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Four years ago, around the FIFA World Cup time, I picked out the best Under-21 XI in the world at that time and almost every single player in that XI has gone on to live up to the hype. In fact, all XI players in that list currently play for a club from Europe’s Top 5 leagues that finished in the top 3 of their respective leagues.
Six of those players are now crucial members of their country’s present World Cup squad, three players play for a country that didn’t qualify for the World Cup and only two players missed out on a World Cup squad.
Now it is time to pick the current best Under-21 XI in the world and that is no easy task. There are so many amazing young players out there representing some of Europe’s Top clubs and that means, some tough decisions have to be made.
We have gone with the classic 4-4-2 formation for this XI and also given emphasis to the player’s form in recent seasons.
Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan)
Still only 19, Donnarumma has been playing at the professional level for three seasons now.
The Italian has played 125 games for AC Milan and has played every single minute of Milan’s previous two league campaigns. In his 106 Serie A games for Milan, he has kept 34 clean sheets.
The teenager is one of Milan’s brightest prospects. However, the club’s failure to return to the pinnacle of European football could affect his future soon and if Donnarumma is to move to a new club, there will be no shortage of suitors for him. Any club that signs him will have a top goalkeeper between the sticks for many years to come.
Donnarumma is considered as the long-term replacement for his idol, Gianluigi Buffon, in the Italian National Team and he has already played 6 times for the Azzurri after making his debut in 2016.
Honourable mention: Alban Lafont (Toulouse FC)
Fullbacks: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) and Kieran Tierney (Celtic)
The 2017/18 season has been an amazing one for young Trent Alexander-Arnold. Ahead of the start of the season, he signed a new contract with Liverpool less than a year after signing one previously.
He scored a sensation free-kick on his European debut for Liverpool and then things just got better and better for him. His best performance so far was against Manchester City in the quarter-final of the Champions League when he kept the dangerous Leroy Sane at bay despite City’s attempt to target his inexperience.
Arnold has already played 45 games for Liverpool and his form at club level earned him a call-up to the England squad for the World Cup as the only uncapped outfield player.
Trent was also named Liverpool’s Young Player of the Year in 2016/17 and 2017/18.
The left-back position is taken up by Kieran Tierney of Celtic. The young Scott is one of Celtic’s and Scotland’s best players.
He came through Celtic’s academy, made his debut for the first team in April 2015 and still plays for the club. He has now played 130 games for the Scottish giants winning six trophies including three league titles.
The 21-year-old is an attacking fullback and ended the 2017/18 season with 4 goals and 10 assists in all competitions.
Honourable mentions: Benjamin Henrichs (Bayer Leverkusen) and Nico Elvedi (Borussia Monchengladbach)
Centre-backs: Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax) and Dayot Upamecano (RB Leipzig)
Matthijs de Ligt could be the next big star to come through the Ajax academy and the 18-year-old is already linked with a move £50 million move to Spurs in the summer. If he does move to Spurs, then he will follow in the footsteps of current Spurs stars Christian Eriksen, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez by playing for both clubs.
De Ligt made his debut for Ajax in in 2016 and marked the occasion by scoring a goal. Now, he has played 60 games for the Dutch giants and was named Ajax Talent of the Year in 2018.
He has also played 7 games for the Netherlands and could form a strong defensive partnership with Virgil van Dijk and Stefan de Vrij in the heart of the defence.
The other central defender in this list, Dayot Upamecano, would have probably been playing at the World Cup if he wasn’t French and fighting for a spot with the likes of Raphaël Varane, and Samuel Umtiti.
The 19-year-old signed for RB Leipzig in January 2017 after impressing for their sister club Red Bull Salzburg. He has played 49 games for the Bundesliga side since his move and was instrumental in helping them finish in a Champions League spot last season and in a Europa League spot this season.
Although he hasn’t played for the France senior team, Upamecano has played at the U16, U17, U18, U19 and U21 level and won the 2015 U17 European Championship while also being named in the Team of the Tournament.
He has been linked with a move away from Leipzig recently with Barcelona rumoured to be interested in securing the signature of the strong, athletic, composed and technically brilliant defender. No surprises there.
Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City) and Ruben Neves (Wolverhampton)
When KRC Genk sold Ndidi to Leicester in January 2017 for £15 million, they made a huge profit on a player they signed for just £78,000.
