World Football's Top 10 Up-and-Coming Youngsters Who Will Be Global Stars

When compiling this list, some names will be familiar, such as Phil Jones, Mario Gotze and Jack Wilshere.Some names, like Marquinhos, will not be as familiar. And no, Neymar will not be included, as he's already a global star. 

Thanks to YouTube, professional scouts and Football Manager, I don’t have to go to Ivory Coast to find the next Drogba. Therefore, I’ll specify how I’m judging these players.

Besides my own inherent (and unintended) biases and preferences, my selection is based on four things:

1. Experience
2. Recent Performances
3. Current Squad (and thus chance to develop further)
4. My gut feeling

Beginning with an honorable mention, the list will then progress from the least likely to become a star, to whom I feel will be a leading international player in the future.

Note that all players considered are either 21 years of age or younger. Also note that I classify players who have already established themselves as national team stalwarts and who have proved themselves at either the recent World Cup or Euros to no longer be “up-and-coming.”  

I’d be happy to hear of any other youngsters who you believe will be the next global stars. Obviously, when dealing with a list of this nature, there is a vast pool to draw from. But, I hope I have done the soccer world justice. 

Honorable Mention

It's hard to separate these from the rest. However, here are my picks that just narrowly missed the cut. 

Lucas Moura 

Position: Midfielder 

Club: Paris Saint-Germain 

Country: Brazil 

Moura has not yet completely broken into the star-studded cast at PSG. However, he's certainly one to look for in the future. 

Like you'd expect from a Brazilian, he's got pace and dribbling skills, with a strong physique to back it all up. 

Thibaut Courtois

Position: Goalkeeper

Club: Chelsea 

Country: Belgium 

After an impressive loan-spell at Atletico Madrid, perhaps Courtois will look to break into the Chelsea lineup. He did, after all, receive the praise of Mourinho.

With the Special One back in charge at Chelsea, Courtois may very well be called upon to show his worth. 

Raheem Sterling 

Position: Midfielder

Club: Liverpool

Country: England

After debuting for his club at 17 years of age, Sterling has since become an exciting prospect for both Liverpool and England's future. 

A winger in the classic sense, he provides penetration and pace, and will certainly be increasingly utilized by both club and country.

Although already playing a key role for Liverpool, another year at his current level is necessary to know whether or not he's ready to truly be something great.  

10. Marquinhos

Marquinhos

Position: Defender 

Club: AS Roma

Country: Brazil  

At only 19 years of age, Marquinhos has already won the Coppa Libertadores with Corinthians and played a season in Serie A. Following his impressive performances in his home country, the Brazilian was bought by Roma, where he has become the first-choice center-back.

With Roma, he has led the team to the Coppa Italia final, paired alongside former Corinthinans teammate, Leandro Castan. And, although Roma’s defense was largely in shambles throughout the year, his Cannavaro-esque defending—a perfect mix of tenacity and pace—has attracted the attention of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Like Phil Jones, he's shown the natural leadership requirements required to be one of the world's best.

Roma will be keen to keep him, which unfortunately means he will miss out on the experience of playing in Europe next season. In addition, Roma has so far been unable to provide a suitable defensive tutor, with De Rossi, the most likely candidate, not at his best this year.

Should he find himself at Barcelona or Real Madrid in the near future, he will certainly benefit from the likes of Puyol or Pepe. 

9. Paul Pogba

Paul Pogba

Position: Midfielder

Club: Juventus

Country: France

This past season was Pogba’s true breakthrough.

After being unable to impress at Manchester United, Juventus snatched up the 20-year-old at the beginning of the 2012 season. His qualities are most reminiscent of Yaya Toure, with power, creativity and on-the-ball control. He’s capable of scoring as well, with an eye for goal from distance.

If Alex Ferguson was unable to provide enough guidance for the youngster, Antonio Conte certainly has. A stern manager if I’ve ever seen one, Conte has led Juventus to back-to-back Serie A titles as well as the undefeated season of 2011/12. 

Under Conte, Pogba has played in 27 games, scoring five times and providing stability in defense and penetration going forward.

But besides Conte, Pogba has the likes of Andrea Pirlo alongside him. Like Marco Verratti, both will benefit greatly from the tutelage of one of the world’s best midfielders.

He’s already been a key international player at the youth level. After this season’s performances, he’ll find himself being utilized more often for France’s senior national team. 

