To answer that question, we asked the football experts from across our 13 localised news desks to pick out one emerging player (19 years old or younger) that you should be keeping an eye on in the next year.
Some you may have heard of while others might be new discoveries!
Estevao (17) - Palmeiras
Estevao is the new jewel of Brazilian football. A boy who, from his first touches at Cruzeiro when he was still a child nicknamed 'Messinho', was predicted to have an incredible future ahead of him. He was truly exceptional and continues to be so. He is perhaps one of the best and most well-rounded 17-year-old forwards that the Palmeiras Academy could offer the world. Even more so than Endrick...
The assessment may be unfair because they both have different characteristics, but Estevao has multiple qualities. His explosion, decision-making, vision and finishing are all very good. He's also capable of being a real threat from dead-ball situations. For example, he didn't shy away from making veteran goalkeeper Cassio his victim when he scored a late free-kick in a vital comeback win in the penultimate round of the Brasileirao.
What can we say about the striker who ended the Brasileirao, one of the most balanced tournaments in the world, directly responsible for 22 of his team's goals? With 13 goals and nine assists in Serie A, he's been involved in 36% of Palmeiras' goals in the Brazilian Championship. Can you imagine what he can do alongside Cole Palmer when he joins Chelsea this year? Enzo Maresca will be able to field an attack with plenty of entertainment, that's for sure.
Despite his young age, Estevao has been managed very well behind the scenes and shows a lot of maturity. He's a boy who has everything it takes to develop in the Premier League and have a brilliant year in 2025, including being given more of a say by Dorival Junior in the national team.
Josias Pereira (Brazilian desk)
Francesco Camarda (16) - AC Milan
Francesco Camarda, a young phenomenon at AC Milan, is already making history in Italian and European football. At just 15 years and 260 days old, on November 25th, 2023, he made his Serie A debut against Fiorentina, becoming the youngest player ever to feature in Italy’s top division.
On that occasion, he came on in the 83rd minute to replace Luka Jovic, immediately displaying great personality and composure despite the prestigious stage. This record catapulted him into the spotlight, confirming the high expectations surrounding him thanks to his impressive youth academy achievements.
Another memorable moment came on October 22nd, 2024, when Camarda made his UEFA Champions League debut in a match against Club Brugge. Coming on in the 75th minute, he set a new record as the youngest Italian to play in the competition, at just 16 years and 226 days old.
During the match, he also had a goal disallowed by VAR for a marginal offside, still proving he is ready to make an impact at the European level. This debut was warmly received by Milan fans, who see him as a concrete promise for the club's future.
Born in 2008, Camarda boasts remarkable technical skills, as demonstrated during his appearances under Fonseca’s guidance and in Serie C with Milan Futuro. A passionate Milan supporter himself, he goes from singing Curva Sud chants on the bench to mesmerizing fans on the pitch.
Comfortable with his back to goal, the young prodigy doesn’t hesitate to free himself to receive the ball, treating it with the care of a true striker. Despite his young age, the forward already possesses an extraordinary goal-scoring instinct, always finding himself in the right position to strike and trouble opposing defences.
With impressive numbers behind him, including over 480 goals at the youth level, Camarda is establishing himself as one of the most promising talents in world football. Despite his young age, he has already shown great maturity and a strong work ethic.
If he continues to grow with the same consistency and determination, under Milan's guidance, he has everything it takes to become a cornerstone of the team and a key player for the Italian national team, following in the footsteps of the legends who came before him.
Matteo Caccia (Italian desk)
Geovany Quenda (17) - Sporting
There are not many 17-year-olds who can assert themselves in a team that has just won the league, but that was the case with Geovany Quenda. Highly regarded in Sporting’s academy, the young forward had the chance to get minutes in the 2023/24 season to earn a medal, but Ruben Amorim halted his debut with prophetic words: “He will have time to become champion with Sporting.”
