Top 10 Best Young Players in the World 2025 | Ranked

Over the years, a plethora of young talents have reached the pinnacle of their careers, justifying the buzz created around them. From Sporting Lisbon’s Cristiano Ronaldo to Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, they all started to showcase their potential at a very young age and went on to be the greatest ballers ever. Although an initial promise does not necessarily guarantee the fulfillment of potential, as players like Bojan Krkic, Arda Turan, and, more recently, Ansu Fati would agree. Thus, even generational talents cannot afford any complacency and neglect the importance of hard work in their journey.

Hundreds of talented young football players under the age of 21 are on their way to being in the same league as the strongest players in the history of this game. On that note, we have compiled a list of the best twenty young football players who have a burning fire inside them to hit the top deck in the upcoming years. Players like Jude Bellingham, Pedri, Jamal Musiala, etc., who have become the talisman of their club at just the commencement of their professional careers, certainly fit this mould.

List of Best Young Football Players

While making the list of the top 10 best young players in the world 2025 across the world, we focused on some important criteria such as game-changing displays, important goals, and potential. The following are some choice picks from the current World Football roster that have excelled at their craft, irrespective of the lack of experience.

How We Ranked the Top 10 Best Young Players in the World 2025?

Senior club Impact: This metric defines how impactful the player is in raising the ceiling of the whole team through both his performances and link-up with the team. Their impact while playing for a senior club team helped in ranking the players on our list of the top 10 best young players in the world 2025.

Advanced Metrics: This metric takes into account the quantifiable actions occurring in the game, for example, dribbles per 90, expected goals accumulated per 90, defensive actions per 90, etc. These statistical numbers were taken from Transfermarkt, Fotmob, and Fbref.

Major Youth Award: The Major Youth Awards are organized by pioneers of the footballing community, including distinguished journalists and former legendary footballers, who form the jury for the awards. With major achievements, we were able to compile our list of the best young football players right now.

Future Potential (Transfer value & scouting grades): How likely is the player to develop into a superstar, despite being one of the best player in the world 2025? This metric observes the rise in the market value of the player following his rise in the footballing world, thus defining the financial and footballing value the player holds for his team.

Who is the Best Player in the World 2025?

It is these tricksters and prodigies that delight the hearts of their home fans, endearing them to each football fan irrespective of their club or national loyalties. Let us take a look at some such stars we've included in our best young players in the world.

10. Arda Guler (Real Madrid)

Arda Guler is one of the best NXGN wonder kids in 2024 with the “potential to reach the level of Lionel Messi”, according to his former coach. The Turkish midfielder-winger, who plays for Real Madrid in La Liga, is a treat to watch when he is on the move with the ball at his feet. Destined to be one of the greatest players in history, Guler became a nightmare for opponents after scoring 21 goals in 53 games for Fenerbahçe.

Arda has been in tremendous form for Real Madrid this season, making him one of the best young players in the world. The player is at the best club in the world and is taking the slower way to the top.

9. Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona)

Pau Cubarsi joined the Barca youth team in 2018 from Girona’s academy. The tall and physically strong defender already possessed the physical attributes to dominate in La Liga, which were combined with the rigorous ball mastery drills of the La Masia academy to provide us with a modern-day semblance of Piqué. Cubarsi’s development was accelerated through the Youth ranks due to a significant defensive crisis in the Barcelona first team during the 22-23 season.

The young defender took this opportunity in such stride, unfazed by the pressure of performing for one of the biggest clubs in Spanish football, that the whole world resounded with praises for the prodigy. He has shown why he is labelled as one of the best young players in the world.

8. Gavi (Barcelona)

Another Barcelona wonderkid Gavi has made it to the list of the best 20 young kids in 2024. Even with a smaller stature, the midfielder delivers on big occasions for the Catalan outfit and the Spanish national football team on big occasions week in and week out. Making his La Liga debut in 2021 at the age of 17, Gavi has already established himself as one of the biggest potentials in world football.

Gavi is easily one of the most impressive deep-lying midfielders in the world. His potential and work rate make him a potential superstar, alongside the likes of Pedri and Lamine Yamal. The Spanish midfielder has been one of the best young players in the world right now.

