25 Rising Stars to Watch in International Football
Nine of the top 10 most followed athletes on Instagram (as of September 2018) are footballers, or soccer players for all you Americans. Cristiano Ronaldo, who recently switched from Spanish powerhouse Barcelona to Italian contender Juventus, is the most followed athlete on the social media platform with nearly 140 million followers.
By comparison, the National Football League, the richest sports league in the world with 27 NFL teams on Forbes' survey of 50 most valuable sports teams, can’t touch the global version of football in terms of popularity. The NFL’s 32 teams have a combined 141 million followers on the three social media platforms of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
That total lags behind Spanish soccer powerhouses Barcelona and Real Madrid, which on their own command 189 million followers and 180 million followers on the three social media platforms, respectively. For perspective, Ronaldo has a combined following of 336.5 million across the three main social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook and Twitter). Neymar Jr., the second-most followed athlete, reaches a combined 203 million followers. Lionel Messi has 97.8 million on Instagram and doesn't use Facebook or Twitter.
The following is a list of 25 rising stars of international football — the top young football talent that could one day move into the stratosphere of Ronaldo and Messi in terms of popularity, skill set and athletic potential.
Alphonso Davies
Club: Vancouver Whitecaps
League: MLS
National team: Canada
Position: Midfielder
Age: 17 (Nov. 2, 2000)
The Canadian phenom’s rise to stardom was already on a steady climb with the Vancouver Whitecaps, a team that signed the Ghanian-born midfielder when he was 14.
His career path accelerated even more so in July 2018 when the Whitecaps announced Davies will transfer to Bayern Munich at the end of the MLS season for a fixed transfer fee and additional compensation that could total as much as $22 million.
The deal — with a base fee of $13.5 million (€11.5 million) — breaks a 10-year-old record for an outgoing MLS player that has stood since Jozy Altidore joined Villareal.
Davies, with six goals and 10 assists in 25 games this season, is the second teenager from MLS to join Bayern Munich this summer, after the six-time defending Bundesliga champions signed 18-year-old FC Dallas defender Chris Richards on loan from the MLS club.
Kylian Mbappe
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
League: Ligue 1
National team: France
Position: Striker
Age: 19 (Dec. 20, 1998)
Entering the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Kylian Mbappe was still perceived as a player of potential. Yes, his 13 goals and seven assists in 28 Ligue 1 matches showcased some of his ability, but no one was prepared for his World Cup performance, one in which he outshined his PSG teammate Neymar.
The World Cup made Mbappe the king of football, or better yet, Mbappe made the World Cup his stage and elevated himself to legendary status. The 19-year-old former Monaco striker helped France capture its second World Cup title and joined Pele in the record books, becoming the first teenager to score in a World Cup final since the Brazilian hero did so at 17 in 1958.
Mbappe’s goal in the final — his fourth in seven games at the tournament — helped France beat Croatia 4-2 and cemented his place at the top for the best of the best rising stars.
Timothy Weah
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
League: Ligue 1
National team: United States
Position: Striker
Age: 18 (Feb. 22, 2000)
The New York City-born son of former FIFA World Player of the Year George Weah has some big boots to fill. But if his performance in the 2018 International Champions Cup, the Trophee des Champions and the Ligue 1 opener are any indicators, Timothy will be able to do so quite easily.
His goal for Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern Munich in the team’s ICC match in Klagenfurt, Austria, was a demonstration of pure technical skills, receiving a lofted pass about 10 yards above the penalty box and breaking free of the Bayern defenders before slipping the ball past goalkeeper Sven Ulreich.
He scored in PSG’s Trophee des Champions win over Monaco and added another goal in the team’s Ligue 1 opener, landing himself a spot on the cover of L’Equipe.
Not bad for an 18-year-old striker who spent a majority of last season with the reserves in the Championnat National 2 and the under-19 squad in the UEFA Youth League after signing a three-year professional contract with PSG on July 3, 2017.
