With the 2022 World Cup in Qatar rapidly approaching, football fans around the world are eager to see the young talents that the sport has produced in recent years. In contrast to the previous decade, dozens of new players have emerged, with the potential to write a golden history within a few years. This would reassure football fans about the level of competition as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo approach retirement.
Majalla will shine a light on the young stars expected to dazzle in the World Cup.
PEDRI GONZÁLEZ (Spain)
Pedri was, without a doubt, the hottest teenager in football. His incredible dribbling and passing, particularly his heeled pass through defenders, helped to revitalize Barcelona and Spain.
Pedri's ability to hold the ball when it appears to be lost is frequently compared to that of Lionel Messi, though this Canary Islands player is often likened to Andres Iniesta.
Nevertheless, if people currently disagree on whether Juan Roman Riquelme, Ronaldinho, Luis Suarez, or Messi is the king of nutmeg in the twenty-first century, there may be a rare consensus in football on Pedri after this player retires.
The youngster arrived at the Camp Nou from UD Las Palmas without much fanfare in 2020, but he dazzled for FC Barcelona in his first and second seasons.
Pedro González López, better known as 'Pedri,' joined FC Barcelona in the summer of 2020 from LaLiga SmartBank side UD Las Palmas and immediately made an impact.
Nobody in the Catalan club's squad played in more LaLiga Santander matches last season than the Canary Islander, hailed as a prodigious talent but perhaps a little young to be a breakout star on arrival.
He started 28 of the 37 games he played for his new club. The only game he didn't play in was the season finale against SD Eibar, when Ronald Koeman decided there was nothing to play for.
“He’s someone who looks like he is a different age from his real age, someone who comes across as if he’s older,” Juventud Laguna President Julio Hernández explained in an interview. “I think Pedri is a blessing for Spanish football,” was coach Pepe Mel’s take, speaking at a UD Las Palmas press conference.
Pedri broke Wayne Rooney's record by appearing in a European Championship knockout match at the age of 18 years and 215 days in the round of 16 against Croatia.
Pedri's talent, efficiency, and coaches' faith in his abilities led to him being relied on primarily by the first teams in the European Nations League and the Euro Championship, and then by the Olympic team in the Olympics, when the issue arose that he did not receive a summer vacation like the rest of the first-graders.
Pedri believes Luis Enrique's Spain are among the favorites to win the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Since winning the World Cup in 2010, La Roja has had two disappointing World Cup campaigns, losing in the group stage in 2014 and then losing in the last-16 penalty shootout to host Russia four years later.
FELIX AFENA-GYAN (Ghana)
Afena-Gyan, 19, was leading the Berikum Presbyterian High School team in his hometown of Sonyame just 18 months ago. After a meteoric rise, the star is now playing for FC Roma and will represent Ghana at the World Cup.
Afena-Gyan has come a long way in a short time, from the Sunyani district of Ghana to Mourinho’s buying him trainers in the Eternal City.
Until 2018, the youngster's only real competitive football came for his school team before joining the EurAfrica FC academy, a youth football project that was only established in 2018.
It was there that he continued to impress scouts, including Roma's Morgan De Sanctis and Simone Lo Schiavo. In January 2021, despite never having played in any of Ghana's league sides or for the country as a youth international, he became the subject of a transfer tug-of-war between Roma and AC Milan.
A 100-meter sprinter in high school, Afena Gyan's speed has given him an advantage since moving to Italy, but his finishing ability and movement off the ball are also encouraging for a striker who can play anywhere across the forward line.
Despite his small stature, his strength and balance allow him to catch balls aimed at others, face challenges, and stand firmly on his feet. He is quick and skilled, and he can score goals from close and far, as well as from seemingly impossible angles.
Ghana is proud to have Asamoah Gyan, the greatest African goalscorer in World Cup history, as well as other legendary strikers such as Karim Abdul Razak, Abedi Pele, and Tony Yeboah. Afena-Gyan has the talent and the time to follow in their footsteps.
JUDE BELLINGHAM (England)
Until Jude Bellingham played the full 90 minutes for England against Austria last year, it had been nearly 140 years since a 17-year-old had done so. He went on to become the youngest player in UEFA EURO history, a record that Poland's Kacper Kozlowski broke six days later.
Bellingham, who is both physically and technically strong, has been compared to two of the greatest midfielders of the last 30 years: Patrick Vieira and Steven Gerrard. Roy Keane, a third great player who is known for not easily admiring other players, has praised this Borussia Dortmund midfielder on numerous occasions.
