Top 10 Rising Football Stars Under 23 in 2026

Pedri won the Golden Boy award in 2021, the youngest player to win UEFA's Best Young Player at a European Championship (2020), and was named in the La Liga Team of the Season in 2021. He makes approximately 97 passes per 90 minutes at an 89% completion rate — metrics comparable with prime Xavi. He plays in the same position, for the same club, with the same philosophy — and Barcelona's coaching staff have publicly stated he is the first player since Xavi who could play the same role at the same level.

Jude Bellingham won La Liga with Real Madrid in 2024, scoring 23 La Liga goals from midfield — the highest tally by a midfielder in the league's history. He made his senior England debut at 17, his Borussia Dortmund debut at 16, and scored in his first El Clásico in 2023. He won the UEFA Men's Player of the Year in 2024. His combination of technical ability, physical power, intelligence, and composure under pressure at elite level has led to widespread consensus among football analysts that he will be the sport's best player by 2027.

Gavi became the youngest player to score a World Cup goal for Spain (2022), the youngest La Liga debutant for Barcelona in 50 years (2021), and won the Golden Boy in 2022. His pressing intensity — averaging 8.4 successful presses per 90 minutes — is the highest of any midfielder in La Liga history. An ACL injury in 2023 cost him 18 months, but he returned to full fitness for the 2025–26 season at 21 and is considered one of the two or three most important players in Spain's national team project for the next decade.

Endrick signed for Real Madrid from Palmeiras for €60 million in 2024 at the age of 18 — the highest fee ever paid for a Brazilian teenager. He scored on his Real Madrid debut in September 2024 and became the youngest player to score for Brazil in a competitive international (aged 17, against Uruguay) since Pelé in 1957. His physical strength — unusually developed for his age — combines with two-footedness and a clinical finishing instinct that has drawn direct comparisons with a young Ronaldo Nazário (R9).

Warren Zaïre-Emery became PSG's youngest ever first-team player at 16 years and 61 days in 2022, and the youngest French player to score in the Ligue 1 era. He was called into the France senior squad at 17 by Didier Deschamps and made his debut at the 2024 European Championship. His energy, range of passing, and physical presence in central midfield at 17 drew comparisons with a young Patrick Vieira. He has started 80% of PSG's Ligue 1 games from 2023 onwards.

Alejandro Garnacho scored the Puskás Award-winning goal of 2024 — an overhead kick against Everton in the Premier League reminiscent of Gareth Bale's 2018 Champions League Final strike. He has been capped by Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions, at 20, and scored on his international debut. He scored 12 Premier League goals and 9 assists in the 2024–25 season — the highest tally by a Manchester United winger since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008. Widely expected to be one of the top five players in the world by 2028.

Florian Wirtz helped Bayer Leverkusen win the Bundesliga unbeaten in 2023–24 — the first unbeaten Bundesliga champions in history — contributing 18 goals and 20 assists in 44 games across all competitions. He was named the Bundesliga's Player of the Season and won the German Footballer of the Year award at 20. He scored in the 2024 European Championship for Germany. With Xabi Alonso's departure to Real Madrid in 2025 and Wirtz's subsequent €150 million move to City or Madrid expected, he is Europe's most valuable player under 23.

Jamal Musiala scored 18 Bundesliga goals in 2023–24 — the most by a German player aged under 21 in a single season — and won the German Footballer of the Year in 2023. Born in Stuttgart with an English mother, he rejected England's Under-21 setup to represent Germany. At 2022 World Cup he was Germany's best player in a disappointing tournament exit. His dribbling speed — averaging 4.1 successful dribbles per 90 minutes — is the highest of any Bundesliga midfielder since data began.

Evan Ferguson became the first player born after 2004 to score a Premier League hat-trick when he netted three goals against Newcastle United in December 2023 for Brighton, aged 18. He scored 10 Premier League goals in his debut PL season at 18 — the highest total by any teenager since Wayne Rooney in 2003. He has been Ireland's starting centre-forward from the age of 18. Brighton rejected multiple bids exceeding £80 million in 2024 and he is expected to move to a Champions League club in the 2026 window.

