Best Young Players in the Champions League

These 25-and-under footballers have the potential to become international superstars.

Best Young Players in the Champions League

Jadon Sancho is only 19, and he's the strongest player on Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

No sport is more popular than international football. Nothing even comes close.

The game is played at the highest level in the Champions League, a mix of the top-level teams in Europe with the best and highest-paid players in the world.

When one generation of great footballers enter the twilight of their careers, another rises up to take their place as international superstars and household names.

These are the best of the next generation — the top 25-and-under players in the Champions League today.

25. Memphis Depay, Striker

Age: 25 (born Feb. 13, 1994, in Moordrecht, Netherlands)

Country: Netherlands

Years played: 2011-present

Teams: PSV Eindhoven (2011-15), Netherlands national team (2013-present), Manchester United (2015-17), Lyon (2017-present)

Key stats: France Football Best Young Player (2015). World Cup third place (2014). Capped 48 times by Netherlands.

Bottom line: Four years ago, Memphis Depay had as much momentum as any young striker in the world.

He now has taken a backseat to players like Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Luka Jovic — but don’t count out Depay quite yet. After a disastrous stretch with Manchester United, the Dutch player has started to rejuvenate his career over the last two seasons with Lyon.

The big question is if Depay will be able to focus entirely on soccer after being distracted by a rap career that has gone nowhere and saw the gifted talent spending more time in Los Angeles recording studios than training on the pitch. Where he’s getting paid to be.

24. Leroy Sane, Midfielder

Age: 23 (b. Jan. 11, 1996, in Essen, Germany)

Country: Germany

Years played: 2014-present

Teams: Schalke 04 (2014-16), German national team (2015-present), Manchester City (2016-present)

Key stats: FIFA Confederations Cup first place (2017). PFA Young Player of the Year (2018). Capped 21 times by Germany.

Bottom line: Leroy Sane was born into athletic greatness as the son of pro soccer player Souleyman Sane and gymnast Regina Weber, who won the bronze medal for Germany in the all-around at the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Manchester City secured Leroy Sane with a $41.6 million transfer in 2016, and he helped lead the club to Premier League and EFL Cup titles in 2017-18. While Sane holds dual citizenship for both France and Germany, he chooses to play in international competitions for Germany.

He was left off the 2018 World Cup roster, joined the team again in September 2018, then left days later due to "personal reasons." Nevertheless, he still has a bright future as the national squad has decided to build around young players, including Sane.

23. Yerry Mina, Center Back

Age: 24 (b. Sept. 23, 1994, in Guachene, Colombia)

Country: Colombia

Years played: 2013-present

Teams: Deportivo Pasto (2013), Santa Fe (2014-16), Palmeiras (2016-18) Colombia national team (2016-present), Barcelona (2018), Everton (2018-present)

Key stats: FIFPro World XI (2018). World Cup Round of 16 (2018). Copa America Centenario (2016).

Bottom line: Following the 2018 World Cup, where Yerry Mina tied the record for goals by a defender with three, Barcelona obtained him for a paltry $11.2 million transfer in January 2018, looked to cash in on what was suddenly a hot commodity. That’s where problems arose.

Manchester United brass vetoed a $44.9 million transfer proposal, and the 6-foot-5 center back landed at Everton for $30.3 million. For that, Everton got just 13 Premier League performances because of injuries, and fans of the Toffees had serious buyer’s remorse.

Mina shined at the 2019 Copa America, so all might not be lost.

22. Andre Onana, Goalkeepeer

Age: 23 (b. April 2, 1996, in Nkol Ngok, Cameroon)

Country: Cameroon

Years played: 2015-present

Teams: Jong Ajax (2015-16), Ajax (2016-present), Cameroon national Team (2016-present)

Key stats: African Goalkeeper of the Year (2018). Cameroon Player of the Year (2018). UEFA Europa League runner-up (2017). Capped 14 times by Cameroon.

Bottom line: Soccer star Samuel Eto’o created a foundation to find the best young soccer talent in his native Cameroon, and Andre Onana used it as a springboard to join Barcelona at just 13 years old.

