Predicting the next generation of superstars can be a thankless task.

For every Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo there is Federico Macheda and Freddy Adu, and for every Wayne Rooney there can be a Sonny Pike.

Most Wonderkid XIs have their fair share of stinks when you can look back at them years later.

Spanish outlet Marca have an annual tradition of trying to select the next set of stars, naming a squad made up of players aged 18 and under, who they believe will go on to reach the heights of the game.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Who will be the best player in the world by 2028? Make your predictions here

The aim was to find talented teenagers who, by the age of 20, were regulars in the upper tier, before becoming established stars by their mid-twenties.

In 2022, the players selected in 2016 are now all between 23 and 24 years old and it’s the perfect time to Football Mirror to see how the selections went in the years that followed.

Gianluigi Donnarumma – 23 (Paris Saint-Germain)

The Italian keeper’s pedigree has been crystal clear since breaking into AC Milan’s senior team aged just 16.

Antonio Conte opted to omit the fresh-faced teenager from his squad for Euro 2016, but he was quickly called up after that tournament and named Gianluigi Buffon’s successor following his retirement in 2018.

To say filling Buffon’s gloves was a big task would be the understatement of the century, but in Donnarumma Italy went from being one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time to a player who could possibly take that mantle. himself.

The Donnarumma legend grew again last summer, named player of the tournament and saving two penalties in the final as the Azzurri won the Euro 2020 title at Wembley.

Kieran Tierney – 24 (Arsenal)

Having made his senior debut for Celtic aged 15, Tierney would win the Scottish Premiership title every season he qualified for a medal.

In 2019, the £25million paid by Arsenal was a record for a Scottish international player and he proved to be worth every penny, playing a vital role in Mikel Arteta’s youthful revolution in north London.

Having previously skippered Scotland, Tierney is in talks to be named the Gunners’ next captain, a sign of his position at one of the Premier League’s biggest clubs.

Joe Gomez – 24 (Liverpool)

If that catch-up had been made in 2020, Gomez would be one of the real success stories, having won the Champions League and Premier League in back-to-back seasons with Liverpool.

Before suffering a serious knee injury while on international duty, the England international had established himself as Virgil van Dijk’s first-choice partner. Unfortunately since then, the versatile defender has slipped down the pecking order at Anfield and now finds himself at a potential crossroads in his career.

Reece Oxford – 23 (FC Augsburg)

Having become West Ham’s youngest player at 16 years and 198 days, there were exceptionally high hopes that Oxford would become the latest product of the famed Hammers academy.

But after failing to break into east London, Oxford had loan spells in the Bundesliga, eventually ending up with Augsburg.

In the current campaign, he has made 24 appearances in the German top flight, finally getting the kind of consistent football he needs to start.

Cristian Manea – 24 (CFR Cluj)

Arguably the lesser-known name in the roster, Manea bounced around at clubs in Belgium and Romania, eventually settling in Cluj in 2020.

Still a starter for the Romania national team, the right-back has had a career, but undoubtedly not at the level of some of the other players on the list.

Renato Sanches – 24 (Lille)

In the six years since his inclusion by Marca, Sanches has experienced the full range of emotions that professional football can offer.

Sanches won the Youth Player of the Tournament award as Portugal made history in 2016, before moving to Bayern Munich soon after.

This however did not work out at the Allianz, never having lived up to its high expectations. After an infamously disastrous loan spell with Swansea, it looked like he could be another name added to the list of football’s biggest flops.

But he enjoyed a career renaissance with Lille, helping them win the Ligue 1 title last season and is now apparently destined for another blockbuster move this summer.

Youri Tielemans – 24 (Leicester City)

Unquestionably one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, Tielemans has enjoyed a gradual rise that puts him on the precipice of greatness.

The Belgian midfielder spent two years with Monaco before joining Leicester, initially on loan and thriving under Brendan Rodgers.

He was named Foxes Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season in 2020/21, scoring one of the club’s most famous goals, helping them win the FA Cup with a stunner in the final against Chelsea .

Ruben Neves – 24 (Wolves)

When the Portuguese wonderkid swapped the Champions League with Porto, for the championship with Wolves, more than a few eyebrows were raised.

At the time of his transfer to Molineux, Neves was still the youngest player to captain a team in Europe’s top competition at just 18 years old.

But the substantial risk of moving into England’s second tier paid off, playing a big part in their promotion to the Premier League – and their smooth transition to a first-half side.

Neves recently made 200 appearances for Wolves and will become one of the club’s greatest modern players whenever he decides to take the next step in his career.

