The teenage soccer superstar is far from a novel concept, but the coherence of modern-day scouting networks and the exponential increase in accessible information mean more prospects are rising to mainstream prominence than ever before.
Before WyScout and Elon Musk’s ’X’, the FIFA World Cup was typically the sole stage for the sport’s young sensations to make themselves known to an international audience. Now, we can learn the eating habits of your favourite 18-year-old Paraguayan playmaker, and why Mexico’s next great hope must improve out of possession to thrive at the elite level.
There’s an abundance of teenage stars dazzling on our television screens weekly, and wild inflation means some of the most promising boast greater market values than the GDPs of small island nations.
Here are the ten most valuable teenagers in world soccer, according to the CIES Football Observatory.