Few would think that Quenda’s debut would be a few months later in the starting eleven against FC Porto in the Super Cup. Without Nuno Santos and Matheus Reis on the left, Amorim shifted Geny Catamo and opened the right wing for Quenda. As a forward, the youngster had to be more aware defensively but ended up excelling and scoring. Despite the loss, he cemented himself as a key player for Sporting this season.
Left-footed but playing on the right, he is capable of giving width along the flank or even combining with the inside forward and the midfielder. More than just a tricky winger, he has some vision and passing qualities, proof of that is the assist for Viktor Gyokeres against Manchester City in the Champions League.
He is one of three who played in all 24 matches Sporting played this season (alongside Francisco Trincao and Viktor Gyokeres), with two goals and one assist. All of this on an established team that just had won the championship.
He has now been called up to the Portuguese national team twice. But on both occasions, Roberto Martinez did not find time to give him his debut. However, the future is bright and plenty of caps will certainly come.
Bruno Henriques (Portuguese desk)
Dean Huijsen (19) - Bournemouth
Despite being only 19 years old, Dean Huijsen has played for Juventus, Roma and current club Bournemouth. This means that he already has experience in Serie A, specifically at two of the biggest clubs, and in the Premier League. In addition, he was called by the Netherlands (U17, U18 and U19) and now plays for Spain (U21), the country where he grew up.
Huijsen is a massive threat from set-pieces, largely because of his height (1.95 meters). With Roma, he scored two goals and this season, he has already bagged against Tottenham and Manchester United in the Premier League.
Moreover, he has played 90 minutes in the last six matches and looks set to remain a key player for manager Andoni Iraola. According to Flashscore ratings, he’s averaging 7.3 in his first season in the Premier League so far.
All these arguments make us think that during 2025, Huijsen could have a chance to get into the Spanish national team as Luis de la Fuente usually recognizes the good work of young players.
A player similar to him, in terms of height and quality of playing the ball out of defence is Pau Torres, although Huijsen is more aggressive.
Daniel Núñez (Spanish desk)
Ayyoub Bouaddi (17) - Lille
Born in Senlis in the Oise region of France, Ayyoub Bouaddi arrived at Lille in the summer of 2021 from AFC Creil at the age of 13. Two years later, in October 2023, he made his debut in Ligue 1 against Brest, becoming at 16 years and 20 days the youngest player in the 21st century to play in a French league match.
But the records don't stop there. A year later, he made his Champions League debut against Real Madrid on his 17th birthday. LOSC won 1-0 and the young Lille player had an excellent game, succeeding in perfectly restraining Jude Bellingham in midfield.
The first thing that strikes you when you see Bouaddi play is, of course, his maturity. As manager Bruno Genesio would say, his brain is well-trained, and he has proved it match after match for LOSC this season.
With his vision of the game, his head held high, his repetition of effort, his recoveries and his high pass success rate, the 17-year-old has a lot to offer to Lille, and has so far made 17 appearances in all competitions. At six foot tall, the midfielder has got plenty of room for improvement though.
When we say that he is intelligent, it is not for nothing. With a habit of moving through the ranks quickly, the Frenchman passed his exams at the age of 16, before joining Clairefontaine, where he was called up by Gerald Baticle for the U21s, two years ahead of his time.
After that, he went on to win the eloquence competition at training centres, the final of which was held at the Elysee Palace, before starting a degree in mathematics at the age of 17.
“I wanted to continue my studies because it allows me to make the most of my free time to learn," he explained when he was called up to Clairefontaine for the first time.
"For me, maths can help me understand the game more quickly, especially tactically.”
So there you have it. There is plenty of room for improvement for this gifted boy, who is way ahead of the rest of his generation. As a reminder, he also became the youngest player to ever play in a UEFA club cup competition aged 16 years and three days in the Europa Conference League. A trajectory reminiscent of that of Warren Zaire-Emery at PSG.