Ndidi was one of Leicester’s standout performers last season and his combative style of play is earning him rave reviews and interest from some top European clubs. The Nigerian had a difficult childhood and grew up playing football with guys above his age group. Such situations has moulded him into one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League.
The 21-year-old made the most number of tackles in the Premier League last season and his tally of 138 was better than the nearest competitor by 21 tackles.
He is a crucial member of a young and exciting Nigeria team participating at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Ruben Neves was not included in Portugal’s final 23-man list for the World Cup despite being named in the preliminary squad but still only 21, the Wolves midfielder can definitely star for his country in the forthcoming international tournaments.
Neves became the youngest player to start as captain in a UEFA Champions League game while playing for Porto, but he made a surprise move to Championship side Wolves in the summer of 2017.
He was clearly superior to most players in the league and eased Wolves to the Championship title and will play for the club in the Premier League next season. He was nominated for the EFL Championship Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season in 2017/18 but lost out to Ryan Sessegnon. However, he was named in the team of the season.
A defensive midfielder by trade, Neves has been praised for his leadership skills, passing ability, positional sense and courage to go forward. He scored six times for Wolves last season and all six were spectacular goals.
Honourable mentions: Houssem Aouar (Olympique Lyon) and Tanguy Ndombele (Olympique Lyon)
Wingers: Leon Bailey (Bayer Leverkusen) and Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)
Picking the two wingers was the most difficult part of this XI and there were some really close calls. Ultimately, the two spots went to Bayer Leverkusen’s Leon Bailey and Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele.
Dembele is arguably one of the best young players in the world at the moment and it is no surprise that Barcelona spent €105 million plus a reported €40 million add-ons to secure his signature last summer.
The Frenchman burst on the scene with Rennes in Ligue 1, scoring 12 goals in 26 games and was named the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year. The following season, he moved to Borussia Dortmund and was named Bundesliga Rookie of the Season and was also included in the Bundesliga Team of the Season.
His only season with Dortmund saw him scored 10 goals and assist 20 in 50 games! Despite being out injured for most of the 2017/18 season, he still scored four times and assisted eight more in all competitions.
Dembele’s pace, dribbling skills, vision and ability to shoot or pass with either foot makes him a dangerous player.
The left-winger in this XI, Leon Bailey, is another pacey, tricky winger with an eye for goal and the Jamaican currently plays in the Bundesliga where Dembele rose to fame.
Bailey was named the Belgian Young Professional Footballer of the Year in 2015/16 while he was playing for Genk. He scored 16 times in 77 games for Genk before Leverkusen beat several European clubs to his signature in January 2017.
Although the Jamaican didn’t score or assist in his first half season with Leverkusen, he came alive in 2017/18, scoring 12 and assisting 6 in 34 games across all competitions.
At the international stage, he has refused call-ups from the Jamaican team citing the standard of the football. It is rumoured that he is eligible to play for England but no move to help him play for England has happened so far.
The 20-year-old has been linked with a move to several Premier League clubs with Chelsea being the most notable one.
Honourable mentions: Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Malcom (Bordeaux), Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina), Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham), Goncalo Guedes (PSG), Cengiz Under (Roma) and Patrick Kluivert (Roma)
Strikers: Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) and Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Picking the two strikers in this XI was the easiest decision and both players are already superstars.
Kylian Mbappe made the whole world take notice last season when he ripped through multiple defences in the UEFA Champions League.
Still only 19, Mbappe has already scored 52 goals for both club and country combined. He won a league title each with Monaco and PSG in addition to the numerous individual honours he has been bestowed upon so far, the most notable of which is the Golden Boy award he won in 2017.
The versatile forward, who is the second most expensive player on the planet, is expected to play a key role for France at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Gabriel Jesus, on the other hand, has ended Brazil’s long lasting search for a world-class striker. He is expected to lead the Brazil attack at the World Cup ahead of Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino and understandably so because Jesus has scored 10 goals in 17 games for the Selecao.
Despite a few injury problems and fighting for a place with Sergio Aguero in the Manchester City team, Jesus has scored 24 goals in 53 games for the Citizens and played a big role as they went on a record-breaking Premier League season. In fact, it was his goal in the 94th minute of the last match day of the season that won City the game and took their tally to a record 100 points.
Honourable mention: Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan)
