Future stars, we all want to discover ‘the next big thing’. WTFoot has got you covered. We are bringing you a list of 10 players that are most definitely going to replace the stars of today’s game. Messi and Ronaldo, move over.
10. Billy Gilmour
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- Team: Chelsea/Scotland
- Age: 19
- Position: Centre Midfielder
- Profile: Dubbed ‘Baby’ Billy for his slight demeanour, Gilmour lay all fears that his size would prove detrimental to rest when he ripped the towering Fabinho to shreds with his brilliance on the ball in Chelsea’s FA Cup tie against Liverpool in March 2020. The young starlet helped The Blues to a 2-0 win by going on to dominate the middle of the park, dictating the game with his crisp and quick passing, while his nimble feet kept The Reds’ fearsome gegenpress at bay. Gilmour has cited former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas as a major inspiration and someone he has tried to model his game on and if the Scotsman turns out to as good as the Spaniard then Chelsea has got a diamond-in-the-rough in the mines of Stamford Bridge.
9. Phil Foden
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- Team: Manchester City/England
- Age: 20
- Position: Attacking Midfielder
- Profile: Nicknamed ‘The Stockport Iniesta’, this Citizen is making the claim to be the most exciting English talent in the game today. The playmaker’s innate talents were on full display as Manchester City ran riot over title rivals Liverpool in February of 2020, boasting the elusive ability to drift past opponents coupled with a keen tactical awareness and dogged determination make him any manager’s dream.
8. Erling Braut Halaand
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- Team: Borussia Dortmund/Norway
- Age: 20
- Position: Striker
- Profile: A Phenomenon. Possessing explosive acceleration, bullish strength, aerial prowess, and an attacking instinct that comes around once in a generation the Norwegian goal-machine is perhaps already Europe’s top marksman. Halaand became the first teenager to score 10 goals in a single UEFA Champions League campaign, and since his move to BVB in January of 2020, has racked up an incredible 38 goals in 40 games. The next big thing has already arrived!
7. Sandro Tonali
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- Team: AC Milan/Italy
- Age: 20
- Position: Centre Midfielder
- Profile: Elegance. Class. Control. In a game dominated more and more by athleticism, Sandro Tonali is a throwback to the bygone era of football. The Lombardy born midfielder’s wide array of passing, birds-eye vision, and delicate weight of pass has seen him draw direct comparisons to Italian legend Andrea Pirlo. Like his predecessor Tonali is considered a regista, one who dictates play from the base of midfield, and has interestingly taken a similar career path, starting off at Brescia before his move to AC Milan.
6. Alphonso Davies
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- Team: Bayern Munich/Canada
- Age: 19
- Position: Left-back
- Profile: The only player on this list boasting a UEFA Champions winners medal, Alphonso Davies looks to follow in a long line of successful fullbacks to dawn the shirt of FC Bayern Munich which includes Phillip Lahm, the man who captained Germany to their 2014 FIFA World Cup win. Davies is perhaps more naturally gifted than his predecessors, blessed with raw physical attributes in the form of searing pace and a herculean physique, in addition with the ability to to got mazy dribbles and a swing in a pin point cross to boot.
5. Ansu Fati
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- Team: Barcelona/Spain
- Age: 18
- Position: Left Winger
- Profile: The heir to Lionel Messi’s throne at Barcelona? The youngest player on this list also might the most talented, but what’s for certain is that he has the most daunting task of all, to follow in the footsteps of a footballing deity. The Bissau born teen is the youngest goalscorer in Spanish football history, netting in his debut for La Roja aged 17 years and 311 days; two months removed from his international milestone the mesmeric dribbler etched his name as the youngest player to score in an El Classico with a goal against Barca’s arch-nemesis Real Madrid. Pressure? What Pressure?
4. Vinícius Júnior
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- Team: Real Madrid/Brazil
- Age: 20
- Position: Left Winger
- Profile: Joga Bonito! When Real Madrid breaks the bank for a teenager you know that he’s going to be something special. Vini embodies the Brazilian spirit, combining vivid imagination with unadulterated flamboyance, shades of past greats Ronaldinho and Robinho evident in craft. The Rio born winger has attracted criticism for often sacrificing what’s best for the team instead opting to indulge in showmanship, but if you’re going to spend your hard earned money to see someone kick (or juggle) the ball about, well, you can’t go wrong with the Brazilian.
3. Jadon Sancho
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- Team: Borussia Dortmund/England
- Age: 20
- Position: Right Winger
- Profile: Unlike most of his compatriots the Londoner made his name while playing abroad. After an unsuccessful spell at Manchester City, Sancho moved to Dortmund at 17 to ply his trade in the Bundesliga. In a couple of years the mercurial attacker would blossom into one of the finest talent in European football. The 2019/20 season saw him become only the fifth player to register 15+ goals and 15+ assists in one of Europe’s top 5 leagues.
2. Mason Greenwood
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- Team: Manchester United/England
- Age: 19
- Position: Striker
- Profile: A thunderous left foot reminiscent that of Premier League great Robin Van Persie, Greenwood started off as a midfielder but gradually morphed into a centre-forward. Widely considered as the best ‘pure finisher’ amongst The Red Devil’s ranks at such a tender age, the sky is the limit for the Bradford born virtuoso given he can keep his head on his shoulders and his feet on the ground.
1. Eric Garcia
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- Team: Manchester City/Spain
- Age: 20
- Position: Centre-back
- Profile: The ever increasing demands for central defenders to play out from the back in the modern game has seen Eric Garcia become a highly sought after commodity. A product of Barcelona’s La Masia academy, he is World Champion with Spain at both U17 and U19 levels. Garcia joined English club Manchester City in 2017 and cemented his place as the club’s first choice centre-back towards the end of the 2019/20 campaign. Since then the youthful Catalonian has expressed an insatiable desire to return to his boyhood club, going as far as rejecting several lucrative contract renewals from The Citizens.