Christian Pulisic
Club: Borussia Dortmand
League: Bundesliga
National team: United States
Position: Striker
Age: 19 (Sept. 18, 1998)
Former United States men’s national team member Eddie Johnson, who has been training with Christian Pulisic, recently stated that Pulisic is the “best American player” he’s seen since the 34-year-old Johnson began playing football as a kid.
"Having played with Claudio Reyna, having played Landon Donovan, having played with Clint Dempsey — where he's at now, with his experience and how he sees the game and how he understands the game he's miles and miles ahead of everyone else," Johnson said on the Seattle Sounders' "Winging It" podcast.
Pulisic has proved he is worthy of such distinction early in his career, becoming the second youngest non-German to score in the Bundesliga (at age 17 years, six months and 30 days) and the youngest player ever to net two goals in the German top tier. Since arriving in Germany to compete for Dortmund at the age of 16, Pulisic has netted seven goals and provided 11 assists in 61 appearances over two seasons for Dortmund.
Though he's not prolific by any means, Pulisic has done enough to garner strong interest from Chelsea, one of the longest-running football clubs in the Premier League.
Arthur Melo, (Arthur)
Club: Barcelona
League: La Liga
National team: Brazil
Position: Midfielder
Age: 22 (Aug. 12, 1996)
Barcelona signed midfielder Arthur during the summer from Brazilian side Gremio in a deal worth 40 million euros (£35.5 million or $46.7 million).
Arthur, who has been compared to Xavi and Andres Iniesta, was named to the Selecao roster for the national team’s friendlies against the United States in New Jersey and El Salvador in Landover during the Brazil Global Tour action in September.
The smart-passing, cerebral midfielder was chosen by national team coach Tite to see if he can ignite a stale offense that failed to generate the scoring power at the World Cup in Russia. The midfielder helped Gremio win Brazil's equivalent of the FA Cup, the Copa do Brasil, in 2016 and South America's Champions League — the Copa Libertadores — in 2017.
In total, he scored six goals in 66 appearances for Gremio.
He has shown encouraging signs in his early days in Spain and after being called up by Tite once before, he appears likely to begin a long and successful international career.
Pedro Guilherme Abreu dos Santos, (Pedro)
Club: Fluminense
League: Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A
National team: Brazil
Position: Striker
Age: 21 (June 20, 1997)
Shortly after being named to Brazil’s national team, the 21-year-old Fluminense striker, who is one of the top scorers (10 goals) in this season’s Brasileiro, was transferred to Bordeaux of Ligue 1 in August in a record deal by the French club.
The deal worth €17 million (£15.3 million or $19.9 million) surpasses the long-standing club transfer record of £12 million ($15.7 million) paid to AC Milan for Yoann Gourcuff in 2009.
Brazil lacked a proper penalty area presence at Russia 2018, but Pedro is fast developing a reputation as an aggressive finisher (17 goals in 31 matches in 2018) and could follow in the likes of Brazilian greats Thiago Silva and Marcelo.
Lucas Tolentino Coelho de Lima, (Lucas Paqueta)
Club: Flamengo
League: Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A
National team: Brazil
Position: Midfielder
Age: 20 (Aug. 27, 1997)
Watch out for Lucas Tolentino Coelho de Lima, or Lucas Paqueta. The 20-year-old Flamengo midfielder was chosen by national coach Tite for the Brazil Global Tour after Paqueta demonstrated more intelligent play on the field during this season of the Brasileiro than anticipated.
Tite added Paqueta to the roster due to his creativity at midfield and his ability to play multiple positions as either a passing mid or an attacker.
He leads Flamengo with six goals this season and has helped the squad stay near or at the top of the league throughout the summer. Paqueta's international future seems certain with many European clubs strongly interested in signing the 20-year-old attacking midfielder.
His fast dribbles and through passes helped Flamengo reach the Copa Sul-Americana final in 2017 and have impressed not only coach Tite, but also Real Madrid left back Marcelo: "I wish I had 1 percent of that left leg," Marcelo said.