Kylian Mbappé – 23 years old (PSG)

We don’t need to spend too much time on the other worldly Kylian Mbappe.

It was also destined to be one of the best in the world and well and truly lived up to the billing.

With a World Cup winner’s medal, four Ligue 1 titles and four Coups de France, he already has a trophy cabinet that most players would only dream of at the end of their careers.

After scoring 156 goals in 205 games for PSG, he looks set to join Real Madrid and become the first true Galactico of this decade.

Dominic Solanke – 24 (Bournemouth)

Having decided to jump off the Chelsea loan ring, Solanke was given a fair chance to become a Liverpool regular.

But with just one Premier League goal in a season and a half, the Reds cashed in, selling it to Bournemouth for a whopping £19million.

Now one of the best strikers in the Championship, Solanke is counting on Bournemouth for a return to the Premier League, but to say he has truly lived up to his potential would be going too far.

Martin Odegaard – 23 (Arsenal)

Arriving on the scene aged 15, Odegaard has been in the spotlight for nearly a decade, despite not turning 24 until the end of the year.

Signed by Real Madrid in 2015, the Norway international never managed to make his mark at the Bernabeu, making just 8 La Liga appearances in six years.

His career began to turn around with positive loan spells at Vitesse and Real Sociedad, before finally finding a home with Arsenal, signing on loan in January 2021 and making the deal permanent later that year. .

Odegaard is now one of Arsenal’s most consistent players and could add the honor of being a club captain yet, to the fact that he is already the skipper of his national team.

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As with everything else in football, the art of clinical finishing is divisive.

In theory, a player who finishes more chances than expected from him is a useful player to have. In reality, there is always at least one cry of “unsustainable!” whenever a player gets excited for outperforming their xG.

This season, there seems to be a distinct lack of goals from forwards across Europe. Back then, there were always a number of traditional No9s racking up the goals and golden boots; Robin van Persie, Luis Suarez and Sergio Aguero were all in the same league at one glorious time.

We’ve already seen Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Harry Kane underachieve poorly when it comes to their finishing, but at the other end of the spectrum there are a number of players who crush goals beyond that. that claimed xG was par for the course.

Of course, there are a number of factors that could explain xG’s outperformance beyond being ridiculously clinical, but nonetheless Europe’s top 10 players for goals – expected goals are having good seasons.

It remains to be seen whether they will be able to keep it for a long period of time…

10. Wissam Ben Yedder

A striker who has arguably never received the praise he deserved in recent years, Ben Yedder is enjoying a quietly brilliant season at AS Monaco, with 15 goals in 10.3 xG.

The 31-year-old France international is enjoying life in his home country after a successful few years at Sevilla and hopes to keep his place in the national team when the World Cup comes around later this year.

9. Hwang Ui-jo

Another Ligue 1 entry in the top 10, the Bordeaux striker has 10 goals to his name out of only 5.2xG, a difference of 4.8.

The 29-year-old South Korea international has now reached double the number of goals in consecutive seasons and will be hoping to maintain his current form for the rest of the season as Bordeaux aim to escape the relegation battle in which they find themselves. find themselves involved.

8. Fabien Ruiz

The Napoli midfielder has been sensational all season and somehow makes it onto this list despite not being a natural goalscorer at all.

A deep central midfielder, his left-footed magic wand has seen him score six times from just 1.1 xG this season, and the 25-year-old has been linked with a move to the Premier League this summer.

The Spain international has been vital for Napoli in their title chase and has stepped up in the biggest games to come.

Whoever gets his signature will get a baller.

Oh wow, what a beauty of Fabian Ruiz

Naples regains the lead in the 94th minute and becomes the new leader of Serie A! pic.twitter.com/lkAimfk6rY

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 27, 2022

7. Erling Haaland

The only surprise Haaland made on this list is that he doesn’t go higher than seventh place.

The factory-built Norwegian striker has netted a remarkable 16 goals in 11.1 xG for Borussia Dortmund this season, and the 21-year-old is already one of the best players in the world.

All of Europe’s top clubs will be after Haaland this summer, and Real Madrid would win the race.

Any club that signs him would greatly increase their chances of Champions League glory. Having a striker who can score literally out of thin air is a deadly weapon to have, and Haaland is one of the best at it.

Even the best defenders have no answer to his left ankle.

Strike…
The scenes…
The sound!

Enjoy Erling Haaland’s spectacular winning goal against PSG from all angles pic.twitter.com/4OhGho3TaM

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 19, 2020

6. Emile Smith Rowe

The Arsenal starlet has reached a different level this season, following his explosive emergence in December 2020.