In 2015, he joined Jong Ajax and moved up quickly to the main Ajax club, where he’s signed through June 2022.

Onana is a long, athletic keeper who isn’t afraid to leave his feet to go up and get balls out of the air over opponents. He recorded four clean sheets in 18 appearances in 2018-19, helping lead Ajax to the Eredivisie title and the third round of Champions League qualifying.

21. Eder Militao, Defender

Age: 21 (b. Jan. 18, 1998 in Sertaozinho, Brazil)

Country: Brazil

Years played: 2017-present

Teams: Sao Paulo (2017-18). Porto (2018-19). Brazil national team (2018-present). Real Madrid (2019-present)

Key stats: Copa America champion (2019). Primeira Liga Defender of the Month (September 2018-January 2019). Primeira Liga Team of the Year (2018-19)

Bottom line: Eder Militao carved out a name for himself in his first full season in Primeira Liga by showing he could be an elite defender and offensive threat when necessary.

How good was Militao with Porto? He was named the Primeira Liga Defender of the Month for five straight months, and Real Madrid made a point of going out to get him for a reported transfer fee of $56.1 million in July 2019.

There might be some growing pains adjusting to the European style with Real Madrid, but expect Militao to be one of the Champions League’s top defenders before long.

20. Ibrahima Konate, Center Back

Age: 20 (b. May 25, 1999, in Paris, France)

Country: France

Years played: 2016-present

Teams: Sochaux B (2016-17), Sochaux (2017), RB Leipzig (2017-present)

Key stats: Capped 29 times by France junior national teams.

Bottom line: RB Leipzig quickly realized they needed to lock down Ibrahima Konate after he arrived on a free transfer in 2017 and earned a spot on the starting unit.

Konate is part of a large contingent of young, talented French players who are cutting their teeth in Bundesliga early in their careers. He currently is on a five-year contract, and his ability to dribble through pressure is why teams believe he can be one of the elite defenders in the world.

Konate started with France’s U-14 team in 2014 and looks ready to join the top club soon.

19. Christian Pulisic, Wing

Age: 20 (Sept. 18, 1998, in Hershey, Pennsylvania)

Country: United States

Years played: 2016-present

Teams: U.S. national team (2016-present), Borussia Dortmund (2016-2019), Chelsea (2019-present)

Key stats: CONCACAF Gold Cup runner-up (2019). CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI (2019). U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year (2017).

Bottom line: It’s not an understatement to say the hopes and dreams of the U.S. men’s soccer team’s future rest with Christian Pulisic, the son of former NPSL player Mark Pulisic.

The younger Pulisic made his Champions League debut with German club Borussia Dortmund when he was just 17 years old and helped lead the team to the DFB Pokal title in 2017. Pulisic is the youngest player to score in World Cup qualifying in U.S. history, as well as the youngest U.S. player to ever be a team captain.

His transfer to Chelsea in January 2019 for $74 million was the most ever paid for a U.S. player.

18. Raheem Sterling, Wing

Age: 24 (b. Dec. 8, 1994, in Kingston, Jamaica)

Country: England

Years played: 2012-present

Teams: Liverpool (2012-2015), England national team (2012-present), Manchester City (2015-present)

Key stats: Golden Boy Award (2014). FWA Footballer of the Year (2018-19). Champions League Squad of the Season (2018-19). Capped 51 times by England.

Bottom line: Raheem Sterling is a stunning success story after he and his mother emigrated from Jamaica to England when he was 5 years old following his father’s murder.

Manchester City completed a record transfer for an English player when they grabbed Sterling from Liverpool for $55.1 million in 2015. He led the team to back-to-back Premier League titles in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

At 24 years old, he’s already played in two World Cups for England in 2014 and 2018. He’s also been a staple of the British tabloids after multiple domestic assault arrests in 2013 and pictures of him smoking out of a shisha pipe and taking nitrous oxide were published in 2015.