Pablo Gallego (French desk)
Chidozie Obi-Martin (17) - Manchester United
Not every footballer gets to make a transfer from Arsenal to Manchester United, and even fewer get to do so before the age of 18. Nevertheless, this is the case with 17-year-old Chido Obi-Martin, who, to the dismay of many a fan of the Gunners, made the move this summer, after being attracted to United's plans for him and rejecting Arsenal's offer of his first professional contract.
He has already made his mark in northwestern England, where he, among other feats, scored two goals in Manchester United U18s 5-0 victory over Coventry in the Youth FA Cup. The future does indeed look bright for the young striker.
Chido Obi, as he prefers being called, sent shockwaves through social media after he scored no less than 10 goals in a 14-3 win against Liverpool at U16-level in November 2023.
Later in the season, he scored seven goals as Arsenal beat Norwich 9-0, and he ended up breaking the goalscoring record in the U18 league with a total of 32 goals in 18 games. Arsenal fans must at this point have been drooling at the prospect of the athletic and strongly built Chido Obi taking his place up front for Mikel Arteta's team within the coming years. But it was not to be.
Chido Obi, who made the move from his native Copenhagen to Arsenal at the age of 14, one year earlier than his Danish compatriot Nicklas Bendtner. He then announced his departure during the summer of 2024, and in October, as long expected, he signed with one of the club's arch-rivals.
Chido Obi was on The Guardian's list of the most promising players born in 2007, but some people have claimed that his proficiency in front of goal was by and large due to having a physical advantage against his opponents.
And it is true that this particular Dane grew to be great at an early age, standing at 1.88 m at the age of 16.
But, besides exceptional pace when at full speed and an uncanny knack for beating the offside trap, Chido Obi also offers a lot in link-up play and is ruthlessness in front of goal, which evokes memories of a certain Norwegian from the other side of town.
The future does indeed look bright for both Chido Obi and United if he can transfer this ruthlessness to the highest level.
Søren Jakobsen (Danish desk)
Ethan Nwaneri (17) - Arsenal
The youngest player in Premier League history is set for a blockbuster 2025 after establishing himself in Arsenal’s title-chasing squad.
Ethan Nwaneri stormed into the limelight in 2022 after coming off the bench to make his senior debut in the final minute of Arsenal’s 3-0 win at Brentford, aged just 15 years and 181 days.
His progress since has been staggering, with manager Mikel Arteta recently forced to defend his decision to restrict the midfielder’s playing time in order to temper expectations and manage his workload.
“We need to make sure we build him brick by brick, but we have some player there,” he said after Nwaneri scored a sensational strike against Preston in the EFL Cup.
Nwaneri joined the club’s Hale End academy as a nine-year-old, famously winning a scholarship after playing just eight minutes in a trial game. The player would later join the under-16s while in the under-14s, and the under-18s as part of the under-15s, scoring 17 goals in 20 matches - including five in Arsenal’s 7-1 FA Youth Cup win over Crewe.
Arsenal’s academy manager Per Mertesacker told the club’s website: “I’ve seen videos of the under-9, under-10 squads cheering Ethan on at Hale End when he came on. Players that would start the same journey as he did, in the grassroots academy, were cheering him on.”
Now aged 17, the England U19 international has more Premier League appearances than Manchester City’s Phil Foden and fellow Arsenal academy graduate Bukayo Saka managed when they were 18.
In November, he scored his first Premier League goal in a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest to become the ninth youngest scorer in the league’s history (at 17 years and 247 days).
Nwaneri has played 354 minutes this season, with 215 in the EFL Cup, 108 in the Premier League and 31 in the Champions League. With four goals, he is one of only two U18s to have scored more than once across all competitions in Europe’s top five leagues. The other? Barcelona and Spain’s Lamine Yamal.
Watch this space.
Joel Barnett (UK desk)
Paul Wanner (19) - Heidenheim
Jamal Musiala? Florian Wirtz? Germany is currently honing an impressive new generation of young attacking stars - and the DFB has another ace up its sleeve: Paul Wanner.