Playing on the left wing or in the centre, the 21-year-old has nine goals to his name from 3.8 xG, and his finishing ability has amazed everyone.

Manager Mikel Arteta was so stunned that he even admitted Smith-Rowe might be able to play as a striker.

“He can play as a left winger, he can play as a left attacking midfielder, a right attacking midfielder and he can play as a nine – very, very well I think,” Arteta said before the match. Arsenal victory over Wolves in February 2022.

READ: Emile Smith Rowe’s 21-22 stat comparison with other England forwards

5. Angel Correa

Angel Correa plays for the Spanish champions, in a team with Luis Suarez, Antoine Griezmann and Joao Felix.

Still, he has been the club’s most impressive striker this season, with 11 goals in just 5.5 xG, but his team fell into a slump after winning La Liga in spectacular fashion last year.

The Argentina international is capable of the extraordinary, and although he plays in a system that is not designed for short, technical strikers, he thrives under Diego Simeone.

4. Moussa Diaby

A speedy winger, Diaby had been touted as one of the hottest prospects and has now found the end product that matches his skill set.

With 12 goals in just 6.4 xG, the 22-year-old is on an upward trajectory for Bayer Leverkusen and looks destined for the top.

Arriving in Leverkusen from PSG in 2019, Diaby received his first call up to the senior France squad for the first time in 2021 and is popular among FIFA players for his extraordinary speed.

3. Patrick Schick

The second Leverkusen player on this list, Patrick Schick has finally found a place to settle down and is thriving.

A failed spell at Roma left Schick in the desert, but a revival at RB Leipzig and now Leverkusen has made the 26-year-old a summer transfer target.

Scoring 20 goals from 14.1 xG, anyone watching EURO 2020 shouldn’t be surprised that Schick can complete low probability chances.

Scotland found out the hard way…

On Patrik Schick’s birthday, enjoy his spectacular Euro 2020 halfway goal and David Marshall flying headfirst into the net

pic.twitter.com/fGKdK53blI

— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) January 24, 2022

2. Enes Unal

The Turkish striker, who signed for Manchester City as a wonderkid but never played, has failed to settle down and find a club to call home.

A failed spell at Villarreal, which saw him go on loan on several occasions, did nothing for his confidence, but he was reborn under Quique Sanchez Flores at Getafe.

Seemingly relegation-bound Getafe find themselves 15th, and they have the 24-year-old to thank, as his 13 7.0 xG goals put him second in Europe for clinical finishing.

If he continues his current scoring rate, he could eventually realize the potential he claimed he had as a teenager.

1.Giovanni Simeone

Ironic that Europe’s ‘best’ finisher is the son of a manager who is sometimes allergic to attacking football, but Giovanni Simeone has been sensational for Hellas Verona in Serie A.

With 15 goals from just 7.1xG, a difference of 7.9 is clearly superior to second-placed Unal, and the 26-year-old leads the continent as someone who can finish superbly and can do so no matter what. either the opposition.

Who knows, his dad might try to sign him in the future…

A miracle by Giovanni Simeone!

The striker now has 6⃣ goals in his last two games!

Verona beat struggling Juventus 2-0 pic.twitter.com/YZd3E0uxFV

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 30, 2021

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WHAT A FINISH FROM LUIS SUAREZ pic.twitter.com/nve9B28IaX

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 19, 2022

In what could well be considered one of the goals of the season in Europe, Luis Suarez scored from distance for Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Saturday.

The striker has lifted the mood at Atletico Madrid after his phenomenal long-range strike helped Atleti to a 3-0 victory over Osasuna ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League tiebreaker against Manchester United.

Joao Felix smashed his side in a third-minute lead in Pamplona before driving a superb pass down the field for Suarez to chase, the Uruguayan firing in a second before Osasuna keeper Sergio Herrera could come back.

Angel Correa netted a late third to wrap up a convincing victory for Atletico as they climb back into the top four and head into the knockout stages against United with a spring in their step.

The only blot on a satisfying afternoon for Diego Simeone was an injury to centre-back Jose Gimenez, who had to be substituted at half-time and could now miss the encounter with Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes this week.

Real Madrid put their loss to Paris Saint-Germain behind them on Saturday by beating Alaves 3-0 in La Liga as Marco Asensio’s superb goal took Carlo Ancelotti’s side seven points clear at the top of the rank.

But the result flattered Madrid, who struggled to break down Alaves until Asensio lashed out from distance at the Santiago Bernabeu, where disgruntled fans had whistled a goalless halftime goal.

