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Many promising young players have burst onto the world football scene in recent times.
After rising through the ranks at some of the best football clubs in the world, these players have made a seemingly seamless transition to senior football. Some of these players have belied their young years to become permanent fixtures at top-5 league clubs in Europe.
Top 10 U-19 players in world football at the moment
Last season, Erling Braut Haaland attracted the attention of the football world when he scored a hat-trick on his Champions League debut en route to ten goals in his first season in the competition.
Precocious English winger Jadon Sancho has already attracted the interest of top football clubs in the world. He has been linked to the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United courtesy his age-defying exploits for Borussia Dortmund in the last few seasons.
On that note, let us have a look at the ten best under-19 players in world football at the moment.
#10 Rayan Cherki
Rayan Cherki scored in Lyon's comprehensive 7-0 win over Bourg-Peronnas in the third round of the 2019-20 Coupe de France to become the youngest scorer in the club's history.
The 17-year-old wonderkid had a hand in all four goals - scoring two and assisting two - in Lyon's thrilling 4-3 win over Nantes in the next round, and announced himself as one to watch out for in the years to come.
Cherki, who plays as an attacking midfielder for the French football club, recently revealed that he was discovered by a Lyon coach while playing football in a parking lot.
"It was done in a parking lot. As usual, I was with my ball. I started to juggle, and I was lucky to come across an OL coach, who suggested that I go do tests."
Although the two-footed Cherki is yet to score in Ligue 1 or in the Champions League, he became the youngest player to appear in the knockout stage of the latter competition when he came on as a substitute against Bayern Munich in last season's semi-final.
#9 Ryan Gravenberch
Likened with French World Cup winner Paul Pogba, Ryan Gravenberch is one of the most exciting prospects to have emerged from Ajax's famous De Toekomst academy.
Last season, the versatile central midfielder, who can also play as a defensive midfielder, became the youngest Eredivisie debutant for Ajax.
Gravenberch's composure in the middle of the football pitch belies his 18 years of age. His positional awareness and versatility are impressive for a player of his age.
Former Netherlands international Ronald de Boer thinks that Gravenberch is a more promising prospect than a certain Matthijs de Ligt, who led Ajax to a fairytale run to the Champions League semi-finals in 201-19. He said:
"Matthijs might have been exceptional at that age, but Gravenberch has unrivalled qualities."
#8 Pedri
Pedri made his professional debut for Las Palmas in the 2019-20 Spanish second division and became the club's youngest-ever scorer at the age of 16 before he was snapped up by Barcelona.
The self-confessed Barcelona fan has already scored twice for the Blaugrana this season. His first goal, against Ferencvaros in the Champions League, marked the first instance of two players aged 17 or under scoring for a club in the competition.
Pedri, who is an attacking midfielder by trade and idolises Andres Iniesta, has exceptional positional awareness and skills on the ball. He completed an impressive 40 of 42 passes in Barcelona's 2-0 win at Juventus earlier in the season.
Not surprisingly, Pepe Mel, his manager at Las Palmas, thinks highly of the young football player.
"Barcelona have made a good investment. He understands the spaces very well, when he has to go inside and leave space on the outside or when to realise you have numerical superiorities in certain areas of the pitch," said Mel about Pedri.
#7 Giovanni Reyna
One of the most promising football players to have emerged from the US in recent times, Giovanni Reyna has already made an impact at Borussia Dortmund since his arrival from the MLS.
Reyna has already scored three goals and provided seven assists in 29 games for the German football club.
The acquisition of the 17-year-old attacking midfielder has been termed by the club's managing director Carsten Cramer as akin to winning the lottery. He said:
"His potential is huge. Just like Christian (Pulisic), he is not only an outstanding footballer, but also a really good guy. For us, it is a six in the lottery in terms of sport and marketing. But the latter component was not decisive for us in bringing in the boy. We do not commit to deals according to nationality or marketing value, but according to sporting criteria."
#6 Takefusa Kubo
Touted by many to be a generational talent from Japan, Takefusa Kubo is a Real Madrid winger who is currently plying his trade with La Liga club Villareal.
The 19-year-old, who honed his skills at Barcelona's world-famous La Masia academy, was swopped up by Madrid in 2019 before he was loaned out to Mallorca.
Despite his diminutive stature, the 5' 6" Kubo, who was often dubbed as the Japanese Messi during his time at Barcelona, made nine goal-contributions - four goals and five assists - in his first full season in the Spanish top-flight.
Now with Villarreal, the player scored on his Europa League debut against Sivasspor to become the youngest Japanese player to score in a European competition.