7. Desire Doue (PSG)

Desire Doue, the Rennes academy talent, has taken World football by surprise since his arrival at the Parc des Princes at the beginning of the 2024 season in August. The young forward, who was scarcely known as a world beater but was highly appreciated for his dribbling flair, smooth touches, and decent attacking vision, was also being courted by the Bavarians.

Doue flabbergasted the Parisians with his showboating skills, while also proving that he is not just an empty vessel, by converting each successful dribble into an opportunity for his team to capitalize on. The exploits of the winger revamped his situation in the PSG dressing room, as the youngster who was brought about as a developmental project, replaced fellow countryman Bradley Barcola rightfully in their starting lineup. His development speaks volumes as his transfer value upgraded from just 30 million Euros in 2024 to a double figure of 60 million Euros.

6. Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)

Jamal Musiala, a former English player, is now the biggest attacking weapon in the arsenal of the German football team. The 21-year-old is one of the most sought-after forwards in Europe following his dazzling displays across all competitions, including the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Bundesliga, and UEFA Champions League.

His unique dribbling skills, agility and vision of play make the fans rally behind him. With Bayern Munich, he has already scored tons of goals in recent years. Musiala has the world at his feet and has already become a huge part of the Bayern setup.

5. Joao Neves (PSG)

Joao Neves, the 20-year-old midfield magician, has taken Ligue 1 by storm. His calm composure while having the ball at his feet makes him a treat to watch. Considering the amount he cost PSG and what he has accomplished so far, it is a bargain or a win-win situation.

Even though the Portuguese midfielder has a 5'9" frame, he is not one to shy away from going for duels and in fact, he has dominated, ranking him among Europe's top tacklers. The PSG midfielder has been one of the top 10 best young players in the world right now.

4. Florian Writz (Liverpool)

Florian Writz is another German under the age of 21 who has been sending shockwaves across the world of football for quite a few months. After returning from a long spell on the sidelines, he became a cog in the attacking wheel of Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen in the 2023-24 season. The German club’s glorious journey to win the Bundesliga title, dethroning Bayern Munich, saw Writz putting on a seamless display throughout the season. He is already one of the best young attacking midfielders.

Wirtz is one of the most highly rated youngsters in the world today. His X-factor and the ability to score goals out of nothing make him a superstar not just of the future, but the present as well. The star German attacking midfielder recently made a move to Liverpool worth over 126 euros.

3. Pedri (Barcelona)

Pedri has already become a superstar in Spanish football and is destined to be at the highest level of the game in the future. He is a perfect example of the exclusivity of midfield. The former Barcelona manager, Xavi Hernandez, hailed the 21-year-old wonderkid from the next generation as the perfect player to fill in the void left by Andres Iniesta in the club.

Xavi also stated that Pedri is already at the same level as Iniesta, a statement that explains why the young Spaniard is in the top five of the list of best U-21 footballers. Pedri is one to watch out for, for sure, in the future!

2. Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)

When Jude Bellingham left Borussia Dortmund for Real Madrid, the football pundits said, “he has come where he is destined to be”. And the English superstar proved the fans and pundits alike by leading the Spanish giants to their 36th La Liga trophy and 15th UEFA Champions League title in his debut season.

The 21-year-old midfielder has the ability to play in the positions of a holding and an attacking midfielder. The “player of the 2023/24 season” for Real Madrid, Bellingham, is arguably the best English young player to ever play abroad at an early age. There are several reasons why Bellingham deserves his place at the top of this list.

1. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)

Barcelona rising star Lamine Yamal is arguably the best young football player under the age of 21 in 2024. The 18-year-old wonderkid is the youngest player in the history of Barcelona to play in La Liga. The Spanish winger is already at the same level as Kylian Mbappe and is expected to be one of the greatest club legends at Barcelona. His recent exploits in Spain’s victorious campaign at Euro 2024 accurately demonstrate his potential and greatness. It will be shocking if Yamal doesn’t win a Ballon d’Or title in the near future, given his potential and scoring ability.

Yamal is one of the most exciting names in world football today. His ability to contribute to the present, as well as his potential, make him the best young player in the world in 2025.