Make way for tomorrow. Because new kids are coming to town. In a rough football environment where only excellence is recognized, there are some teenagers ready to shake up the world order.
While some of their idols still dominating the pitch are twice their age, some ‘’kids’’ are ready to take over their place as the next big stars. So, starting with the youngest one, let us tell you why you are witnessing history in the making with those wonderkids entering the stage.
Lamine Yamal (16 yrs), Barcelona
Being a 16-year-old kid and a starter for Barcelona, one of the biggest clubs in the world – well, it’s not Messi as you might have thought. It is Lamine Yamal, another golden ticket from the famous La Masia football academy. It is hard not to compare Leo Messi and Lamine Yamal, (even last season’s Barcelona’s head coach Xavi said not to do it), but seeing Yamal play the way he does at the age of 16 is something incredible. Just as a reminder, Messi was 17 when he made competitive debut for the club.
Extraordinary right winger teenager Lamine Yamal was a revelation of this EURO and one of the leaders for newly crowned champions – Spain. But everyone already knew what he can do.
He played 37 La Liga matches for Barcelona last season, 22 of which as a starter. And he earned an average Sofascore rating of 7.34 for the whole campaign – 12th best player in La Liga for last season, and 2nd best in Barcelona dressing room, only behind İlkay Gündoğan with 7.48 average rating.
Yamal scored five goals in the Spanish championship, adding five more assists to the score. His vision, dribbling ability and creativity allow him to orchestrate plays, often turning seemingly impossible situations into goal-scoring opportunities.
Of course, being only 16, it is hard to expect that he is a fully developed player. He still has to work on his defensive awareness and his off-ball movement, but this will come in upcoming years if he stays focused on his career. And if he does, some record books will have to be re-written.
Endrick (17 yrs), Palmeiras – Real Madrid
Ready for another big El Clásico rivalry in upcoming seasons? Yamal on one side and Endrick on the other? This could easily be something in the region of Messi-Ronaldo duels because the 17 years old Brazilian is one of the most intriguing Real Madrid transfers in the last couple of seasons. They paid him 35 million euros, ready to cash out almost the same through bonuses – for someone who has to wait to turn 18 so he could be presented as their player – expectations are sky high at Madrid.
Endrick played for Palmeiras his whole career and last season scored 11 goals in Brasileiro Série A, finishing a season as a top striker for Brazilian champions. In his first real full season, in which he played in 31 matches. He finished the season with the average Sofascore rating of 6.91.
Endrick’s gift for positioning, mixed with a powerful shot, makes him a lethal striker. What sets Endrick apart is his composure in front of goal, a quality that is rare for someone so young. His natural talent, combined with the Brazilian flair, makes him a real force and a future star in the making.
With Endrick’s growth, are we witnessing the growth of another Galacticos generation being built? But these could easily be called ‘’Galacticos Jr.’’. Because: Mbappé, Bellingham, Endrick, Vinícius Júnior, Arda Güler, Camavinga, Tchouameni – not one of them is over 25 years old. Something for the rest of the football world to be feared about in years to come.
Warren Zaire-Emery (18 yrs), PSG
Paris Saint-Germain isn’t all about spending and buying top players to build a team. In their youth academy a real star was made. A star ready to take control of the PSG’s first team. Warren Zaïre-Emery is 18 years old midfielder without who is already hard to imagine starting 11.
26 total matches played on Zaire-Emery’s 23/24 Ligue 1’s CV. In 21 of those, he was in the starting lineup. He scored twice and assisted three times in the domestic French championship. In a team filled with stars and playmakers, he was a key figure in the midfield, unimpressed by opponents, matches or filled stadiums. Because he rarely made mistakes, he had 92.4% accurate passes during the season, 4th highest percentage of the whole league. He finished the season with the average Sofascore rating of 7.05.
Known for his box-to-box play, Zaire-Emery possesses a rare combination of defensive reliability and attacking flair. His tactical awareness, passing accuracy, and ability to break up play make him a complete midfielder, this young Frenchman is set to dominate midfields in years to come.
Kobbie Mainoo (19 yrs), Manchester United
Staying in the midfield, England also has a teenager that will soon be one of the stars in the world of football. It is Kobbie Mainoo, still in his teen age, but already an important piece in the Manchester United puzzle.
24 matches played and all of those in the starting lineup, with an average 81 minutes spent on the pitch per game. He finished the season with an average Sofascore rating of 6.94. He scored three times, assisted once and had 87% accurate passes per game. With all due respect to, for example Zaire-Emery in Ligue 1, to have those numbers in the Premier League, in a club that finished the season in 8th place is something to admire.
He proved his talent in European Championship as he was a starter for England national team in all four knockout phase matches.
Mainoo’s physical presence on the field is complemented by his excellent ball control and dribbling skills. His ability to move forward with the ball and create chances makes him a valuable asset to any team.
Mathys Tel (19 yrs), Bayern Munich
Stade Rennais always knew how to make a football gem. Sylvain Wiltord, Eduardo Camavinga, Yoann Gourcuff, Mikaël Silvestre, Ousmane Dembélé – all of them went through the club in western France. And one of the most recent ones is Mathys Tel, a talented 19-year-old teenager who didn’t need a lot of time to be playing in Ligue 1 before catching the eyes of Europe’s top clubs. And Bayern München was quickest and most eager to get a talented French striker to their dressing room.
Now being two full seasons in the Bundesliga, it is clear that France shouldn’t be afraid for their future. Tel played 30 matches for Bayern last season. Even though in only six of those matches he was in the starting lineup and played only 35 minutes per game on the pitch, he still managed to score 7 goals, and add five more assists to the score. Not to be overlooked, Bayern mostly played in a 4-2-3-1 formation, and the attacking force in the Bavarian dressing room is terrifying. Harry Kane is untouched as the main striker, and Tel had to fight for minutes behind Kane’s back with the names like Musiala, Coman, Müller, Gnabry, Sané…
His ability to make intelligent runs, coupled with his gift for finding space, made him a constant threat in the attacking third. With his potential and drive, Tel is set to become one of the leading forwards in world football.
Each of these young talents brings something unique to the table, and their strengths promise a bright future not only for themselves but for the sport as a whole. As they continue to develop and refine their skills, the football world eagerly anticipates their rise to stardom.