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Since bursting onto the scene in 2016, Kylian Mbappe has quickly made a name for himself as one of the best teenagers of all time. The 21-year-old striker lead France to the country's second-ever title, scoring a brace in the round of 16 against Argentina during a 4-3 victory and getting a goal against Croatia in their 4-2 World Cup Final win.
Mbappe has already won the Ligue 1 thrice with two different teams, scored ten goals in the Champions League, finished seventh in the Ballon d'Or rankings as well as become the second most expensive player of all-time after a move to PSG for more than €140 million.
Ronaldo Nazario was arguably the best player in the world as a teenager, so he has been omitted from the list for the sake of considering other players. The following list recognises five players aside from the legendary Brazilian, and is in no particular order.
5. Lionel Messi
One of the best footballers at the moment and in the whole history of the game, Lionel Messi's talent didn't come as a big surprise. Ronaldinho once told his teammates that Messi, who was only 16 years old, could become an even better player than himself.
The Brazilian meant what he said, and three years later, Messi was one of the leading players for Barcelona, the world's best team at the time.
Reportedly in 2006, Inter Milan was ready to match 19-year-old Messi's buy-out close of €150 million and triple the Argentinians wage. The young superstar eventually rejected the offer, but it is still the closest Barcelona ever was to losing him.
As crazy as that amount was and still is, it would be wrong to say that Barcelona didn't make the right decision by convincing Messi to stay. The Argentian has scored more than 550 goals for the club and won more than 30 trophies.
4. Michael Owen
When Owen joined Liverpool in 1997, club veteran Karl-Heinz Riedle was genuinely impressed with him: "It's unbelievable when you see him play to realize that he's only 17," he said. The German striker continued by correctly stating that Owen would become a star in two seasons.
The starlet immediately made his impact in professional football, scoring on his debut for Liverpool in the penultimate game of the league season. The next year Owen broke into the starting line up and scored 18 goals in the league.
He was tied for the Golden Boot and was named the best Premier League player of the season. Deservedly Owen was selected in England's World Cup 1998 squad, becoming the youngest ever Englishman in the tournament at the age of just 18.
After scoring against Romania in the group stage, Owen earned a starting place for England in the following games. The young striker didn't disappoint.
In the knockout stage against Argentina, he scored one of the greatest England goals of all time. Even though England lost on penalties, Owen had become a global sensation.
His excellent form continued in the next seasons with Liverpool, getting his second and final Golden Boot in 1999. At the age of 21, Owen won a Ballon d'Or, but unfortunately, after that, his career started to go downhill as it was filled with injuries.
3. Pele
By many called the greatest player of all time, Pele dominated football ever since he started his career. Even though the young striker had already scored more than 100 goals for Santos and five for Brazil's National team, Pele was entirely unknown outside of his homeland before the 1958 World Cup.
Needless to say that after the tournament, he was a worldwide superstar.
Pele scored the only goal of the game against Wales in the quarter-finals, stunned France with a hat-trick in a 5-2 win in the semifinals and got a brace in the final against Sweden. It took 60 years for another teenager to score a brace in a World Cup game and get a goal in the final.
In 2016, France Football published a re-evaluation of the awards presented before 1995, when only European players were eligible to win the Ballon d'Or.
Astonishingly, Pele got his name on seven awards, including two before his 20th birthday.
2. Duncan Edwards
Even though Duncan died in the 1958 Munich air disaster at the age of just 21, he is still regarded as one of the most talented footballers England has ever seen.
Edwards was an all-around defensive midfielder that had already made his debut for Manchester United at the age of 16 and was a regular since he was 17 years old.
"The biggest single tragedy ever to happen to Manchester United and English football," as Sir Bobby Charlton once said.
The legendary footballer played alongside Duncan and saw him as a brother. He has numerous times hailed Edwards as the complete player: "Mighty in the air, unbreakable in the tackle. Rampaging tirelessly across the pitch. He didn't have a fault in his game," Charlton has said.
Edwards legacy still lives on in his hometown Dudely as there is a street named after him, and in the town centre, there is a statue dedicated to the talented footballer.
1. Wayne Rooney
England's all-time leading goal scorer Rooney has been playing on the world's biggest stage since 16 years of age. He made his debut for Everton in August of 2002, while in October, days before his 17th birthday, Rooney scored the winner against the reigning champions Arsenal.
Regardless of his young age, he appeared in 77 games in total for Everton before the Euros in 2004. That was the tournament that truly put Rooney on the map.
Rooney scored a double against Switzerland becoming the youngest scorer in Euro's history (the record was broken just four days later), and another in a 4-2 win against Croatia.
Sadly the 18-year-old striker got unlucky in the quarter-finals against Portugal as he suffered an injury, and England were eliminated in the penalties.
England's National team's manager at the time Sven-Goran Eriksson famously compared Rooney to Pele: "I don't remember anyone making such an impact on a tournament since Pele in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden."
After the Euro's Rooney joined Manchester United for more than £25 million. He made his United debut in the Champions League with a hat-trick against Fenerbahce.
Rooney went on to become a legend for the club and country despite never matching his Euro 2004 performance on the international stage.
