Ranking the 10 best teenagers in world football in 2025: Estevao, Yamal… | OneFootball

Current and future stars from Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea and Real Madrid all feature in our ranking of the top 10 teenagers in world football – but who comes out on top?

There’s something of a consensus on who is the best teenage star in the world, but who are his closest challengers? And will we go against the grain?

We’ve ranked the top 10 teenage talents in world football, in descending order.

10. Endrick

Endrick has only played 11 minutes of league football for Real Madrid this season and is now looking for an escape route in January.

“Of course, I’d like him to have played already,” Alonso said last month.

“But the situations in our recent matches have been very tight since Endrick returned. I hope he can get those minutes soon. He’s training well, he’s ready — but the right moment has to come.”

His reputation has fallen slightly since arriving at Madrid in 2024, but Endrick is still a player of immense potential in the right environment.

9. Geovany Quenda

Chelsea swooped in ahead of Manchester United to agree a £40million deal to bring Quenda to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2026.

It’s not hard to see why. The 17-year-old – who is comfortable playing off either flank – quickly established himself in Lisbon after becoming Sporting Lisbon’s youngest-ever goal-scorer.

His range of passing, ability in one-on-one situations and relentless work rate marks him out as a top talent.

Chelsea’s policy of pre-ordering every teeange prodigy in world football looks set to bear fruit once again.

8. Francesco Camarda

Camarda became the youngest player in Serie A history when he debuted for Milan at 15 years and 260 days in 2023.

He’s now on loan at Lecce, where he scored his first Serie A goal this season at 17 years and 202 days. Another record.

A prolific scorer through Milan’s ranks, he’s hit over 480 academy goals. He also won the U17 Euros with Italy, was named Player of the Tournament, and has four goals in four matches for the U21s too.

7. Ethan Nwaneri

Arsenal fans are well aware that they have a star on their hands when it comes to Nwaneri. Every time he steps onto the pitch, he seems to get better.

While his minutes are being carefully managed, he always seems to make an impression when handed a chance by Mikel Arteta.

His goal against Manchester City last season was brilliant and Nwaneri has shown he has everything required to become a superstar of the future, regardless of whether he stays a winger or blossoms into a midfielder.

6. Myles Lewis-Skelly

Lewis-Skelly is currently enduring a difficult second season at Arsenal, with less minutes and rumours over a January move to ensure his World Cup place.

But it would be wrong to ignore just how sensational his breakout 2024-25 campaign was; becoming Mikel Arteta’s starting left-back, scoring on his England debut and mocking Erling Haaland.

Though naturally a central midfielder, Lewis-Skelly has thrived in defence and will surely be a crucial member of the Arsenal team for years to come.

5. Warren Zaire-Emery

Already a fully-fledged player for PSG and France, the future looks very bright indeed for Zaire-Emery.

“I have never seen a player with such intelligence to understand and compensate for what his teammates are doing,” Luis Enrique told reporters last year when discussing the midfielder.

“It’s something that almost no one sees, but it has a lot of value.”

4. Franco Mastantuono

Mastantuono has made a strong start to life at Real Madrid, securing a starting spot in the opening months of the season on the right side of midfield.

The 18-year-old, who has been noted for his dead-ball and one-on-one abilities, became River Plate’s youngest-ever goal-scorer at the start of 2024 and had all of Europe’s big clubs chasing his signature.

Mastantuono has promised that there is plenty more to come from him.

“I know for sure that my best version is yet to come,” he said in a recent interview. “I had a really good spell at River that got me here today, but I know I haven’t reached my peak yet.

“I’m not going to be satisfied with what I’ve done so far. I’m going to keep working and improving so I can reach the very top.”

3. Pau Cubarsi

Cubarsi was handed his first opportunity at Barcelona under Xavi and he’s gone from strength to strength under Hansi Flick.

The centre-half has a killer eye for a pass and helped Barca win the league and cup double last year.

He is undoubtedly one of the most promising defenders in world football right now, even if Chelsea gave him the run around in the Champions League.

Plenty to learn, but Cubarsi has the potential to become the world’s best defender before too long.

2. Estevao

Estevao struggled to make sense of his emotions after his brilliant performance in Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Barcelona in November 2025.

The 18-year-old, who joined Chelsea from Palmeiras for £52million in the summer, stole the limelight from Lamine Yamal with a thunderous goal.

“I don’t really have any words,” Rstevao said afterwards. “It was the perfect night. It was all very quick. It was such a special goal in my career for me and I hope to score many more.”

Estêvão is only the third teenager – after Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe – to score in each of his first three Champions League starts.

But Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca sought to play down comparisons with Lionel Messi.

“Estevao needs to relax, enjoy his football,” Chelsea’s head coach said. “Him and Lamine, if you start to talk about Messi and Ronaldo, it’s too much pressure for young boys like them. It’s too much for them.”

1. Lamine Yamal

“Lamine is the kind of talent that comes along every 50 years, and to see him up close really impressed me,” Inter boss Simone Inzaghi told reporters after last season’s Champions League semi-final against Barcelona.

It already feels like Yamal is one of the world’s best players, destined to win the Ballon d’Or and countless trophies at both club and international level.

Some excitable fans are calling him the heir to Lionel Messi. Let’s not forget Yamal is still a teenager, a fact that is also missing in discussions about his off-field activities.

But give him a football and the magic that often follows has us reaching for the theasaurus. We hope expectation and conformity doesn’t crush such a generational talent.