He'd be higher up on this list if he didn't show a lack of discipline at times. Most recently, he was sent off for spitting at Salvatore Aronica despite his team having already clinched the title. 

8. Isco

Isco

Position: Midfielder

Club: Malaga

Country: Spain

Like Erik Lamela, for an attacking player, Isco’s got it all: pace, dribbling and goal-scoring prowess.

In 2012 he was labeled La Liga’s Breakthrough Player. Since then, he’s continued to impress.

This season he started 36 times for Malaga, scoring nine goals. He gave his team hope in the Champions League as well, scoring three goals in eight appearances.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he found himself at a bigger club in the near future, especially now that Malaga have failed to qualify for the Champions League next season. This might be the best way forward.

Despite being a part of a talented Malaga side, he needs the world-class opponents only the Champions League can provide to prove that he’s the real deal, and to take his game to the next level. The next level is most certainly finding a starting place in Spain’s national team.

He’s only made one appearance for Spain so far at the senior level, so only time will tell if he can prove to the world he’s come to stay. 

7. Marco Verratti

Marco Verratti

Position: Midfielder

Club: Paris Saint-Germain FC

Country: Italy

At only 5’5”, the diminutive midfielder burst onto the scene with Pescara, his hometown team. In 2009, at the age of 16, he became a regular fixture for his club.

His true potential was brought out by manager Zdenek Zeman, who employed Verratti as a deep-lying playmaker, making use of technique and passing skills.

Verratti has since then been labeled as the next Pirlo, winning the Serie B title and Serie B Player of the Year in 2011.

After his success at Pescara, he attracted the attention of numerous big clubs. Ultimately, he signed with Paris Saint-Germain, helping them win their first Ligue 1 title since 1994. 

He didn’t disappoint in France, making the starting lineup 23 times in the league and six times in the UCL, but only tallying four total assists in both tournaments.

He was called up for the national team in 2012, and with Pirlo still delivering, has so far made only three appearances, scoring one goal. However, being able to play alongside the very man to whom he has been compared will no doubt help him develop even further. 

Besides featuring in the Italian National Team, he has also recently benefited from playing in a star-studded roster at PSG. This, of course, includes the illustrious David Beckham. 

He very much resembles Wilshere in style, but the Englishman has so far proven himself more consistent and valuable both at the club and international level.

6. Erik Lamela

Erik Lamela 

Position: Midfielder/Forward

Club: AS Roma

Country: Argentina

Another serious find by Roma (like Marquinhos), Lamela arrived fresh from relegated River Plate in 2011. Before arriving in Italy, he was already a star, making 36 appearances for his club and scoring four goals.

On the international youth level, he has already demonstrated his qualities. During the U20 World Cup, he scored three goals in four games until Argentina was eventually eliminated in the quarterfinals.

It was during his second season for Roma where he really made his breakthrough. In Serie A alone, he made 33 appearances, scoring 15 goals and making five assists.

And his game is certainly not one-dimensional. He’s gifted with exceptional pace, positional awareness and on-the-ball skills, scoring in all shapes and forms in a league with notoriously the toughest defense to break down. His dedication and work rate is also admirable, both on offense and defense. 

He’s since looked ready to appear in Argentina’s senior side, where he can only benefit from playing alongside the likes of Lavezzi, Aguero and of course, Messi. 

5. Jack Wilshere

Jack Wilshere 

Position: Midfielder

Club: Arsenal

Country: England

England has a bright future. If Wilshere can stay healthy, their midfield is in good hands.

At 16 years of age, Wilshere became the youngest player at Arsenal. Now, the 21-year-old has solidified himself as a choice starter for manager Arsene Wenger.

Arsene Wenger accurately describes him as having “Spanish technique” and an “English heart.” His creativity and vision in the middle of the park has seen him as the fulcrum of the Arsenal squad, leading them to their top-four finish in the Premier League this past season.

For England, injury has largely kept him from performing on the international stage, managing just a handful of games since 2011. However, he will most certainly be called up for the upcoming World Cup in Brazil after not being called up for South Africa.

It’s unfortunate that Wilshere has not had the privilege of working closely with Fabio Capello, which would have done wonders for his development. However, that’s not to say that Wenger has not being doing something right.

With the likes of other youngsters Phil Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, England can justifiably hope to challenge for a major title in the upcoming years. 

