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The game of football has been dominated by two titans of the sport, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, for more than a decade now. The two greats of the modern game have won an astonishing 11 Ballon d'Or awards between them over the last 12 seasons.
Their dominance in the game of football may never be matched in the near future. With Cristiano Ronaldo turning 36 and Lionel Messi turning 34 next year, the responsibility of providing football fans with magic, goals, and dominance over football matches will be passed on to the next generation.
Football is a sport that is currently being dominated by young, fearless individuals who are not taken aback by the spotlight and the pressure that comes with playing on the biggest stage.
Majority of the top-level clubs in Europe are going through a change of guard. Teams like Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are going through a revolution currently and are looking to build their teams around young players under the age of 21 who have the potential to be world-beaters.
Therefore, as we seemingly enter into a new era of football, we will take a look at 10 youngsters who have the ability to dominate the sport this season and for many years to come.
#10 Erling Haaland | Borussia Dortmund
Not many players in world football have burst onto the scene like Erling Haaland has. The Norwegian striker caught the attention of the football world with eleven goals in his first seven appearances for RB Salzburg.
Haaland then went on to score six goals in his first three games in Europe's top competition, setting a new record for the most goals by a player in his first three appearances in the Champions League. He caught the attention of Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund, and ended up joining the German club in January 2020.
Haaland took to the Bundesliga like a fish to water, boasting a prolific scoring record for Dortmund. To date, he has registered 17 goals in 18 Bundesliga appearances for the club.
The 20-year-old striker seems to be in the mould of a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic and if he turns out to be anywhere near the level of the giant Swede, he truly will be a force to be reckoned with.
#9 Alphonso Davies | Bayern Munich
Alphonso Davies' rise to stardom at Bayern Munich has been nothing short of meteoric. The 19-year-old Canadian is already considered to be one of the best left-backs in world football after playing just two seasons in Europe.
Davies joined Bayern Munich from the Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS and initially played for Bayern Munich II. However, he was quickly promoted to the senior squad after the coaching staff noticed his potential.
In his second season at Bayern Munich, Davies established himself as the club's first-choice left-back after David Alaba was deployed as a central defender, as he was selected ahead of record signing Lucas Hernandez.
Davies played a starring role in the German giants' treble-winning season in which he became the first Canadian to win the Champions League. The sky is the limit for Davies, who seems to have the world at his feet at the moment.
#8 Mason Greenwood | Manchester United
Some would question the inclusion of Mason Greenwood in such an elite list of players, but at the tender age of 19, he has established himself as a starter for one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Greenwood was arguably one of Manchester United's best players in the 2019-20 season, where the club finished third in the Premier League and made it to the semi-finals of three Cup competitions.
The Englishman scored 10 Premier League goals in his full season with United and became the first teenager to score at least five goals in a European season for the Red Devils.
Amidst all the uncertainty and distress going on at Manchester United, Greenwood seems to be the sole bright spot at the club. The teenager has the qualities required to become an elite goal-scorer and is currently in a crucial phase of his development process.
#7 Ansu Fati | Barcelona
It's hard to believe that Ansu Fati is still only 17. The Barcelona youth-product made his debut last season for Barcelona, signing his first professional contract in July 2019.
Fati surprised one and all with his performances for Barcelona last season. The teenager scored 10 goals in just 27 games in first season in professional football, which earned him a call up to the Spanish national team. The 17-year-old recently scored his first goal for La Roja against Ukraine and became's the country's youngest ever goalscorer.
Fati is proving to be the player the Barcelona have been crying out for in recent years. The Catalan giants have spent more than £300 million on attacking players like Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho but seem to have found the player they were looking for in their own youth system.
It will be interesting to see if Fati can replicate his performances from last season, or even improve on them. The Spaniard has the best mentor and his idol Lionel Messi playing alongside him at Barcelona and will look to learn from the Argentine talisman.
#6 Sandro Tonali | AC Milan
Sandro Tonali is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Milan and the Italy national team. He made his Serie A debut for Brescia in August August 2019, aged 19.
Tonali is not a household name like the other footballers on this list, but any player that has been dubbed as 'the new Andrea Pirlo' is definitely one to watch out for in. The Italian's technical proficiency and elegance has caught the eye of some of the biggest clubs in Europe.