17. Nicolo Zaniolo, Midfielder

Age: 20 (b. July 2, 1999, in Massa, Italy)

Country: Italy

Years played: 2016-present

Teams: Virtus Entella (2016-17). Internazionale (2017-18). Roma (2018-present). Italy national team (2019-present).

Key stats: UEFA European U-19 Championship runner-up (2018). Serie A Best Young Player (2018-19).

Bottom line: Nicolo Zaniolo grew up with soccer at the forefront as his father, Igor, was a longtime pro in Italy’s Serie B and Serie C leagues.

Nicolo Zaniolo’s ceiling is high enough that Roma, with four years left on his contract, already is sweating what kind of move he will make and what they could get in a transfer, now estimated around $70 million, which Manchester United and Tottenham are mulling.

The reason? He’s viewed as a future captain for the national team, can play sideline to sideline as a midfielder, and despite not having filled out quite yet, opponents have marked him as almost impossible to muscle.

16. Joshua Kimmich, Defender

Age: 24 (b. Feb. 8, 1995, in Rottweil, Germany)

Country: Germany

Years played: 2013-present

Teams: RB Leitzig (2013-15), Bayern Munich (2015-present), German national team (2016-present)

Key stats: German Player of the Year (2017). FIFA Confederations Cup champion (2017). UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season (2017-18). Capped 42 times by Germany.

Bottom line: If you’re looking for the most underrated player on this list, it might be Joshua Kimmich. He’s one of the most versatile defenders in the world, and his ability to play multiple positions — and go on the attack when needed — has drawn comparisons to German legend Bastian Schdwinsteiger.

Kimmich also is loyal to his club, Bayern Munich, where he’s openly stated his goal of winning a Champions League title and not been afraid to openly (and politely) lean on the club to sign better players to surround him with.

Maybe the most durable player in the world, Kimmich played 48 of 49 matches for Bayern in 2018-19 and every minute of all 34 Bundesliga matches.

15. Rodrigo Bentancur, Midfielder

Age: 22 (b. June 25, 1997, in Nueva Helvecia, Uruguay)

Country: Uruguay

Years played: 2015-present

Teams: Boca Juniors (2015-17), Juventus (2017-present), Uruguay national team (2017-present)

Key stats: South American U-20 championship gold medal (2017). World Cup quarterfinals (2018). Capped 23 times by Uruguay.

Bottom line: Rodrigo Bentacur was blessed with great size at 6-foot-2, but it’s his qualities outside of the physical attributes that have him in such high demand.

More often than not, Bentacur has been praised for his composure and ability to make big-time plays in pressure situations, as evidenced by his role in leading Uruguay to the 2018 World Cup quarterfinals before a loss to eventual champion France.

Despite interest from some of the world’s elite clubs, Bentacur may stay with Juventus for a while since his current contract entitles former club Boca Juniors to half of his transfer fee, which could approach $75-100 million with another big season.

14. Benjamin Pavard, Defender

Age: 23 (b. March 28, 1996 in Maubeuge, France)

Country: France

Years played: 2014-present

Teams: Lille B (2014-16). Lille (2015-2016). VfB Stuttgart (2016-19). France national team (2017-present). Bayern Munich (2019-present)

Key stats: World Cup champion (2018). World Cup Goal of the Tournament (2018). French Legion of Honour (2018).

Bottom line: The 2018 World Cup was a star-making enterprise for several young French players, including Benjamin Pavard.

Called up to the national team in May 2018, he started all but one match in the World Cup as France won the title and had the Goal of the Tournament after delivering a shot from outside the penalty box in a 4-3 win over Argentina in the Round of 16. It was the first time a defender had scored a World Cup goal for France since 1998.

Pavard had to go back to lowly VfB Stuttgart for one more season but was able to jump ship to Bayern Munich in January 2019, where he signed a five-year contract.

13. Luka Jovic, Striker

Age: 21 (b. Dec. 23, 1997, in Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Country: Serbia

Years played: 2014-present

Teams: Red Star Belgrade (2014-16), Benfica B (2016-17), Benfica (2016-19), Eintracht Frankfurt (2017-19), Serbia national team (2018-present), Real Madrid (2019-present)

Key stats: UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season (2018-19). Capped six times by Serbia.

