The most promising players of the future are currently competing in the U-17 Euro and, after two rounds, we can start to look at prospects who seem to have a very high ceiling and are gems of their teams’ youth academies.
By doing this, we put the spotlight on some players who look like, sooner rather than later, we will be able to enjoy them at the highest level of professional football. Thanks to the help of a specialist in youth academies at the international level like @ElZurdoFutbol, we have come up with an analysis of the top 5 players to follow in the coming years (along with some honorable mentions from their teams), and perhaps in less time, as some of them have already made their debuts with the first team.
This is the kind of article you can read to look like a football connoisseur in front of your friends and tell them about how right you were in a few years, so trust me and read it to the end.
5. Spain’s midfield and Guille Fernández (2008) as a representative:
Spain has been the biggest disappointment of the U-17 Euro and will face the last match day of the group stage needing a miracle to qualify. This is surprising because, although they were placed in the group of death (along with France, England and Portugal), Spain theoretically had a generation loaded with talent in most positions from which we will highlight Guille Fernández (2008).
Fortea (2007) is one of Real Madrid‘s main future projects for the right back position. Athletic club have spent big in the signing of Igor Oyono (2008) and he has only played a total of 30 minutes between both matches.
As for Buba Aboubacar (2007), he has already made his debut as Levante’s right back in LaLiga Hypermotion. Paulo Iago (2007) is the main gem of the ‘madridista’ academy and has also had scarce playing time. In addition, Andrés Cuenca (2007), who has always shared the backline with Pau Cubarsí, who has been said to be even better at bringing the ball up the pitch and who has had a rough season because of injuries, is also part of the Spanish squad.
But what is perhaps the most special part about Spain’s lineup is its midfield, which is completely made up by players from the culer academy like Guille Fernández, one of the biggest gems La Masía has to offer. Marc Bernal (2007, and already a starter at Barça Atlètic), Juan Hernández (2007) and Quim Junyent (2007) are the base of the team directed by Hernán Pérez, thus forcing Guille Fernández to play out of his natural position.
Guille’s is the case of a center mid that does not fit the mold of Barça’s traditional midfielder: he is big and provides both dynamism and, especially, goalscoring. If you would like to learn more about FC Barcelona’s prospect, check out @Blayasensat‘s analysis of him in this thread.
4. Chidozie Obi (2007):
You may have heard about this striker in the past few weeks, as his statistics went viral after scoring seven goals in a single match against Norwich’s U-18 squad at the age of 16.
The Danish striker plays in Arsenal‘s academy and stands out because of his speed, his ability to get open and, as evidenced by the data, his goalscoring. In just two matches, he has already registered a goal with the Danish national team and, although he will most likely be eliminated early in the knockout stage, the forward has already sparked interest all around Europe and is in consideration to take the leap and make his debut with the team managed by Arteta in the upcoming seasons.
Another interesting player from the Danish squad is Nordsjaelland center back Noah Markmann (2007), who has impressed at the U-17 Euro.
Francesco Camarda (2008):
If there was a chance you may have heard about the last pick, then you definitely know one of the biggest Italian talents in recent years: Francesco Camarda.
Italy have already qualified and may of their players have stood out, like goalkeeper Alessandro Longoni (2008), who had an incredible performance to beat Poland, or Mattia Liberali (2007), a left offensive midfielder who is also part of the rossoneri academy, but their striker is the star of the squad.
Camarda has made his debut with AC Milan’s senior squad and became the youngest player to ever take the pitch in a Serie A match at 15 years and eight months old. In addition to that, the club is ready to invest on him, as he is very close to signing his first professional contract and start regularly playing with their second team with players up to seven years older than him.
As a striker, he is under 1.85 meters tall and not particularly fast, but he shines because of how well he uses his body (an ability that he can still develop further) and because he has an innate instinct for scoring. This season, while playing against opponents three or four years older than him, he has recorded 17 goals in 49 matches, an average of a goal every 182 minutes.
2. Rodrigo Mora (2007):
In Rodrigo Mora, we are talking about the favorite to take home the MVP of the U-17 Euro after two match days.
In a Portuguese squad filled with talent, Porto’s offensive midfielder has been the standout player. He has a magnificent relationship with goalscoring, as he was responsible for the goal that completed the comback against Spain in the first match and scored a brace to beat England, one of the favorites to win the tournament, in a 4-1 victory.
Aside from scoring, he understands the playstyle of his national team to perfection. Against Spain, he directed his team’s attacks and dominated the match with overwhelming superiority. He is a joy of a player to watch and had already become a gem to watch in Portugal, as he became the youngest debutant ever in Liga Portugal 2 with porto B at the young age of 15 years and eight months old.
But Portugal possesses a plethora of talent, including both of their wingers: Geovany Quenda (2007), who is already established on the wing of Sporting Lisbon, and especially Cardoso López (2008), the biggest revelation of the U-17 Euro.
Cardoso scored a goal in the opening match against Spain, but the right winger really put on a show from the left wing against England by constantly causing imbalances in the opposing defense and finishing the match with a hat-trick of assists that proved how dangerous of a dribbler he is.
1. Mikey Moore (2007):
We talked about the gem that Arsenal have in Chidozie Obi, but their Londoner neighbours have an even more exciting prospect in Mikey Moore. To put his level into context, in a match in which his team lost 4-1, Rodrigo Mora scored a brace and Cardoso López dished out three assists, Tottenham’s winger was, without a shadow of a doubt, the MVP.
Ange Postecoglou has already given him his first-team debut for Spurs in the last two Premier League matches of the season and he is a decisive player off the left wing. Moore is an inverted winger that stands out because of his dribbling, which he combines with impressive pace, great technical qualities and incredible composure for his age.
He most likely is the best player in the U-17 Euro and will definitely end up establishing himself in the Premier League in a few years. Take 4 minutes and 28 seconds of your time and enjoy a compilation of his best plays in the 2023-2024 season.
If he was not enough, he is not on his own. Portugal may have a great pool of talent, but England does not fall behind. In spite of the poor performance against the Portuguese, center back Kian Noble (2007) has shown a lot of promise for Manchester City‘s academy and Ethan Nwaneri (2007) also has the eyes of the entire nation set on him after becoming the youngest debutant in Premier League history by playing a few minutes for Arsenal at 15 years and six months old.
The English talent possesses the great left foot of the typical technical offensive midfielder that allows him to shine in the final third of the pitch and with which he scored a fantastic goal in the opening match against France.
Translated by Nuño Alonso.
Main image: @Azzurri.
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