However, it is not yet certain whether the 19-year-old will even play for Germany. Born in Dornbirn, Austria, Wanner could also play for them. However, the attacking midfielder, who is currently on loan from FC Bayern Munich to Bundesliga rivals and Conference League participants FC Heidenheim, has come through all of the DFB's youth teams.
But who is this Wanner - and what makes him so interesting? He was bought by Bayern's youth department back in 2018 and made his first professional appearance on loan at SV Elversberg in the second division. An impressive debut season was followed by an improved move to Heidenheim in 2024, where he blossomed right at the start of the season and caught the eye with three goals in his first two games.
His reward was encouraging words from the highest echelons: “We're planning on him,” said Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund shortly before the winter break. The record champions are also keeping a close eye on Wanner's finishing prowess and improving creativity.
The next stage to play his way into the limelight will be the U21 European Championship in June 2025, by which time Wanner will probably have to make a big decision.
Heik Kölsch (German desk)
Alexandru Stoian (17) - Farul Constanta
Alexandru Stoian, a product of Hagi Academy, made history on October 28th, 2022, becoming the second-youngest player ever to debut in Romania's Liga 1. At just 14 years, 10 months, and 13 days, he featured in Farul Constanta's 2-1 victory against FC U Craiova. In the same season, he went on to win the Romanian championship with Farul.
The young attacking midfielder, who has already represented Romania at youth level, has made eight appearances this season. His talent hasn't gone unnoticed internationally, as he was recently named among The Guardian's 'Next Generation 2023' - a list of the 60 most promising footballers worldwide born in 2007.
Responding to this recognition, Stoian remained grounded: "I'm grateful for the attention, but I need to work even harder to reach the level of players like Lamine Yamal and play in the Champions League."
His manager at Farul Constanta, Romanian legend Gheorghe Hagi, speaks highly of the youngster: "He's an incredibly talented kid with exceptional qualities. He has pace, technique, and great vision. While there's still work to be done, if he stays grounded and continues to develop, he could become a significant player for Romanian football."
Stoian has set his sights on scoring his first Liga 1 goal this season. Currently valued at €89,000 by Flashscore, the teenager's stock is expected to rise significantly in the coming years.
Costel Demian (Romanian desk)
Dominik Pech (18) - Slavia Prague
Dominik Pech celebrated his 18th birthday and the celebration seemed to last throughout the whole of Autumn. On October 24th, he made his Europa League debut against Bilbao and seven days later he scored his first competitive goal in the Czech Cup. A month after that, he scored his first goal in the Czech league. The end of the year was a turning point for the young midfielder.
He first caught the eye of coach Jindrich Trpisovsky at the age of 15. Why? Excellent movement and technique. His ball control and dribbling are at a very high level considering his age. He looks like a typical winger, but in reality, his place is in midfield.
It's not usual that a Slavia coach takes a teenager and puts him in the starting lineup. An exception was made for Pech and the curly blond rewarded the manager with an assist for the winning goal.
He dribbled around three opponents from Liberec and put through a brilliant pass for Mojmir Chytil. Superb stuff. The whole stadium applauded him.
He's always on the move, just as Slavia football demands. But Pech has also skills, which is his added value and the reason why he could be a new wonderkid in 2025.
Jakub Dvořák (Czech desk)
Leo Sauer (19) - NAC Breda
Leo Sauer is a 19-year-old generational talent of Slovak football. Together with his brother Mario, who is one year older and the leader of MSK Zilina's midfield, they started football in Slovan Bratislava's academy. But they soon swapped the mediocre conditions for their development for the renowned Zilina academy. After less than five years, Feyenoord Rotterdam came calling and Leo had no doubts that this was the right path.
He showed his qualities constantly. Interestingly, he hadn't played a single game for the senior team of Zilina in Slovakia but made his debut among men in Feyenoord. He confirmed his talent at the U20 World Cup, where Sauer helped his nation advance to the last 16 with two assists. On his debut in Rotterdam, he immediately scored against KV Oostende at the age of 16. His growth has been unquestionable.