Bottom line: Luka Jovic was in the Red Star Belgrade system by the time he was 7 years old and made his pro debut at 16 years old.

After several years with Belgrade, he was put on loan to Eintracht Frankfurt and took the Bundesliga by storm. Enough so that he caught the attention of Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, who decided to pull the trigger on a $67.5 million transfer.

Jovic is also being counted on to be a star for Serbia’s national team in the future and managed to gain some valuable experience on the roster for the 2018 World Cup, coming in as a substitute against Brazil.

12. Vinicius Junior, Striker

Age: 19 (b. July 12, 2000, in Sao Goncalo, Brazil)

Country: Brazil

Years played: 2017-present

Teams: Flamengo (2017-2018), Real Madrid Castilla (2018-2019), Real Madrid (2018-present)

Key stats: South American Championships U-17 Best Player (2017). South American Championships U-17 Top Scorer (2017). South American U-17 Championship (2017).

Bottom line: Vinicius Junior could be the next great Brazilian player, and he’s being paid accordingly. Real Madrid paid a reported $51.8 million for his transfer from Flamengo in 2018, where he’d been since he was 7 years old. It was the second-most ever paid for a Brazilian player after Neymar.

Vinicius has dominated for the Brazilian national team on the junior levels, but injuries kept him off the main squad in 2019 after he played two friendlies and was left off the 2019 Copa America roster.

The 19-year-old be a dominant striker but might be more comfortable on the wing.

11. Gianluigi Donnarumma, Goalkeeper

Age: 20 (b. Feb. 25, 1999, in Castellammare di Stabia, Italy)

Country: Italy

Years played: 2015-present

Teams: AC Milan (2015-present), Italian national team (2016-present)

Key stats: UEFA Euro U-21 Championships bronze medal (2017). Capped 12 times by Italy.

Bottom line: Regarded as the heir to legendary Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, Gianluigi Donnarumma made his professional debut for AC Milan when he was just 16 years old.

Donnarumma did not live up to the $6.75 million contract he signed in 2017, which included a separate, $1.12 million deal for his older brother, Antonio. Fan criticism reduced Gianluigi to tears at one point after he complained about the "psychological pressure" of the contract.

He’s bounced back the last few seasons, earned his 150th cap for Milan in 2019, and is the team’s highest-paid player. Any transfer would set a new record for a goalkeeper.

10. Ousmane Dembele, Wing

Age: 22 (b. May 15, 1997, in Vernon, France)

Country: France

Years played: 2014-present

Teams: Rennes II (2014-15), Rennes (2015-16), France national team (2016-present), Borussia Dortmund (2016-17), Barcelona (2017-present)

Key stats: World Cup champion (2018). UEFA Champions League Breakthrough XI (2016). Bundesliga Rookie of the Season (2017). Capped 21 times by France.

Bottom line: Ousmane Dembele’s rise into the international spotlight was rapid.

Playing with Borussia Dortmund, he won a DKB-Potal title in 2017, scoring a goal in the final. The next year, he was part of a $118.2 million transfer to Barcelona, where he won La Liga and Copa del Rey titles before capping things off with a World Cup title for France in 2018.

While Dembele can play striker, he’s most effective on the wings because he is equally skilled with either foot. It’s a trait that has drawn many favorable comparisons to superstars Neymar and Ronaldhino — both players he emulated on his way up the ranks.

9. Ederson, Goalkeeper

Age: 25 (b. Aug. 17, 1993, in Osasco, Brazil)

Country: Brazil

Years played: 2011-present

Teams: Ribeirao (2011-12), Rio Ave (2012-15), Benfica B (2015), Benfica (2015-17), Manchester City (2017-present), Brazil national team (2017-present)

Key stats: Won two Premier League championships. Recorded 36 clean sheets in his first 74 Premier League appearances. Capped five times by Brazil'.

