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The world of football has seen some exceptional forwards since the game's inception. From the great Pele to the sensational Lionel Messi, many frontmen have stolen our hearts and kept us begging for more.
Many of the said superstars started their match-winning business rather young, allowing us to appreciate their craft for a more prolonged period. Young bloomers don’t always succeed in this cut-throat world of football, but the ones on our list today, should’ve no regrets about their careers.
Here, we will take a look at five goalscorers who started breaching defenses at a rather young age, gaining fanfare even before turning 21. Now, without further ado, let’s check out the five forwards who have scored the most before celebrating their 21st birthdays:
Stats via: GiveMeSport
#5 Sergio Aguero - 84 goals in 213 appearances
Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero was a prodigy back in the day. He was quicker than most, was tireless on the ball, and was not afraid to do the dirty work. All in all, he was a coach’s delight, a player everyone would love to have around.
The Independiente academy graduate made his first-team debut in 2003, at only 15 years and 35 days of age. By coming on for Emanuel Rivas in the 69th minute, he became the youngest debutant in the history of the league. Having impressed onlookers with his performances for the Argentine club, Aguero joined Atletico Madrid in 2006.
He spent five long years at the Spanish club before moving to Manchester City and making history. For Los Rojiblancos, the Argentina international scored 101 goals in 234 appearances across competitions. Aguero’s national team debut came in September 2006. He scored 41 goals in 101 appearances for La Albiceleste before retiring last year.
By the age of 21, the forward had played in 213 games, scoring a total of 84 goals.
#4 Kylian Mbappe - 116 goals in 199 appearances
French superstar Kylian Mbappe is one of the most decorated young players in the history of the sport. The Paris Saint-German forward spent his formative years (2004-13) at AS Bondy before moving to Monaco’s youth system. He made his first-team debut in December 2015 and has not looked back since.
The Frenchman guided Monaco to the Ligue 1 title in the 2016-17 campaign in addition to helping them reach the Champions League semi-finals. Having scored 27 goals for Monaco’s senior team, he left for PSG ahead of the 2017-18 season. A year later, he won the World Cup with France, winning the FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award.
Apart from the World Cup, Mbappe won three Ligue 1 titles, one French Cup, one French Super Cup, and more before turning 21. He scored 116 goals in that stretch, winning one "French Footballer of the Year" award (2018).
#3 Erling Haaland - 118 goals in 168 appearances
Borussia Dortmund man Erling Haaland is arguably the hottest centre-forward in the world right now. The young Norwegian has taken the world by storm, scoring for fun in Dortmund’s famous yellow and black strip. Where he’ll end up next season is anyone’s guess, but we can say with certainty that he’s well on course to become Norway’s most-prolific goalscorer.
The 21-year-old played for six senior sides before turning 21. He started at Bryne 2 in 2015, then played at Bryne, before featuring for Molde 2 and Molde, respectively. Next, he spent a season-and-a-half at Austrian outfit RB Salzburg, scoring 29 goals for them in 27 appearances. Finally, in January 2020, he moved to Bundesliga giants Dortmund.
For the German giants, Haaland has so far scored 80 goals in 82 appearances, averaging nearly one goal per game. Before celebrating his 21st birthday, Haaland scored 118 goals, shattering numerous records along the way.
#2 Neymar - 140 goals in 220 appearances
Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar may not be in contention for the Ballon d’Or anymore, but in his youth, he looked destined to rule the world. A lanky kid with dazzling feet, Neymar took the world by storm when he broke through the youth system at Santos.
Between 2009 and 2013, Neymar dominated Brazil and South America with Santos, winning the Campeonato Paulista thrice and one Copa Libertadores, amongst other honors.
In July 2013, 21-year-old Neymar moved to Barcelona. He did not win a trophy in his debut season but produced some eye-catching performances in Barcelona’s colors.
Before turning 21 in February 2013, Neymar scored a whopping 140 goals in 220 appearances, making him the highest-scoring young winger on our list today.
#1 Ronaldo Nazario - 167 goals in 185 appearances
The only 'Ronaldo' on our list today, Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima, was the perfect definition of an early bloomer. The Brazilian made a name for himself at his youth club, Sao Cristovao. It eventually earned him his first professional contract with Cruzeiro.
A successful season at Cruzeiro took him to Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in 1994. The then-17-year-old scored in his debut against Vitesse, and then a brace in his home debut versus the Go Ahead Eagles.
His spell in the Netherlands attracted many suitors, but it was Barcelona who snapped him up. He only spent a year at Barcelona, scoring 47 goals in 49 games across competitions. The Brazilian helped the Blaugrana to the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup in that stretch.
Before joining Inter Milan from Barcelona in the summer of 1997, Ronaldo won the Copa America with Brazil. Unlike in the 1994 World Cup, this time the Brazilian played a starring role en route to glory. Before turning 21, El Fenomeno scored a total of 167 goals, making him the most lethal young forward in history.