Andreas Pereira
Club: Manchester United
League: English Premier League
National team: Brazil
Position: Midfielder
Age: 22 (Jan. 1, 1996)
When Andreas Pereira balked at the opportunity to join the Manchester United roster in 2017 and instead went to La Liga outfit Valencia on a season-long loan, many believed it was a sign of fear by the Brazilian midfielder.
Yet his play this preseason with the club and his full Premier League debut as a starter on opening day of the season demonstrates the growth of Pereira. So much so that Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho told the media following a 2-1 win against Leicester City that Pereira "looked calm and composed and like a regular."
The attacking midfielder was added to the Brazilian national team by Tite and now looks set to progress his career further in the famous yellow shirt. Pereira, who was born in Belgium but has a Brazilian father, represented Belgium 27 times up to U-17 level before switching his allegiance to Brazil in 2014. Since then, he has played eight times for its U-20 squad, as well as picking up another cap for its U-23 side.
The midfielder now has his sights set on the Selecao starting eleven and playing alongside the likes of Neymar and Philippe Coutinho. His versatility should allow both Mourinho and Tite to play Pereira in a number of different roles, such as a deep-lying midfielder or across all attacking positions.
Everton (Sousa Soares)
Club: Gremaio
League: Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A
National team: Brazil
Position: Forward
Age: 22 (March 22, 1996)
One of the brightest prospects in the Brasilierao, Gremio forward Éverton Sousa Soares will back up Neymar on the Brazilian national team after coach Brazil coach Tite announced his first squad since World Cup 2018.
Everton has been making quite a name for himself in Porto Alegre over the last 12 months with six goals and three assists to help Gremio stay near the top of the Brasileiro standings all season.
A versatile forward, Everton’s preferred position is now working from the left in a similar fashion as Neymar. Having evolved into a more rounded player, he has developed a greater understanding of the game tactically.
He also is skilled enough to attack vertically from the middle of the field and quick enough to evade defenders on his path toward the goal. This is something Tite wants to see as he searches for creative national players..
Lautaro Martinez
Club: Inter Milan
League: Serie A
National team: Argentina
Position: Forward
Age: 20 (Aug. 22, 1997)
Lautaro Martinez, who made Argentina's preliminary squad for the 2018 World Cup but was omitted for the final selection, was added to the national team roster along with Inter teammate Mauro Icardi for friendlies in September against Guatemala and Colombia.
Strong, quick and powerful, the 20-year-old Martinez has shown moments of brilliance in the lead up to his Serie A debut, scoring a spectacular volley in the International Champions Cup win over Atletico Madrid.
While many thought Inter manager Luciano Spalletti would ease Martinez into the lineup, Martinez started alongside Icardi in the Serie A opener against Sassuolo.
Martin Terrier
Club: Lyon
League: Ligue 1
National team: France
Position: Striker
Age: 21 (March 4, 1997)
Perhaps no one has caught the eye in preseason quite as much as Lyon attacker Martin Terrier, who spent the 2017-18 campaign on loan to Strasbourg from Lille.
Lyon signed the 21-year-old from Lille in January for €11 million ($12.7 million), but sent him straight back to Strasbourg, where he scored three goals and assisted on three others in Ligue 1. His stellar season was cut short, though, due to injuries in the second half of the season.
However, Terrier has looked sharp since returning to Lyon, highlighted by his game-winning goal in the International Champions Cup 3-2 win over Benfica. Terrier is poised to develop rapidly by training and playing alongside Nabil Fekir, Mariano Diaz and Memphis Depay this season.
Kai Havertz
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
League: Bundesliga
National team: Germany
Position: Midfielder
Age: 19 (June 11, 1999)
Bayer Leverkusen star Kai Havertz earned the prestigious gold Fritz Walter Medal for young U-19 German players by the German Football Association (DFB) for his play during the 2017-18 campaign, when Havertz became the youngest player in Bundesliga history to reach 50 appearances.
