'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#2 Kylian Mbappe (France)
Mbappe is the best teenage footballer football has seen since Lionel Messi. His precocity is only surpassed by fantasies of how bright his star, once fully developed, could be. At £165m, he is the second most expensive footballer in history. He was 18 at the time and turned 19 in December 2017. Having moved on loan from Monaco to Ligue 1 rivals PSG on the back of an impressive season, the 19-year-old forward has been in great form once again this year.
He may have been slightly overshadowed by the arrival of Neymar at the French giants, but he’s certainly still doing his bit, having hit 9 goals in 19 games. For France, he is likely to play up top with Antoine Griezmann and if those two can link up well then it’s going to be a nightmare for all the defenders.
Dubbed “The next Thierry Henry” by pundits the world over – Mbappe is a bright young talent with bags of space and a natural ability to score goals that could see him become the world’s best player in years to come. He will be looking to help fire Les Bleus to glory in his very first major tournament.