Bottom line: Ederson’s move from Benfica to Manchester City for a record $39.4 million in 2017 made him the most expensive goalkeeper of all time. He delivered big right away, with Premier League and EFL Cup titles in his first season.

Physically imposing at 6-foot-2, Ederson is most dangerous pushing the ball with his feet, and recorded the first assists by a goaltender in Premier League history in 2018.

Ederson’s leg is one of the most powerful ever, and he set a world record with a dropkick that went 247 feet in 2018. That’s just 53 feet shy of an entire American football field.

8. Marcus Rashford

Age: 21 (b. Oct. 31, 1997, in Manchester, England)

Country: England

Years played: 2015-present

Teams: Manchester United (2015-present), England national team (2016-present)

Key stats: UEFA Nations League third place (2019). Manchester United Young Player of the Year (2016). Capped 32 times by England.

Bottom line: Marcus Rashford grew up a fan of Manchester United and could be the future of the team at Old Trafford unless he’s pulled away by an offer from one of the Spanish clubs. And if anyone wants him, it’ll be costly, as ESPN has reported Rashford’s transfer value at around $128 million.

The reason it’s so much is that Rashford has shown he’s almost impervious to pressure, having scored two goals in his pro debut in 2016 and his Premier League debut as well.

He’ll also be a key player on England’s national team for the next decade after playing in the 2018 World Cup and making one start.

7. Kai Havertz, Midfielder

Age: 20 (b. June 11, 1999, in Aachen, Germany)

Country: Germany

Years played: 2016-present

Teams: Bayer Leverkusen (2016-present), German national team (2018-present)

Key stats: Fritz Walter Award U-17 Silver Medal (2016). Fritz Walter Award U-19 Gold Medal (2019).

Bottom line: The youngest Bayer Leverkusen player to ever take the pitch in Bundesliga, Kai Havertz was only 17 years old when he made his debut.

He set the Bundesliga record for youngest player to reach 50 appearances in 2018, when he was 18, and it’s not far-fetched to say Havertz is the future of the German national team. He also might be the future of whatever elite club manages to secure his services down the road.

Bayern reportedly is going the hardest, but Bayer Leverkusen reportedly turned down a $105.8 million transfer offer in summer 2018, and it might be several years until he’s able to cash in.

6. Joao Felix, Striker

Age: 19 (b. Nov. 10, 1999, in Viseu, Portugal)

Country: Portugal

Years played: 2016-present

Teams: Benfica B (2016-18), Benfica (2018-19), Atletico Madrid (2019-present), Portugal national team (2019-present)

Key stats: Primeira Liga Young Player of the Year (2018-19). UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season (2018-19). UEFA Nations League champion (2019).

Bottom line: People might scoff at the comparisons between teenager Joao Felix and soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo, another Portugal native, but the teenager could really be the truth. Look no further than the eye-popping transfer sum Atletico Madrid paid for Felix in July 2019 — the fifth-highest transfer in history at $141.4 million.

Felix is the youngest player in Europa League history to score a hat trick, hitting for three goals in a win over Eintracht Frankfurt. And he led Benfica to the Primeira Liga championship in his only season with the top club.

When he’s not the striker for Atletico, which has him signed for seven years, he can easily move out to the wing and become a distributor.

5. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Defender

Age: 20 (b. Oct. 7, 1998, in Liverpool, England)

Country: England

Years played: 2016-present

Teams: Liverpool (2016-present), England national team (2018-present)

Key stats: UEFA Champions League first place (2018-19). UEFA Nations League third place (2019). Liverpool Young Player of the Season Award (2016-18).

Bottom line: Only the fourth teenager to start a World Cup game for England, Trent Alexander-Arnold also is the youngest player to start in back-to-back Champions League finals for hometown Liverpool, winning the title in 2019 as he set the Premier League assists record.

Alexander-Arnold grew up just a short distance from Anfield Stadium, where Liverpool plays, and the club has signed him to a long-term contract that keeps him there through 2024, and his transfer fee has increased to a reported $77 million.

