Top 5 U-23 footballers in the world

Kylian Mbappe is the most valuable footballer in the world in terms of transfer value.
Kylian Mbappe is the most valuable footballer in the world in terms of transfer value.

#3 Matthijs de Ligt

Matthijs de Ligt plays alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus after moving there from Ajax last summer.
Matthijs de Ligt plays alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus after moving there from Ajax last summer.

Even at the tender age of 20, Matthijs de Ligt has already had some pretty impressive career highlights. When making his debut for the Dutch national side he became the youngest debutant since 1931.

Additionally, in 2017 he became the youngest player to ever play in a major European final at the age of just 17. More impressively, however, on 17th December 2018, the young Dutchman won the Golden Boy award, becoming the first defender to win it.

It was last season that Matthijs de Ligt came to prominence, most notably scoring the winning goal that knocked Juventus out of the UEFA Champions League; a club whom he would incidentally join just months later.

Matthijs de Ligt is already amongst the best defenders in the world, and it is highly probable that he will be the best in the future. With his whole career still ahead of him, the sky is the limit for the young Dutchman.

Like his teammate Frenkie de Jong, de Ligt was included in the FIFA World XI. Also, the defender won the Dutch Player of the Year for 2019. As well as boasting aerial prowess and defensive talents, de ligt has been hailed by pundits for his passing capabilities, his leadership qualities, and his maturity given his age.

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