4. Stephan El Shaarawy

Stephan El Shaarawy

Position: Forward

Club: Milan

Country: Italy

Who else remembers the wunderkind El Shaarawy on Football Manager? The programmers there were right: the Pharaoh has become one of Italy’s hottest prospects. 

At only 20 years of age, he’s beginning to fulfill his potential. This season was his big year, and he finished joint-third top goal-scorer in Serie A with 16 goals. He’s a lethal finisher with pace and dribbling skills, capable of acting both as the spear-point of attack as well as provider.

El Shaarawy did struggle to cope with the presence of Mario Balotelli in the same lineup, his form tapering off when the volatile striker arrived from Manchester City in January. Perhaps this is why, so far, he’s found it difficult to replicate his form on the international stage.

He’s only made six appearances for Italy, scoring one goal. However, with managers Prandelli and Allegri and with a squad of world-class players around him, there is no doubt he will become a leading player in the future.  

3. Oscar

Oscar

Position: Midfielder

Club: Chelsea

Country: Brazil

At only 21 years of age, he's already become key to his club, and is now poised to become one of the most important elements of the Brazilian national team. 

The midfielder arrived at Chelsea in 2012 already loaded with experience. After winning the Brazilian Serie A with his home club San Paulo, he made his breakthrough at Internacional, scoring 11 goals in 36 appearances.

His pace, dribbling skills and lethal shot from distance, coupled with his ability to play both in supporting and attacking roles justifiably led him to be labeled the “next Kaka.”

In the 2012/13 season, Oscar delivered much needed flair to Chelsea’s midfield, alongside Juan Mata and Eden Hazard. He became a key starter for Roberto Di Matteo, making 24 starts in the Premier League and providing five goals. In the Champions League, he scored five goals in six appearances, including the notable one against Juventus.

Although utilized less in Rafa Benitez’s time as interim manager, the return of Mourinho to Chelsea will do wonders for his development.

At the international level, he’s already shined at the youth level, and just beginning to do so at the senior level. There is no reason why he won’t be one of the world’s true greats in several years. If he can gain some weight.

Had I decided to not include Gotze in this list, it would have been an easy decision to have made Oscar No. 2. They are very similar players, but Gotze is much more well-rounded and consistent. His price tag tells it all. 

2. Mario Gotze

Mario Gotze

Position: Midfielder

Club: Bayern Munich FC

Country: Germany

It was hardly surprising that Bayern were ready to pay  €37 million to sign Gotze. It’s hard to believe he’s still only 21 years old.

Alongside Robert Lewandowski, Gotze has simply been the most valuable asset to Dortmund’s recent success since coming through the youth ranks of the club. His pace and creativity has led him to 83 appearances and 22 goals in the Bundesliga, contributing to two league titles.

He was furthermore a standout performer during this year’s Champions League, leading his team to the finals with five assists, the second most in the tournament.  

Gotze was a tough decision to include in this list. Certainly he's already a star of some caliber. However, so far he's been somewhat underutilized by the German National Team.

Despite making a total of 22 appearances and scoring five goals, his only experience in a competitive tournament came in Euro 2012, when he was used as a substitute in the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, he made little impact as Germany went on to lose in the semis against Italy. 

This, in addition to his seeming lack of leadership qualities, is the only reason why I have not made Gotze number one in this list. 

It will be interesting to see how he develops at Bayern. Without a doubt, besides his world-class teammates, under Pep Guardiola he’s likely to shine. 

1. Phil Jones

Phil Jones

Position: Defender/Midfielder

Club: Manchester United

Country: England

He’s already been touted as the future England and Manchester United captain, praised by the likes of Sir Bobby Charlton, Stuart Pearce, Fabio Capello and Sir Alex Ferguson.  And he’s certainly proven that he has a bright future in store.

Since Jones’ first appearance in the Premier League for Blackburn Rovers at the age of 18, he’s steadily progressed way beyond his years. His versatility and strength caught the eye of Manchester United, and at only 21, he's already found himself a key starter for them. 

In his first season for the Red Devils, he made a total of 29 appearances. Despite being injured at the beginning of the 2012/13 season, Jones was an integral part of their Premier League victory.

Employed in a variety of defensive positions, he’s demonstrated his ability to adapt effectively to each. And the tutelage of defensive greats like Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic—besides being managed by Sir Alex—has certainly helped harness his talents.

On the international level, he’s begun to impress as well. After playing both for the U19 and U21 squads, he’s since made seven appearances for England and may very well be a key player for his team in the upcoming World Cup.