The 20-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Juventus but decided to join AC Milan on a season-long loan for €10 million with an option to buy for €15 million.
#5 Eduardo Camavinga | Rennes
Much like Ansu Fati, it is hard to believe that Eduardo Camavinga, a player who possesses such maturity and quality, is just 17 years of age. The midfielder made his debut for French club Rennes at the age of 16 years and become the youngest ever player for the club.
The Angola born midfielder caught the attention of the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United with his performances for Rennes in his first season as a professional footballer.
In a modern game that is heavily dominated by midfielders, Camavinga has shone brightly since his debut for Rennes. The 17-year-old was called up to the France team this summer as a replacement for Paul Pogba. He made an immediate impact, as he scored his first goal and became France's second-youngest goalscorer of all time.
Camavinga was heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid this summer, with Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane desperate to bring the France international to the Spanish capital. The 17-year-old, however, decided to continue his development at Rennes, but a move to a big club looks like it will happen sooner rather than later.
#4 Rodrygo Goes | Real Madrid
Rodrygo is not a name that most football fans will be familiar with. Most people will know him as a Brazilian wonderkid that joined Real Madrid last summer from Santos for €40 million. The attacker, however, is much more than that.
The 19-year-old has shone at Real Madrid since joining the club last summer. His performances for the Spanish giants have made him a fan favourite and a starter in a Real Madrid team that has a wealth of quality attacking options.
Rodrygo has managed to displace the likes of Eden Hazard, Gareth Bale, Marco Asensio and Lucas Vasquez during his solitary season with Real Madrid and looks set to develop into one of the best attackers in the world.
The Brazilian is still in the early stages of his career, having made only 21 La Liga appearances for Real Madrid and earning two caps for the national team. Rodrygo could get his chance to become a global superstar this season and looks set to be a key player for Los Blancos in the coming years.
#3 Vinicius Junior | Real Madrid
Vinicius Junior joined Real Madrid in 2018 at the age of 18 for a whopping fee of €46 million from Flamengo. The Brazilian was touted as the next Neymar when he joined Madrid and has shown glimpses of his brilliance at the Santiago Bernabeu.
He is known for his speed, trickery and skill on the ball and is capable of winning games on his own. However, Vinicius has been erratic with his performances for Real Madrid and Brazil so far.
At the age of 20, the attacker still has all the time and talent in the world to develop into a potential Ballon d'Or winner, as he looks set to lead Los Blancos into an era of dominance.
Vinicius will, however, face competition for places from fellow Brazilian Rodrygo and Eden Hazard at Real Madrid and must find a way to be consistent in order to stand out amongst the crowd.
#2 Jadon Sancho | Borussia Dortmund
Jadon Sancho is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting young prospects in world football. Sometimes, fans and pundits forget that he is still young, as he has already spent two full seasons at the top of European football since his transfer from Manchester City in 2017.
Sancho signed for Dortmund for just £8 million in 2017 and is now valued at £108 million by the German club. The Englishman burst onto the scene for the national team too, having made his debut for his country at the age of just 18.
The attacker has now become a regular starter for England and is almost guaranteed of a spot in the England squad for Euro 2021. A move to a top European club seems imminent for Sancho, but it will be interesting to see how he performs for the Dortmund this season.
#1 Joao Felix | Atletico Madrid
The wonder boy, the new Cristiano Ronaldo, the future of Portugal. There have been several titles given to Joao Felix since he rose to prominence at Benfica in the 2018-19 season. Felix made his professional debut at age 17 and delivered a series of eye-catching displays in Liga NOS.
The Portuguese international then starred as a goalscorer and helped Benfica win the league title in his first and only season with them, as he won the Primeira Liga's Best Young Player of the Year and the Golden Boy awards.
Félix's performances sparked the interest of several European clubs, with Atlético Madrid signing him in 2019 for a club-record transfer fee worth €126 million. By completing his transfer, the attacker became the fourth-most expensive player in world football and the costliest Portuguese player of all time.
Felix had a stop-start season with Atletico Madrid last time around due to injuries but scored seven goals in 30 games for the club. The young attacker will have to carry a world of expectation on his shoulders as he heads into the new season and prepares for Euro 2021.