Pedri won the Golden Boy award in 2021, the youngest player to win UEFA's Best Young Player at a European Championship (2020), and was named in the La Liga Team of the Season in 2021. He makes approximately 97 passes per 90 minutes at an 89% completion rate — metrics comparable with prime Xavi. He plays in the same position, for the same club, with the same philosophy — and Barcelona's coaching staff have publicly stated he is the first player since Xavi who could play the same role at the same level.

Jude Bellingham won La Liga with Real Madrid in 2024, scoring 23 La Liga goals from midfield — the highest tally by a midfielder in the league's history. He made his senior England debut at 17, his Borussia Dortmund debut at 16, and scored in his first El Clásico in 2023. He won the UEFA Men's Player of the Year in 2024. His combination of technical ability, physical power, intelligence, and composure under pressure at elite level has led to widespread consensus among football analysts that he will be the sport's best player by 2027.

Gavi became the youngest player to score a World Cup goal for Spain (2022), the youngest La Liga debutant for Barcelona in 50 years (2021), and won the Golden Boy in 2022. His pressing intensity — averaging 8.4 successful presses per 90 minutes — is the highest of any midfielder in La Liga history. An ACL injury in 2023 cost him 18 months, but he returned to full fitness for the 2025–26 season at 21 and is considered one of the two or three most important players in Spain's national team project for the next decade.

Endrick signed for Real Madrid from Palmeiras for €60 million in 2024 at the age of 18 — the highest fee ever paid for a Brazilian teenager. He scored on his Real Madrid debut in September 2024 and became the youngest player to score for Brazil in a competitive international (aged 17, against Uruguay) since Pelé in 1957. His physical strength — unusually developed for his age — combines with two-footedness and a clinical finishing instinct that has drawn direct comparisons with a young Ronaldo Nazário (R9).

Warren Zaïre-Emery became PSG's youngest ever first-team player at 16 years and 61 days in 2022, and the youngest French player to score in the Ligue 1 era. He was called into the France senior squad at 17 by Didier Deschamps and made his debut at the 2024 European Championship. His energy, range of passing, and physical presence in central midfield at 17 drew comparisons with a young Patrick Vieira. He has started 80% of PSG's Ligue 1 games from 2023 onwards.

Alejandro Garnacho scored the Puskás Award-winning goal of 2024 — an overhead kick against Everton in the Premier League reminiscent of Gareth Bale's 2018 Champions League Final strike. He has been capped by Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions, at 20, and scored on his international debut. He scored 12 Premier League goals and 9 assists in the 2024–25 season — the highest tally by a Manchester United winger since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008. Widely expected to be one of the top five players in the world by 2028.

Florian Wirtz helped Bayer Leverkusen win the Bundesliga unbeaten in 2023–24 — the first unbeaten Bundesliga champions in history — contributing 18 goals and 20 assists in 44 games across all competitions. He was named the Bundesliga's Player of the Season and won the German Footballer of the Year award at 20. He scored in the 2024 European Championship for Germany. With Xabi Alonso's departure to Real Madrid in 2025 and Wirtz's subsequent €150 million move to City or Madrid expected, he is Europe's most valuable player under 23.

Jamal Musiala scored 18 Bundesliga goals in 2023–24 — the most by a German player aged under 21 in a single season — and won the German Footballer of the Year in 2023. Born in Stuttgart with an English mother, he rejected England's Under-21 setup to represent Germany. At 2022 World Cup he was Germany's best player in a disappointing tournament exit. His dribbling speed — averaging 4.1 successful dribbles per 90 minutes — is the highest of any Bundesliga midfielder since data began.

Evan Ferguson became the first player born after 2004 to score a Premier League hat-trick when he netted three goals against Newcastle United in December 2023 for Brighton, aged 18. He scored 10 Premier League goals in his debut PL season at 18 — the highest total by any teenager since Wayne Rooney in 2003. He has been Ireland's starting centre-forward from the age of 18. Brighton rejected multiple bids exceeding £80 million in 2024 and he is expected to move to a Champions League club in the 2026 window.