There have been a lot of young, aspiring footballers who have been dubbed as the 'next big thing' at an early age over the years, but few go on to achieve the greatness placed upon them before they even turn professional. Whether that's as a result of injuries, or misjudgment of ability, depends. But going on to make it to the pinnacle of the sport is a rare feat.
However, some players who have been scouted since they were children have gone on to far exceed expectations and developed into even greater talents way past the realm of imagination. Thus becoming some of the greatest players, not just of their generation, but have gone on to become all-time greats of the beautiful game.
GIVEMESPORT have identified 10 wonderkids who showcased unlimited potential at a very young age and went on to become legends in their own right, while some on this list are still considered young, and have already achieved so much before really hitting their prime. Nonetheless, they have all been ranked based on the following criteria:
Ranking Factors
Statistical data - goals, assists, etc.
Trophies won - both club and country
Longevity at the top
Legacy left on football
10 Best Wonderkids in Football History
Rank
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
10 George Best
Manchester United
George Best reclining on a football pitch in his Manchester United kit
George Best is considered one of the greatest players of all time. But before he hit the heights of the sport, he came up through the youth ranks of Manchester United from the age of 15, making his debut for the senior team in 1963, aged just 17.
In his debut season, the Northern Irishman made 26 appearances in all competitions in which he had seven goal involvements and followed that up with 14 goals a season later.
He was unstoppable at times when flying down the wing in an era that was characterised by stout defences and would become integral to the Red Devils clinching two English league titles, and their first-ever European Cup in 1968. While his prime was very brief, having been suffering from internal demons, he finished his career having amassed 198 goals in 559 appearances, making him one of Britain's very best.
9 Jude Bellingham
Birmingham City
Jude Bellingham in action for Birmingham City
Jude Bellingham is only 21 years old, but he was sending shockwaves around the football world at the tender age of 16, having been a part of Birmingham City's youth academy since he was seven years old. He would feature for Birmingham's under-23s at the age of 15, before being gradually introduced to the first team at 16, making 44 appearances.
Having attracted interest from some of Europe's top clubs, including Man United, Bellingham chose to further his career in Germany with Borussia Dortmund. Upon such a move, though, Birmingham opted to retire the number 22 shirt that he had worn 'to inspire others', an act which became the subject of bewilderment by many at the time.
But after announcing himself on the European stage with Dortmund, recording 49 goal contributions in 132 appearances, he earned his dream move to Real Madrid, where he has already won four trophies. Bellingham was a focal point in midfield in England's run to the Euro 2024 final, scoring two important goals, and is now considered one of the best young players in the world.
8 Michael Owen
Liverpool
Michael Owen celebrates scoring for Liverpool.
Michael Owen is the fifth-youngest scorer in Premier League history, having scored his first goal in the 1996-97 campaign at 17 years and 143 days, on his debut for Liverpool against Wimbledon FC in the latter stages of the season.
The Englishman would become a mainstay under manager Roy Evans the following season, making 44 appearances in all competitions, scoring 23 goals and contributing 14 assists, never looking back.
Between 1996-2004, Owen would record 158 goals and 49 assists for the Merseyside club. The striker would even become a surprise winner of the Ballon d'Or in 2001, aged 22, after helping Liverpool win the League Cup, UEFA Cup, and FA Cup, scoring a brace in their 2-1 comeback win over Arsenal.
Owen would then go on to enjoy stints with both Newcastle United, Real Madrid, and Man United, finishing his career having made 483 appearances, scoring 223 goals and tallying an additional 58 assists.
7 Nicolas Anelka
Paris Saint-Germain
Nicolas Anelka celebrates scoring for Arsenal in the Premier League
Photo courtesy of Reuters.
Nicolas Anelka was viewed as a journeyman throughout his football career, having suited up for a dozen clubs over his career, five of which were Premier League clubs, having spent time with Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Bolton Wanderers during his 20-year career.
But the Frenchman's career started with Paris Saint-Germain, where, at 16 years old, he made his debut in the 1995/96 campaign. He would spend just half a season there before he was snapped up by the Gunners on a £500k transfer fee.
Despite spending just three seasons with the club, in which he made 90 appearances, scoring 28 goals and assisting 13 more, he has gone down as one of Arsenal's greatest-ever strikers. The Frenchman even won the PFA Young Player of the Year award - the first non-British player to do so - and a league title during his short spell in north London, before moving on to Madrid.
6 Kylian Mbappe
Monaco
Monaco-Kylian-Mbappe-psg
Kylian Mbappe burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old, making his debut for Monaco's first team in the 2015/16 Ligue 1 campaign, playing 676 minutes, scoring four goals and adding three assists.
Having been touted as one of Europe's hottest young prospects, the Frenchman would set the league alight the following year, recording 42 goal involvements in just 46 outings, which saw him valued at around £75 million before turning 18. However, it would take much more than that for PSG to sign him, as the Parisians had to pay £153 million, making Mbappe the second-most expensive signing in football history.