“We agreed with the fans,” said Carlo Ancelotti. “Nobody in the dressing room was happy with the way we played in the first half.”

Asensio’s goal opened the floodgates as Vinicius Junior completed Karim Benzema’s reduction before Benzema converted a late penalty after Rodrygo was knocked down in the box.

Sevilla can once again close the gap to four points by winning at Espanyol on Sunday, but Madrid remain strong favorites to reclaim the Spanish title, despite their declining form.

Real Madrid had scored just one goal in their previous four games – another stunning Asensio against Granada – and there was particular criticism after the passive performance against PSG last week resulted in a 1-0 defeat. 0 in Paris.

There was again frustration against Alaves and Ancelotti will be hoping Vincius’ first goal in seven games and Benzema’s first since returning from injury can now reignite the spark.

“We needed this game,” Ancelotti said.

They were whistled off at half-time after a weary, error-strewn performance that could have left Alaves ahead had Jason capitalized on Casemiro kicking the ball into the penalty area.

Madrid started the second half with a renewed intention to play faster, but their efforts were marred by nervousness as the fans around them grew increasingly agitated.

Vinicius created the best opening when he rounded the outside to see his shot saved by Fernando Pacheco, with Benzema following hacked off the line by Florian Lejeune.

There were still moments of neglect and Asensio was mocked when his backpass was read by Pere Pons, who rounded Thibaut Courtois but failed to head in from the corner.

The reaction apparently stuck with Asensio because he celebrated his goal with a gesture to suggest he wanted more support. It was a brilliant strike, with the Spaniard collecting Benzema on the right, clipping his left foot and unleashing a dipping effort into the far corner.

Benzema almost made two on a reduction from Vinicius, his corner finish dribbling against the post. Moments later, the same combination reversed, with Benzema providing Vinicius, who this time slotted in.

Rodrygo, as a substitute, was then tripped up by Lejeune, allowing Benzema to score three goals in injury time.

Atletico didn’t wait so long against Osasuna.

Barcelona are just three points behind Atletico with two games less while Villarreal look increasingly like strong contenders for Champions League qualification after claiming an impressive 4-1 win at Granada, Arnaut Danjuma scoring a hat-trick.

Unai Emery’s side, who host Juventus at La Ceramica on Tuesday, are also three points clear of Atletico, having played the same number of games as Diego Simeone’s side.

(With AFP inputs)

In-demand Kieran Tierney made a name for himself with Celtic, but Scottish football fans have great affection for a player who was part of a national team that ended a 23-year injury spell.

He now plays for Arsenal in the English Premier League and for his country on the biggest stage. and those left-back exploits have certainly not gone unnoticed.

Several reports indicate that Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti is keen to bring a player he has long coveted to the Bernabeu next season in a £50m deal.

That would be double the amount paid by Arsenal for his services in 2019, with Celtic expected to thrive on a 15 per cent selling fee they have attached.

Tierney’s potential move to Madrid is gaining momentum in Spain.

Here’s what was said as the Scottish star emerges as a real target for the biggest club in the world.

Mundo Deportivo

An experience to forget during his Celtic days was noted in a profile of his abilities.

“Kieran Tierney joined Arsenal in 2019 from Celtic Glasgow. The youngster has solidified himself in Arteta’s team and he already knows what it’s like to play in the Champions League. didn’t go as expected. It was in the 2016/17 season and his first game was at the Camp Nou against Barcelona and Celtic lost 7-0.”

Eldesmark

Tierney in Madrid? It’s definitely not pants, even if it’s the next step for Marcelo.

“As revealed The Bernabéu , Real Madrid are closely following the names of several players who shine this season, such as Kieran Tierney. The 24-year-old footballer is one of Mikel Arteta’s key pieces at Arsenal.

“As the journalist Paco González reports in To cope , Marcelo is considering retiring from professional football . The Brazilian ends his contract at the end of the season, when he will be 34 years old. His big goal is to surpass Paco Gento and become the footballer with the most titles in the history of the entity, which will be achieved by obtaining the long-awaited League title, which for now is on the right track. way.

“His future plans do not stop there: according to the same source, Marcelo’s project is to be an underwear model. In fact, he has already planned to be a briefs model for an American brand. well-known, definitive parking lot of professional football”. . His future is not in another club away from Spain or European football, but in fashion.”

bola

Tierney has struggled with his own injury problems but France international Mendy has also struggled of late. A move for Tierney seems logical.

“Marcelo’s upcoming departure leaves Ferland Mendy as Real Madrid’s only left-back. Given that Mendy has a bad injury history, Carlo Ancelotti plans to look for some extra energy in that area.”