Messi and Ronaldo have dominated football for the last decade, catering away every major individual honours and trophy. But in line with nature’s cycle and with both players approaching their retirement, there’s no better time for the wonderkids to take over.
Mbappe and Erling Haaland have been bigged and billed by fans and viewers to pick that gauntlet and shoulder the mettle. However, both star forwards are not the only youngsters to watch in the coming years. Joao Felix, Vinicius Jr and probably Kai Havertz are players already shouldering responsibilities at a young age.
This article compiles a list of the best wonderkids in football with the highest potentials. The article considered only players born in the 21st century.
Best Wonderkids in the World
10. Florian Wirtz – Bayer Leverkusen
In the same vein that wunderkind Kai Havertz rose to prominence, the German who took his place is enjoying from the club’s inclination towards youth.
Wirtz was once Bundesliga youngest ever goalscorer and is Leverkusen’s current youngest. The 2003-born wonderkid is the youngest player in Bundesliga history to score five goals before the age of 18, and has further extended that record.
Wirtz is an attacking midfielder with a keen eye for a good pass, contributing to over 13 goals in his debut season.
9. Rodrygo – Real Madrid
Although yet to flourish, it is easy to forget that Rodrygo was born in the 2000s. Real Madrid had so much fate in the Brazilian that they splashed €45 million to acquire his services.
The youngster is a Champions League specialist, contributing to 7 goals in his first season in Europe. Rodrygo who is a right-winger is one of South America‘s most promising wonderkids.
8. Mason Greenwood – Manchester United
A two-footed maestro, Manchester United’s. Mason Greenwood is one of the top rated youngsters in the Premier League. In 2019, his first full senior campaign, Greenwood became the club’s youngest scorer in European competition. He ended the season with 19 goals and 3 assists.
7. Bukayo Saka – Arsenal
Arsenal’s Hale Academy was once the pinnacle and foundation around which the success of Arsene Wenger’s early tenure was built. The academy has however crumbled under the heavy weight of the club, being left behind in recent years.
However, the emergence of Bukayo Saka has pumped a new sense of hope into the hearts of the club hierarchy and fans.
The left-footed Englishman is able to play at left-back, left midfield, left winger or a right winger, making him one of the most versatile wonderkids on this list.
He is the second youngest player in history to accrue 50 appearances for the gunners. The player of Nigerian descent made a record 11 assists in his first ever senior campaign.
6. Eduardo Camavinga – Stade Rennes
Camavinga plays for Rennes, the lowest ranked club on this list of top wonderkids and was born on November 10, 2002. Camavinga has made over 60 appearances for his club over the last two seasons.
He is the club’s youngest ever professional and famously starred in an historical win for Rennes against Champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Although born in Angola, Camavinga is already a full France International. The young star is the country’s youngest international and scorer in over 100 years.
5. Pedri – Barcelona
With a single name that every Brazilian would savour, Pedri is tipped as the future of Spanish and Barcelona football along with Ansu Fati. A player likened to the legendary Andres Iniesta, he is the most valuable central midfielder in the world.
The midfielder is also the youngest goalscorer in Las Palmas history before joining Barcelona.
4. Phil Foden – Manchester City
It is not very often that a teenager, especially the product of the academy, gets to be a guaranteed starter for City. Phil Foden is one of those rare cases where the mega rich Manchester City have looked inward to unearth a world class talent. One of the top wonderkids in the history of the Premier League, Foden has made over 100 club appearances for the first team.
The BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year is a winner of the golden ball award at the U-17 FIFA World Cup. Born on May 28, 2020, Foden’s achievement include:
- Youngest recipient of a Premier League winners’ medal
- Manchester City’s youngest-ever goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League
- Youngest English player to start in Knockout stages of the UCL
- Youngest English player to score in the knockout stages of the UCL
3. Alphonso Davies – Bayern Munich
The Roadrunner, as he was nicknamed by teammate Thomas Muller, Canadian wonderkid, Alphonso Davies is the fastest player in the history of the Bundesliga. The Canadian youngster is the first player born in the 2000s to play in America’s Major League Soccer.
2020’s Bundesliga Rookie of the Season, Davies was an instrumental figure in Bayern’s run to an historic continental treble. He is one of the highest rated wonderkids in North America.
His achievements include:
- Youngest player to appear for the Canadian men’s national team
- Youngest player to score for the Canadian men’s national team
- Youngest Player to score at the CONCACAF Gold Cup
- First player born in the 2000s to score at a top level international tournament
2. Ansu Fati – Barcelona
When Barcelona where rolling in the mire of poor form and bad results, they looked for a hero and found it in the body of a then 17-year-old: Ansu Fati.
2002-born Fati is a Spanish player who plays for Barcelona and is a wonderkid tipped for great things. The player became an integral member of the team in 2020, scoring 7 goals in 11 starts from the wings. In the 20/21 league season, he started like a house on fire scoring 4 in 6 starts before the back load of games ran him to the ground.
On his road to prominence, Fati has broken several records and engraved his own.
Records:
- Second-youngest Barcelona debutant
- Barcelona’s youngest goalscorer ever
- La Liga’s third-youngest scorer
- Barcelona’s Youngest UCL participant
- Third Youngest Champions League participant
- Youngest Scorer in Champions League
- Youngest Brace scorer La Liga
- Scored Barcelona’s 9000th club goal
- First Player to Score 2+ Goals in UCL before 18
- Youngest El-Classico Scorer
- Spain’s Youngest Ever Scorer
- Youngest Starter in UEFA Nations League
1. Erling Braut Haaland – Dortmund
The phenomenon. Haaland might have been born in the 2000s but he already has over 70 senior goals, with 57 percent of those coming for the national team and the German top-flight.
The player known for his pace, strength, finishing, elite instincts and confidence is rated among the best strikers in current clime despite his young age.
The Golden Boy winner has several impressive achievements to his name including:
- First teenager to score in five consecutive UEFA Champions League matches
- Second teenager to score ten goals in UCL
- Scored record nine goals in single World Cup game
- Eliteserien Breakthrough of the Year
- Most Goals scored in first three UCL games
- Second player in Bundesliga history to score hattrick
- First Player to Score Five goals in first two Bundesliga games
- First Player to Score Seven goals in first three Bundesliga games
- Fastest player to reach Five goals in Bundesliga
- Fastest player to record fifteen to twenty UEFA Champions League goals
- First Player to score multiple times in four consecutive UEFA Champions League appearance
Top 10 Wonderkids in the World 2021
For easy reading, here is a recap of the best wonderkids in the world in 2021
10. Florian Wirtz
9. Rodrygo
8. Mason Greenwood
7. Bukayo Saka
6. Eduardo Camavinga
5. Pedri
4. Phil Foden
3. Alphonso Davies
2. Ansu Fati
1. Erling Haaland