Mallorca assistant coach Deni Pendin spoke highly about Kubo's attributes when he said:
“Kubo is a much better player than when he arrived. We have worked a lot with him. It helps that he is very intelligent. He is a boy of 19 years, but has a head like 30. As a left-footed player, Kubo has a privilege, and he carries a gift that God gave him, that quality he has to play and to control. He also has a lot of speed, be it in short bursts or long sprints, and a very good strike.”
It may not be long before Kubo makes his mark at Villarreal and forces his way into Zinedine Zidane's first team at Real Madrid.
#5 Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka, an English player of Nigerian descent, is one of the brightest young players to have emerged from Arsenal's academy.
The left-winger, who is also versatile enough to be deployed in a bevy of positions in the middle third of the football field, became a regular under Mikel Arteta last season, making 39 appearances.
Saka recently made his international debut against Wales and has unsurprisingly earned lavish praise from Arteta:
"What I like about him is that he's very versatile, he's really intelligent and that he adapts and has a lot of courage to play the game. It doesn't matter which position he plays, he acts exactly the same way. He's so willing to learn and ask the right questions that he can set his own limits."
#4 Rodrygo
Rodrygo is undoubtedly one of the hottest prospects in world football at the moment.
The Brazilian teenager lit up the Champions League stage last season by scoring a hat-trick against Galatasaray, in the process becoming the second-youngest player in competition history to do so.
With more game-time this season, Rodrygo has already made his mark and proved that his debut-season exploits for Real Madrid were no flash in the pan. The Brazilian scored the winner against Inter Milan after Madrid looked set to go winless in their first three Champions League games of the season.
Unsurprisingly, Zinedine Zidane waxed lyrical about Rodrygo while outlining his plans to ease the youngster into the Real Madrid first team.
“He is only 18 years old. We are so pleased with him. He works hard and does a lot of things. We need to have patience and not pressure him. I am not surprised whatsoever; he is very talented. He is happy, his game is a real joy to watch. Rodrygo is a top-quality player, and he came here to do what he is doing. This is only the start. I really hope he can continue to do this well," said Zidane about Rodrygo.
#3 Mason Greenwood
It is hard to fathom that Mason Greenwood has only turned 19, considering his exploits for Manchester United since the last season.
A tally of 19 goals and six assists in 61 appearances for the Old Trafford club has earned him comparisons with club legend George Best.
Greenwood has especially prospered under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He scored a creditable ten Premier League goals last season, in the process becoming the first English player to do so since a certain Wayne Rooney in 2004-05.
The versatile two-footed striker, who has already exhibited his prowess from the wings, looks like the one of the most exciting players to watch out for. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had similar opinions when he recently spoke about the teenager:
“(He’s a) great talent, great finisher and he’s learning more and more, growing more and more, (making) better and better decisions on and off the pitch. He’s an exceptional finisher, he can score right foot, left foot. If he can learn how to head a ball he’ll be the complete striker."
#2 Eduardo Camavinga
Eduardo Camavinga, who is touted as a generational talent, plies his trade for Ligue 1 club Rennes.
The Angola-born French midfielder belied his young years and played a key role to ensure Rennes' qualification for the Champions League last season.
Camavinga's tactical intelligence and versatility are his biggest attributes. Although goal-scoring remains a work in progress for him, the teenager became France's second-youngest goal-scorer ever when he scored for Les Bleus against Switzerland.
Camavinga, who is already on the radar of top European clubs like Real Madrid, has impressed his Rennes coach Julien Stephan, who wants the prodigy to remain at the French club for at least another season.
"It would do him good to stay at least one more year at Rennes because he needs to back up what he's done. He's in a place he knows well. He is at a club that has enormous trust in him, and he is surrounded by people who knows him perfectly," said Stephen about his star player.
#1 Ansu Fati
One of the most promising prospects to have emerged from Barcelona's La Masia academy since a certain Lionel Messi, Ansu Fati hit the ground running in his debut season for the Blaugrana last season.
He scored against Inter Milan in the Champions League to become the youngest-ever scorer in competition history.
Unsurprisingly, Fati has earned more game-minutes under new manager Ronald Koeman this season, and the player has responded in kind. His goal against Ferencvaros made him the youngest in Champions League history to score multiple goals in the competition.
The 18-year-old has already scored outscored captain Lionel Messi in the Spanish top-flight this season. One of his four goals came against Real Madrid, which made Fati one of the youngest-ever scorers in El Clasico history.
In an earlier interview, Messi spoke eloquently about the La Masia graduate.
"I really like him and I try to help and support him. He's an amazing player and he's got what it takes to succeed. You have to remember that he's only 16 (he's 17 now). I hope he keeps on enjoying it, and that all the fuss around him doesn't have a negative impact on him because he has the quality to become one of the best."