He made his debut with Bayer Leverkusen on Oct. 15, 2016, thus becoming the youngest player ever in the Bundesliga. The 19-year-old attacking midfielder has scored seven goals and added 15 assists in his 54 appearances during his Bundesliga career.
Havertz’s versatility allows him to play as an attacking midfielder or as a playmaker, drawing comparisons to compatriot and Arsenal member Mezut Ozil, who was a key contributor in Germany’s 2014 World Cup win.
Arne Maier
Club: Hertha Berlin
League: Bundesliga
National team: Germany
Position: Midfielder
Age: 19 (Jan. 8, 1999)
Arne Maier, the silver medal of the Fritz-Walter Medal behind Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz, is one of the best young defending midfielders in Germany, a characteristic that has allowed the country to build one of the best back lines in international play.
While Maier enabled just one assist in 17 appearances in the Bundesliga in 2017 — of which 14 were starts — his play on defense drew praise from opposing managers for his calmness under pressure and his range of passing. The lynchpin between defense and attack, the 19-year old has already demonstrated a knack for setting up plays after turnovers with his quick distribution to the middle and first third.
He finished the 2017-18 season with an 86 percentage rate for passing with nearly 600 passes. He also has shown the ability to finish, scoring three goals in nine appearances for the Germany U-19 team.
Musa Barrow
Club: Atalanta
League: Serie A
National team: The Gambia
Position: Striker
Age: 19 (Nov. 14, 1998)
Musa Barrow, who signed with Atalanta in 2016, joined the first team in 2018 after scoring 19 goals in 15 games for the youth squad.
Barrow has shown his potential for taking a match over with his lethal combination of pace, power, skill and finishing by racking up four goals (including a hat trick against FK Sarajevo) and two assists in three Europa League qualifiers.
The Gambian striker made his Serie A debut in January and scored three goals in 14 appearances.
Julian Brandt
Club: Bayer 04 Leverkusen
League: Bundesliga
National team: Germany
Position: Midfielder
Age: 22 (May 2, 1996)
Julian Brandt was so impressive in 2017 that Germany coach Joachim Löw chose the 22-year-old over Manchester City's Leroy Sane to be a member of the 2018 FIFA World Cup squad.
Prior to Russia, Brandt performed admirably for Bayer 04 Leverkusen (B04) with nine goals and three assists in 34 appearances last season.
It may seem strange to call Brandt a rising star, considering he made his professional debut in the 2013-14 season with Leverkusen, but he's still young at 22.
Over his career, he has surpassed 100 Bundesliga appearances with 21 caps in the UEFA Champions League. A burly attacking midfielder, who on first glance might seem more suited for the American kind of football, Brandt is a special breed in the game with effortless first touches and blazing speed.
It is easy to see why Brandt may be the most gifted of an incredibly talented crop of young German attacking midfielders.
Leon Bailey
Club: Bayer 04 Leverkusen
League: Bundesliga
National team: Jamaica
Position: Midfielder
Age: 21 (Aug. 9, 1997)
Rumors of big-money moves to the Premier League or Bayern Munich influenced B04 to sign Leon Bailey to a five-year deal in August. While the 21-year-old attacking midfielder may never finish his career with Leverkusen, he will be able to give the Bundesliga audience an opportunity to see his amazing skill set.
Bailey did just that last season, scoring nine goals and assisting on six others in just 30 Bundesliga appearances. He ranks at the top of all position players with 29 sprints per game, hitting top speeds of approximately 21 mph. His pace, craftiness, ability to turn on defenders with his left foot, transition game, and innate awareness of ensuing plays reminds people of Bayern Munich legend Arjen Robben.
The Jamaican is poised to become one of the most dominant right-wing players in the game, either in the Bundesliga or the Premier League.
Andrea Favilli
Club: Genoa
League: Serie A
National team: Italy
Position: Striker
Age: 21 (May 17, 1997)
Andrea Favilli’s performance in the International Champions Cup wasn’t his introduction to the world, but his play signaled to the world that he is ready to become a breakout star.