Bellingham's popularity is growing. It appears that the most prestigious clubs are attempting to entice the player who Gareth Southgate believes can play at No. 6, No. 8, or No. 10.
"Jude is phenomenal. Just in training in the last couple of days, to have a 17-year-old, who wants to compete with senior players, not only has the technique, but the competitiveness and maturity… he’s a hugely exciting player. He’s going to be an important player for England. We’re not just taking him for the experience." - Southgate on why he called up Bellingham for Euro 2020.
Although he spent only one season with Birmingham City's first team, where he was the club's youngest player ever at the age of 16, the club kept Bellingham's No. 22 shirt when he left for Dortmund in 2019.
In August 2019, he made his senior debut for the Blues in an English League Cup match against Portsmouth, becoming the club's youngest player ever. He broke Trevor Francis's 49-year-old record at the age of 16 years and 38 days.
Bellingham had played 31 league matches in England's tough-as-nails second-tier Championship by the beginning of March 2020, starting 24 of them, scoring four goals and registering two assists. As a result of his performances, he was named the English Football League's Young Player of the Month for November.
Bellingham became the youngest Englishman to score away in the Champions League in September 2021, at the age of 18 years and 78 days, with a goal and an assist against Besiktas.
He was named Bundesliga Goal of the Month in October 2021 for a slaloming run and delightful finish in a win over Arminia Bielefeld, and he became the Bundesliga's second-youngest player to reach 50 appearances in February 2022.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder makes a strong case for a key role for England at the World Cup in Qatar.
JAMAL MUSIALA (Germany)
Jamal Musiala is a new talent in German football that is not often seen. Lothar Matthäus compares him to Maradona and Messi in their youth, while Thomas Muller, his Bayern Munich teammate, believes the young star is extremely intelligent and that what he offers is simply a reflection of his abilities and skills.
It has been an exceptional season for the 19-year-old Jamal Musiala, the young player of Bayern Munich and the German national team, who is steadily stepping into becoming the hope of Bayern and Germany this year and in the years to come.
The attacking midfielder spent four months with Southampton before being spotted by Chelsea and signed to a scholarship just one year after arriving in the country. Musiala made his league debut for Chelsea's U18 team at the age of 15 years, two months, and thirteen days.
Musiala was attracting attention throughout the Chelsea academy while also making waves on the international stage. He made his England U15 debut at the age of 13 and went on to represent the country at the U16 level. In October 2018, he made two appearances for his birth country, Germany, and their U16 team. Musiala went on to make eight appearances for England's U17 side, scoring twice in his first two games, and is now capped up to U21 level for the Three Lions.
He became the Bavarian club's all-time youngest goalscorer, breaking the record set by an 18-year-old Roque Santa Cruz, with the eighth goal in an 8-0 win over Schalke on the first day of the 2020/21 season, at the age of 17 years and 205 days.
During the September break, ex-Bayern head coach Hansi Flick gave his protégé a full Germany debut in 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying. He contributed an assist in that game before becoming the second-youngest goalscorer in Germany national team history against North Macedonia, at 18 years and 227 days.
GIOVANNI REYNA (United States)
Claudio Reyna, the son of former US captain Claudio Reyna, never saw his father play for the national team. That's because Gio was too young when Claudio last played for Italy in a World Cup defeat to Ghana in 2006. Danielle Egan Reyna, his mother, also briefly represented the United States in 2003.
The younger Reyna, an attacking midfielder or winger, is back in form after an injury-plagued 2021-22 season. Last month, he curled a strike inside the far post for Borussia Dortmund in a German league win over Stuttgart.
Everyone would have preferred more time. Reyna was back in a BVB starting lineup for the first time since last April, and he celebrated last weekend's big win against Stuttgart with almost childlike glee.
A silky first-half strike put his team 3-0 up, followed by a long run and celebratory knee slide in front of the jubilant BVB fans, Reyna's face a picture of relief and release.
RICARDO PEPI (United States)
The USMNT appears to have finally found its spearhead. Ricardo Pepi, the striker, is strong and good at catching the ball and getting others to play; he dribbles and shoots towards goal. His recent transfer to Augsburg in the Bundesliga will undoubtedly help his rise.
Pepi, 19, has now scored four goals in the Dutch club's last three games. According to Opta, he is also the first player this century to have been directly involved in five goals in his first four Eredivisie matches, with one assist.
Pepi's first goal for Groningen last month brought an end to a 30-match scoreless streak for both club and country that had lasted nearly a year.
