The world’s best male players are getting younger but, as the likes of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, Barcelona’s Pedri and Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden make headlines every week, is it finally time to crown successors to the legendary Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?
For the fourth straight year (read 2019, 2020 and 2021 here), ESPN brings you our list of the game’s next top young stars aged 21 or under. Now 23, Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe is too old to be included, while some from 2021’s top 10 — Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix, Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho and Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt, are out, too!
Many of this year’s crop have made their mark on the big stage already, but who has done enough to land a place on ESPN’s list, what are their particular qualities and how can they get even better?
Assembling the list for the third year running is Tor-Kristian Karlsen, who has worked as a scout and executive for clubs across Europe, including Monaco, Zenit and Watford. He explains his methodology before revealing his picks.
Why 39?
From an initial long list of 75 players, those remaining are the ones who best satisfied my main criteria: appearances at the highest level, consistent performance over a sustained period and the potential to develop into a future top-level footballer.
What types of research were undertaken?
I used a sounding board consisting of professional scouts and sporting directors from several top European clubs before deciding on the final ranking, as well as some online scouting platforms. Personal preference also played a role.
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Is there a reason attacking players dominate the list?
In general, forwards get more playing time at a younger age than, say, central defenders, who tend to need more time to develop tactical awareness, positioning and…
Source : espn