The 6-foot-3 striker scored both goals in Juventus’ 2-0 win over Bayern Munich and netted another one in the meeting against the MLS All Stars in the 1-1 match that ended with a 5-3 penalty shootout win by Juventus. Despite impressing Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri — who described= Favilli as "a young player of great potential" — the former Ascoli attacker will spend the upcoming campaign at Genoa, who paid Juve €5 million ($5.8 million) to take Favilli on loan for the 2018-19 season, with the option to make the deal permanent next summer for an additional €7 million ($8.2 million).
After an impressive 2017-18 campaign with Ascoli (eight goals in 15 appearances) was cut short by a season-ending injury, Favilli hopes to use his time with Genoa to showcase his impressive finishing skills to Juventus (and the world).
Phil Foden
Club: Manchester City
League: Premier League
National team: England
Position: Midfielder
Age: 18 (May 20, 2000)
Opportunity knocks for Phil Foden. With Kevin de Bruyne expected to miss two to three months due to an injury, Foden could showcase himself as one who belongs as a starter on the reigning Premier League championship roster.
Highly regarded by manager Pep Guardiola as a versatile technician at midfield, Foden could also demonstrate the type of creativity needed for the England squad. Since being called up to the first team as a 16-year-old, Foden has made 10 senior appearances, including a start in the knockout stages of the Champions League against Basel.
His talent, however, has been most apparent with England's youth teams. Foden won the Golden Ball as England captured the U-17 World Cup in India in 2017, scoring twice in the final against Spain.
After becoming the youngest recipient of a Premier League winners' medal, the versatile midfielder began the 2018-19 campaign like a seasoned veteran, creating the opening goal in the Community Shield win over Chelsea.
Ruben Neves
Club: Wolverhampton Wanderers
League: Premier League
National team: Portugal
Position: Midfielder
Age: 21 (March 13, 1997)
How good is Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves? Soon after reigning Premier League champions Manchester City routed Huddersfield Town 6-1 to move to 2-0 on the season, the Sun reported how much City would offer Neves — to the tune of £60 million, or $78.6 million.
While the talent-laden City squad probably doesn’t need any more top of the line players on their roster, Neves is on a fast path to stardom.
Perhaps the best central midfielder of his age right now, he’s already shown how electrifying he can be, scoring on a magnificent direct kick over the wall in a 2-2 draw with Everton to start the season. It reminded everyone who follows football of another Portuguese great, and Neves added a sensational assist in the match against Everton, a la Ronaldo.
Neves was the centerpiece of the Wolves’ title win in the championship last season that helped the club advance to the Premier League.
The 21-year-old netted six goals during the Wolves’ campaign — all from outside the box — to finish behind Ryan Sessegnon in the Championship Play of the Year awards.
Ryan Sessegnon
Club: Fulham
League: Premier League
National team: England
Position: Defensive midfielder
Age: 18 (May 18, 2000)
Ryan Sessegnon was one of the best players in the Championship last season — scoring 16 goals to help Fulham get promoted to the Premier League. The young Fulham left back is versatile enough to play either in the midfield or on the back line.
Case in point, after playing midfielder for much of last season, he started at left back against Tottenham and played the full 90 minutes in the 3-1 loss to the Hotspurs. He did so well that he had opposing fans praising him on social media for hours (and days) after the game.
All things considered, Tottenham had shown strong interest for the 18-year-old budding star during the summer but failed to pull the trigger on a deal. One fan (POCHnotronic on Twitter) commented: "We missed a trick not signing Sessegnon when we had the chance, quick, energetic, wants to get forward, he looked impressive against us."
The prodigiously talented Sessegnon could be fast-tracked into Gareth Southgate’s England formation for the autumn internationals. His performance in a little more than 80 senior appearances for Fulham are proof that he’s ready.