That’s not the only money he’s putting in the bank, as Under Armour has signed the young star to a four-year, $7.2 million sponsorship deal.

4. Matthijs de Ligt, Center Back

Age: 19 (b, Aug. 12, 1999, in Leiderdorp, Netherlands)

Country: Netherlands

Years played: 2016-present

Teams: Jong Ajax (2016-17), Ajax (2016-present), Netherlands National Team (2017-present)

Key stats: Golden Boy Award (2018). Dutch Footballer of the Year (2018-19). UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season (2018-19). Capped 17 times by Netherlands.

Bottom line: Matthijs de Ligt has been with Ajax’s club since he was 9 years old, but it might not be much longer as the drumbeat continues to get louder for him to join one of Europe’s elite clubs for a transfer fee that could hit $100 million.

He proved his worth during the 2018-19 season for Ajax, when he was one of the Champions League’s elite defenders and made one of the plays of the season, puitting in a header for an upset win over Juventus.

De Light isn’t just praised for his skill on the pitch. He’s just as widely applauded for his natural ability to lead.

3. Jadon Sancho, WIng

Age: 19 (b. March 25, 2000 ,in Camberwell, England)

Country: England

Years played: 2017-present

Teams: Borussia Dortmund II (2017), Borussia Dortmund (2017-present), England national team (2018-present)

Key stats: UEFA Nations League third place (2019). UEFA European Championships U-17 Golden Player (2017). Bundesliga Team of the Season (2018-19).

Bottom line: Watford signed Jadon Sancho to a contract when he was just 7 years old, but he flipped to Manchester City when he was 14.

In 2017, Sancho made the bold move to leave City and sign with Borussia Dortmund in Germany’s Bundesliga for $9 million, which could end up being one of the greatest moves the club ever made.

Sancho has been the dominant player on Dortmund’s roster while becoming a prime target for a transfer to Manchester United. The price tag? It would cost a reported $128 million to land the star winger.

2. Frenkie de Jong, Midfielder

Age: 22 (May 12, 1997, in Arkel, Netherlands)

Country: Netherlands

Years played: 2014-present

Teams: Willem II (2014-15), Jong Ajax (2015-17), Ajax (2016-19), Barcelona (2019-present), Netherlands national team (2018-present)

Key stats: UEFA Nations League runner-up (2019). UEFA Nations League Young Player of the Tournament (2019). UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season (2018-19).

Bottom line: After Frenkie de Jong’s breakout season for Ajax in 2019, former Dutch star Rafael van der Vaart said, "[De Jong] is the best player in the Netherlands, and could be the best player in Europe with the ball at his feet."

Elite midfielders with that type of skill set usually aren't long for their club, and de Jong proved as much when his $84 million transfer to Barcelona went through in January 2019.

In just his first few starts for the national team, he established himself as a regular starter and helped lead the Dutch to a runner-up finish in the 2019 UEFA Nations League tournament.

1. Kylian Mbappe, Striker

PSG's Kylian Mbappe, left, challenges for the ball with Dijon's Mickael Alphonse during their League One soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Dijon at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Saturday, May 18, 2019.

Age: 20 (Dec. 20, 1998 in Paris, France)

Country: France

Years played: 2015-present

Teams: Monaco B (2015-2016), Monaco (2015-2018), Paris Saint-Germain (2017-present), French national team (2017-present)

Key stats: World Cup champion (2018). World Cup Best Young Player Award (2018). Capped 33 times by France.

Bottom line: Kylian Mbappe became an international superstar after he led France to the 2018 World Cup championship. He scored four goals total and became the first teenager since Pele in 1958 to score multiple goals in a World Cup match, in a 4-3 win over Argentina.

Mbappe made his Champions League debut with Monaco at just 16 years old, and his transfer to Paris-Saint Germain in 2018 for $202.6 million was the second-largest transfer deal in soccer history and most ever for a teenager.

He delivered immediate results, leading Ligue 1 with 33 goals and winning the Onze de Bronze as Europe’s best player in 2019.