Another Slovak footballer David Hancko helped him to acclimatise quickly in the Netherlands. On his debut in the Eredivisie, Sauer saved a draw for the team with a goal in extra time. At the age of 17 years, nine months and three days, he became the youngest Slovak in history to make his Champions League debut on the main stage. Feyenoord since sent their talent on loan to Breda. As a result, he has played almost 30 games in the Dutch top flight, with five goals and four assists.
Perhaps no one will be surprised that even Francesco Calzona couldn't resist his clever dribbling at speed or his ability to play with both feet. The Italian coach of the Slovak national team even found a place for Sauer in the final squad for EURO 2024, giving Leo four minutes.
His speed, dribbling, creativity and overall ball control are his big strengths. At a height of 184 cm, he is no stranger to duels either. He has to add more to his game defensively, however, which is required of wingers nowadays. If nothing extraordinary happens, he should appear for the Slovakian U21s at the home EURO 2025.
Peter Žember (Slovakian desk)
Jan Faberski (18) - Jong Ajax
Poland may live for football, but it definitely does not live on sending a wholesale amount of football talent to the world. In the era of Robert Lewandowski's inevitable twilight, the question is increasingly raised whether someone will appear from the nation capable of filling the gap and building an achievement on this scale.
The answers are sometimes as gloomy as a December afternoon in Radom, or any other city for that matter. After all, when polishing diamonds, one mistake can ruin the entire effort.
But there are players who carry the promise of a bright future in their game, and Jan Faberski seems to have one ahead of him. His posture does not yet inspire respect - 170 cm is rather inconspicuous.
However, since he moved from the Jagiellonia Bialystok academy to the Ajax Amsterdam academy in the summer of 2022, his game has matured in a very interesting direction. Interestingly enough that Wesley Sneijder saw in him the potential to become "the greatest footballer in history" in 2024, a quote that immediately grabbed media attention nationwide.
Faberski has not only successfully progressed through the youth ranks at Ajax, but in the summer of 2024, he made his debut for their reserves against PSV and made a great impression. Nominally associated as a right winger, he was also fielded on the left at Jong Ajax and confirmed that it doesn't really matter where he starts.
He positions himself on the pitch very well; his instincts and decisions surpass his age of 18, which is why he is gradually increasing his mark in the Eerste Divisie. Faberski's talent is beyond question, and he even advanced from the U19s to the U21s for Poland this year.
In his last five matches of 2024, the left-footed attacker recorded two goals and an assist for Jong Ajax. There is no talk of an explosion of talent, more of moulding it step by step, and no one in Poland would dare question the youth development at Ajax.
Faberski’s place among the names submitted to UEFA for the Europa League has additionally whetted the appetite for his debut in the first team of the club. Will we see him in the Eredivisie in 2025?
Michał Karaś (Polish desk)
Sean Steur (16) - Jong Ajax
Sean Steur is part of a very talented Dutch batch of players born in 2008. The technically gifted midfielder possesses extremely fine ball control and belongs to the category of players we have been saying in the Netherlands since 2018/19 has “a touch of Frenkie de Jong” in his game.
Steur, however, is much more offensively minded than the Barcelona midfielder. The 16-year-old usually plays as a central midfielder or a number 10 and often manages to distinguish himself with pinpoint passes and agile dribbling.
Last summer, Steur was frequently linked with a transfer to PSV, where his older brother Roy is also under contract, but decided to stay loyal to the club from the capital.
In May, Steur made his debut in the Eerste Divisie on behalf of Jong Ajax, for whom he has since made thirteen appearances. It is to be hoped for Dutch fans that he will live up to his potential and can provide brilliant combinations with other talented midfielders of his generation, such as Ayoub Ouarghi (Feyenoord) and Levi Acheampong, or in time with the slightly older Kees Smit (AZ) and Tygo Land (PSV), who also possess velvet technique.
Raphaël Bejczy (Dutch desk)