He was called up to the most recent US roster last September, but he did not score after starting in a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia.
Pepi is competing against Jesus Ferreira, Josh Sargent, Jordan Pefok, and others for a spot on coach Gregg Berhalter's World Cup roster this month.
Can this young man, nicknamed "the train" and inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo and Gabriel Jesus, wreak havoc on Qatar's defense lines?
PABLO GAVI (Spain)
At the age of 18, the Blaugrana starlet has been named the world's best young player as he received the Kopa Trophy and the Golden Boy award.
With 61 appearances for Barcelona and 12 for Spain, he has made an impressive impact on the senior stage, and his name is quickly becoming one of the most recognizable in European football.
Gavi became Spain's youngest player ever, breaking the previous record of Angel Zubieta, who played against Czechoslovakia in April 1936. Zubieta was 17 years and 284 days old when he last played.
Barcelona starlet Gavi, who has claimed the prestigious Golden Boy award for 2022, made his debut for Spain when he was 17 years, 62 days old. He had only recently played his first game for Barcelona when he was called up. "In the three or four spells I've seen him, and it's only three or four," Luis Enrique said, "he has left me in no doubt that he can be a very important player for the future not only for Barcelona but also for the national team."
Gavi was promoted to the senior squad for pre-season friendlies with the first team ahead of the start of the new season after appearing twice for Barcelona B in the 2020-21 season.
Gavi was reported to have pushed ahead of Riqui Puig in Ronald Koeman's squad selection after strong performances against Gimnàstic de Tarragona and Girona.
He continued his good form with a 3-0 win over VfB Stuttgart in Germany, drawing comparisons to Barcelona legend Xavi.
On August 29, 2021, he made his debut for Barcelona's first team in a 2-1 La Liga win over Getafe, replacing Sergi Roberto in the 73rd minute. On December 18, he scored his first goal for the club and assisted on another in a 3-2 home win over Elche.
YUNUS MUSAH (United States)
Gareth Southgate personally pleaded with Musah to commit to a future with England, but the New York City native chose to be part of the most exciting American generation in history.
Yunus Musah was born on November 29, 2002, in New York, while his mother was on vacation. He is of Ghanaian descent, but grew up in Italy, where he began his youth career with local club Giorgione. He spent seven years at Arsenal FC after moving to London, graduating from their Hale End academy.
Musah is eligible to play for England, Ghana, Italy, or the United States at the international level. He most recently represented England at the Under-18 level, having previously captained the U15, U16, and U17 sides.
The Valencia midfielder made his first team debut for Valencia on September 13, 2020, almost a year after joining the club. He is the first Englishman to play competitively for Los Che.
The USMNT and Valencia star, who frequently plays on the right side of the third midfield, possesses strength, sprinting speed, and impressive dribbling.
"Going to the World Cup with such a young team is a huge accomplishment. Many of our players are top-tier, and we are not afraid of any team in the World Cup. We're getting there, one game at a time. And to give it our all. We can truly astound the world in Qatar 2022,” the USMNT midfielder told "LaLiga Spotlight,"
MARCELO FLORES (Mexico)
Flores, who has three Mexico national team appearances, impressed for Arsenal Under-21s/23s last season, scoring five goals in 12 games after stepping up from under-18s football in January.
The ex-Arsenal teenager, who turned 19 in October, was the star of the show as Mexico Under-20s won the inaugural 2021 Revelations Cup after winning two of three games last November.
Marcelo Flores, the Arsenal jewel, announced the most important decision of his life. The player turned down national teams from Canada and England in order to play for Mexico.
The 18-year-old Mexican international joined the La Liga 2 side on loan this summer, but has only appeared in two games.
Canadian-born Flores told The Athletic about his playing style this summer: "I prefer playing in a No. 10/left-wing position in a freer role. I enjoy getting the ball to my feet, being isolated on the wing, and beating a man in one-on-one situations to score goals.”
Flores, who was born in Canada, moved to England in 2017 to join Ipswich Town. Ipswich coach Steve Foley spotted him while running a coaching camp in the Cayman Islands and signed him. The attacking midfielder spent two years at Portman Road before joining the Gunners in 2019 at the age of 15.
"I'm a fairly adaptable player; I don't mind playing as a No. 9 or on either wing, even as a No. 8, and I've always been an energetic person, so I enjoy pressing."
Flores, nicknamed "Mexican Messi" and who grew up watching "La Pulga Atomica," is enamored with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain and has lofty goals. "I want to be the best player in the world and play in the World Cup," he said.