Achraf Hakimi Mouh, (Achraf)
Club: Borussia Dortmund
League: Bundesliga
National team: Morocco
Position: Right back
Age: 19 (Nov. 4, 1998)
Moroccan teenager Achraf Hakimi, who became the third-youngest player to play in the World Cup, seems destined for greatness. He joined La Fabrica, Real Madrid’s famed youth academy at the age of 8, and quickly advanced through the ranks.
In 2017, he was invited by then-head coach Zinadine Zidane to join the first team as a reserve, and he made his debut in October 2017 in a 2-0 win over Espanyol. The left back scored twice in La Liga and started both UEFA Champions League group games against Tottenham Hotspur.
Normally a right-back, Hakimi started all three of Morocco’s games in Russia in the left-back position as they exited the tournament at the group stage. Borussia Dortmund completed a loan deal for Hakimi during the summer, and the Moroccan defender will spend the next two seasons playing in the Bundesliga.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Club: Liverpool
League: Premier League
National team: England
Position: Right back
Age: 19 (Oct. 7, 1998)
Despite some constructive criticism from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp after the Premier League club’s second match (albeit a victory), Trent Alexander-Arnold has blossomed under Klopp’s guidance.
He also has made the most of starting opportunities after injuries to Nathaniel Clyne and Joe Gomez last season. Alexander-Arnold started in the Champions League final against Madrid, looking relatively assured at the top level, and then played a large role in England’s run to the World Cup consolation match in Russia.
His star is rising so much that Under Armour has made him its football version of basketball star Stephen Curry, featuring him in a splashy advertising campaign throughout Europe and in the United States.
Emile Smith-Rowe
Club: Everton
League: Premier League
National team: England
Position: Midfielder
Age: 18 (July 20, 2000)
Emile Smith-Rowe’s name was known throughout the ranks of England football as he played with England's U-16, U-17, and U-18 teams and trained with Arsenal’s Hale End Academy. But his life changed when he scored a stunning goal against Atletico Madrid in the International Champions Cup to cap a brilliant preseason campaign with Arsenal.
The club secured the rights to Smith-Rowe, signing the teenage midfielder to a new long-term deal after the ICC. Smith-Rowe, part of England's FIFA U-17 World Cup-winning squad in India in 2017, made his first appearance for the first team against Boreham Wood on opening day for the Premier League. Usually slotted on the left wing during his progression through the Arsenal academies, he has shown the ability to operate toward the middle.
He scored a majority of his 13 goals on the youth level last season by skillfully positioning himself away from the sidelines. It will be interesting to see how managers use him moving forward.
Alban LaFont
Club: Fiorentina
League: Serie A
National team: France
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 19 (Jan. 23, 1999)
Alban LaFont was Ligue 1’s youngest-ever goalkeeper when he made his debut for Toulouse as a 16-year-old in November 2015.
The teenager became a regular fixture for Toulouse, compiling 11 clean sheets last season to increase his total to a remarkable 24 for his short career.
The 6-foot-4 shot-stopper made 98 appearances over three seasons with Toulouse and will succeed Marco Sportiello after Fiorentina signed the rising star to a five-year deal worth a reported €7 million ($8.2 million) plus bonuses.
Justin Kluivert
Club: A.S. Roma
League: Serie A
National team: The Netherlands
Position: Midfielder
Age: 19 (May 5, 1999)
Justin Kluivert, the son of another celebrated Dutch player, made his debut with A.S. Roma a memorable one, coming on late and creating a masterful piece when he zipped by defenders to the right side of the penalty box, lofting a perfectly placed pass to Edin Dzeko for the winning volley in a 1-0 win over Torino.
Kluivert seems to be on a similar trajectory as his father, Patrick, who scored the winning goal for Ajax in the 1995 UEFA Champions League final, moved to AC Milan two years later, and then went to Barcelona, where he won the Primera Liga in 1999.
Justin made his Ajax debut in 2016 and scored 12 goals in 44 Eredivisie appearances (10 goals last season) before being transferred to Roma during the summer for an initial fee of €17.25 million ($20.17 million).