Mbappe would prove to be worth the money, and in seven seasons with the French outfit, he notched 256 goals and 108 assists in 308 total appearances, winning six of his seven league titles, as well as another nine domestic trophies. He also became just the second teenager in football history to score in a World Cup final in 2018, joining Brazilian legend Pele as France defeated Croatia 4-2.
5 Diego Maradona
Argentinos Juniors
Diego Maradona for Napoli
Before Diego Maradona became an Argentine cult hero, he was just a teenager wanting to make it to the top of football. Having come up through the youth ranks of Argentinos Juniors, Maradona made his senior debut for the club 10 days before his 16th birthday, making an impression straight away after nutmegging one of his opponents and showcasing his supreme dribbling ability.
He would spend five years with the club, playing 166 games and scoring 116 goals, before he moved to Boca Juniors, and then to Barcelona, where, despite moving for a world record transfer fee of £5 million, he would only feature 58 times for the club.
However, he did notch 61 goal contributions during that time before making the switch to Italian side Napoli. Staying in Italy for six seasons, Maradona would make 257 appearances, scoring 115 goals and adding 74 assists, winning two Serie A titles. Furthermore, during his spell there, he would also lead Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986, winning the Golden Ball, and cementing himself as a footballing legend.
4 Paolo Maldini
AC Milan
Paolo Maldini
The only defender to feature on this list, Paolo Maldini was a true one-club legend, with the Italian spending his entire 25-year senior career with AC Milan. However, his relationship with Milan began much earlier than that, trying out for their youth team in 1978 at just 10 years old, where he was initially deployed as a right midfielder/winger before being moved to full-back when he was 14.
Maldini would make his senior debut in the 1984-85 season, aged 16, becoming a regular feature in the side the following season, having been handed the number 3 shirt that previously belonged to his father, Cesare. He would have to wait until January 1987 to score his first senior goal.
As a mainstay in the side, in Maldini's spell with the club, he made over 901 appearances, scoring 33 goals and assisting 43 more, winning 25 trophies, including seven league titles, and five Champions Leagues. Retiring at the age of 40, Maldini has gone into football folklore as one of the greatest defenders of all time.
3 Wayne Rooney
Everton
Wayne Rooney for Everton
Having burst onto the Premier League scene for Everton as a teenager, Wayne Rooney would score 17 goals before he turned 18, earning a move to Old Trafford in 2004.
One of the most gifted strikers of a ball, Rooney would go on to hit double-digit scoring for 11 straight seasons between 2004 and 2015, and before moving over to the MLS, he would finish his Premier League career as the third-highest goalscorer, netting 208 goals, and is England's second-highest scorer with 53 goals.
One of the most decorated athletes on this list, Rooney was truly a once-in-a-generation talent who would finish his career with 17 trophies, while he was also voted Player of the Year four times from 2008-2015, along with a plethora of individual awards – simply too many to list.
2 Ronaldo
Cruzeiro
ronaldo-brazil
The original Ronaldo, arguably the greatest number 9 to ever grace a football pitch. But before he hit the heights of footballing superstardom, he was plying his trade as a teenager for Brazilian club Cruzeiro, making his debut in 1993 at the age of 15, scoring 58 goals in 60 games before earning a move to Europe, joining Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, where he racked up 61 goal contributions in just 57 appearances.
Having played for Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and AC Milan, making a combined 345 appearances in all competitions, scoring 218 goals and 61 assists, Ronaldo was the recipient of two Ballon d'Or awards, while he also won three Best FIFA Men's Player awards and a UEFA Best Player in Europe award.
Despite missing almost two years recovering from a serious knee injury, he would return in 2001, and just a year later he would win the Golden Boot at the 2002 World Cup after his eight goals led them to victory, winning the second World Cup of his career, having been a part of the 1994 Selecao team.
1 Lionel Messi
Barcelona
Lionel Messi Barcelona
Lionel Messi's rise to superstardom as one of the world's greatest-ever players was not an easy one. Having a growth hormone deficiency which was expensive to treat, Messi had to relocate from Argentina to Spain at the age of 13, where he enrolled at Barcelona's La Masia.
Having been their top scorer in his first full season with the youth side, he continued to excel and progress up the ranks, playing for four youth teams during the 2003-04 season, and made his senior debut in 2003 at age 16, which would see his life change forever. Performing week-in-week-out at Camp Nou allowed him to showcase his natural-born ability, able to weave in and around defenders with ease as if he had magnets in his boots to keep the ball close to him.
He would fire in eight goals and five assists in his first full season with the first team, and then record 17 goals in 36 appearances the following season. In 17 seasons with Barcelona, he scored 672 goals and assisted 303 more in 778 appearances for the club, winning four Champions Leagues, and 10 league titles.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has also found success with PSG and Inter Miami, where he currently plays, and completed football in 2022 when he led Argentina to World Cup glory, cementing his legacy as one of the very best to ever do it.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, and FBRef - accurate as of 09/12/2024.