazil continues to steadily supply super talents to the European market. Estevao, who was nicknamed Messinho in his homeland for his unique dribbling, officially joined Chelsea last summer and immediately proved that he would become a great player. Last season, the winger played 36 matches for the London club, scoring eight goals and providing four assists. Unfortunately, due to injury, Estevao did not make it into the Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup. Perhaps with Messinho in the team, the "pentacampeaons" would have avoided the shameful elimination by Norway in the round of 16.

9th place — Kenan Yıldız (Juventus/Turkey national team)

Age: 21 years old

Value (Transfermarkt): 75 million euros

Position: Left winger

Turkish winger Kenan Yıldız quickly went from being a promising junior to wearing the iconic number ten at Juventus. The heir to Alessandro Del Piero's style stands out for his excellent technique, great vision of the field and the ability to play equally well on the flank and under the striker. Last season, he scored 11 goals and provided 10 assists in 47 matches for Juventus. There is no doubt that next season Yıldız will do everything to bring the "golden crown" back to Juve in Serie A.

8th place — Endrik (Real Madrid/Brazil national team)

Age: 19 years old

Value (Transfermarkt): 40 million euros

Position: Striker

Endrik arrived in Madrid as a potential new superstar of world football, which European giants had been hunting for several years. Many expected him to start scoring in bunches right away, but Real is about patience and gradual maturing. In this regard, the loan to Lyon was beneficial for the Brazilian. In the second half of the season, the forward scored five goals and provided seven assists in Ligue 1. After such a performance, Endrik returns to Madrid. And under Jose Mourinho, the Brazilian is expected to become the main alternative to Mbappe in the attack.attack lines of "Los Blancos".

7th place — Nico Pas (Como/Argentina national team)

Age: 21 years old

Value (Transfermarkt): 80 million euros

Position: attacking midfielder

Nico Pas has always been highly rated, but he fully blossomed only in Como under the guidance of Cesc Fabregas. The Argentine became the best playmaker in Serie A last season, scoring 12 goals and providing seven assists in 35 rounds. The future of the midfielder is currently uncertain. Real Madrid has an option to buy back the Argentine for 9 million euros, but Como wants to keep him. In addition, the Premier League giants are actively interested in the Argentine talent. Therefore, specifics on this topic will appear only after the World Cup.

6th place — Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig/Ivory Coast national team)

Age: 19 years old

Value (Transfermarkt): 90 million euros

Position: left winger

German RB Leipzig once again confirmed its status as the best "incubator" for young talents, introducing Yan Diomande to the world. The Ivorian winger instantly fit into the high-energy and aggressive football of the German club, becoming the main figure in the attack line. Rumor has it that one of the best dribblers of the past season is already expected at PSG this summer. And there is no doubt that under the guidance of Luis Enrique, Yan will make a huge leap forward in his development.

5th place — Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona/Spain national team)

Age: 19 years old

Value (Transfermarkt): 80 million euros

Position: central defender

At the age of 19, Pau Cubarsi already looks like a ready-made top defender. He is calm under pressure, composed and doesn't make unnecessary movements. His main asset is his first pass: he can launch an attack with one accurate pass, which is exactly what Barcelona needs for ball control. At the same time, he doesn't get lost in tough one-on-one battles: he chooses his position wisely, timely blocks passing lanes and hardly gives the opponent comfortable zones. At the current World Cup, the Spaniard is proving why he should become the best center-back in the world in the future.

4th place — Joao Neves (PSG/Portugal national team)

Age: 21 years old

Value (Transfermarkt): 140 million euros

Position: central midfielder

Joao Neves is the real engine and the hidden conductor of the Parisian midfield. Despite his short stature, the Portuguese possesses incredible tenacity, outstanding technique, and football intelligence, which allows him to perfectly understand Luis Enrique's game. While much of the press is singing praises to Vitinho and Dembele, Neves remains a bit in the shadows. However, without him, PSG simply could not have won two consecutive Champions Leagues — this is a fact.

After all, Joao performs a colossal amount of work.

3rd place — Arda Guler (Real Madrid/Spain national team)

Age: 21 years old

Value (Transfermarkt): 90 million euros

Position: attacking midfielder

Arda Guler is a player who knows how to make a difference. He has an excellent left foot, he executes set pieces brilliantly and is always looking for an opportunity for a sharp pass. At Real Madrid, the Turkish midfielder is gradually becoming an increasingly important link. The proof of this is the past season, in which Arda participated in 51 matches for "Los Blancos". Guler scored six goals and provided 12 assists, becoming one of the best players of crisis-ridden Madrid. In the new season, he should enter as an untouchable player of the "Royal Club" main squad.

2nd place — Desire Due (PSG/France national team)

Age: 21 years old

Value (Transfermarkt): 120 million euros

Position: right winger

Due moved to PSG as one of the most versatile and talented players of the French generation. And Desire instantly justified this status. In two years in Paris, he won eight trophies with the club, won the Golden Boy award, and quite deservedly reached a price tag of 120 million euros according to Transfermarkt. We believe that in the future, Due could be the one to replace Mbappe as the main player of the France national team. The PSG winger certainly has the potential for this.

1st place — Lamin Yamal (Barcelona/Spain national team)

Age: 18 years old

Value (Transfermarkt): 200 million euros

Position: right winger

At the top of our ranking is a guy who, at his age, has already managed to rewrite dozens of historical records, win the European Championship, and earn a slew of trophies with Barcelona. 18-year-old Lamin Yamal is a unique phenomenon in modern football, the likes of which have not been seen for a long time. He is already a leader of the Catalans and the Spain national team, while also being considered the most expensive footballer in the world. Yes, last year Lamin was just a little short of winning the "Ballon d'Or". But there is no doubt that in the near future, Yamal will win the main individual award in football. And he will do it more than once.