After missing four matches due to an ankle injury caused by teammate Bruno Valdez during training, 18-year-old Club America phenom Diego Lainez made his full return on Saturday by starting his first Liga MX match since Aug. 23. Matt Miazga’s BFF certainly looked back to his best in America’s 3-0 win over Tijuana, going the full 90 minutes and scoring a golazo in the 59th minute.
Real Madrid Castilla (the club’s reserve team) kept up its fine start to Segunda División B Group 1 play with a 1-1 away draw to Celta Vigo B on Sunday. 18-year-old Brazilian phenom Vinícius Júnior scored his fourth goal in five appearances for the team, but any hopes of being involved in next Sunday’s El Clásico at the Camp Nou were dashed when he was sent off for diving shortly after.
Sporting Kansas City took a step toward securing a top-two seed in the Western Conference playoffs last night with a 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place. Sporting’s third goal was scored by 16-year-old Homegrown Player Gianluca Busio, making the versatile player the second-youngest goal scorer in MLS history at 16 years and 142 days.
The record, of course, is held by Freddy Adu and will never be broken. Adu scored for D.C. United at the preposterous age of 14 years and 320 days.
The future of Japan’s promising attack was on full display Tuesday as the Samurai Blue put four goals past the vaunted defense of the world’s fifth-ranked side, Uruguay.
Tucked in behind Werder Bremen striker Yuya Osako was 20-year-old Groningen starlet Ritsu Doan, 23-year-old Red Bull Salzburg forward Takumi Minamino and 24-year-old Portimonense midfielder Shoya Nakajima, and the quartet combined to provide the likes of Diego Godin, Sebastian Coates, Lucas Torreira and Rodrigo Bentancur a nightmarish night at Saitama Stadium.
We got our first real glimpse of 18-year-old Real Madrid phenom Vinícius Júnior during Real Madrid’s shock 1-0 defeat to Alaves on Oct. 6, but that appearance (his second for the senior side) was still just a 10-minute cameo.
Last week, The Guardian published its annual “Next Generation” list, featuring 60 of the best young talents born in 2001. Accordingly, these players are only 17, and we all certainly realize the foolish nature of tagging a teenager for predestined greatness (unless they move like Kylian Mbappé).
Teenage sensation and World Cup winner Kylian Mbappé has joined the illustrious company of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Mario Balotelli as the select few footballers to have graced the cover of Time magazine. The 19-year-old is featured on the international print edition along with a revealing interview by Vivienne Walt.
During Cristiano Ronaldo’s quicksilver rise at Manchester United and with the Portugal national team — which was highlighted by his inclusion in the 2004 UEFA Team of the Year at the tender age of 19 — perhaps no quote better illustrated the winger’s otherworldly talent than the praise heaped on him by United’s golden No. 7, George Best: “There have been a few players described as the new George Best over the years,” he said, “but this is the first time it’s been a compliment to me.”
As was detailed in a recent piece by Kevin Baxter in the Los Angeles Times, Mexico’s senior side is in the midst of a massive transition after the 2018 World Cup squad featured nine players who were at least 30 years of age.
For the first time ever, the gala for the Ballon d’Or will also include a presentation for the inaugural awarding of the Kopa Trophy — a prize given to the world's best under 21 player, so really just another Golden Boy because we really need more individual prizes in this sport, don’t we?
Regardless, the 10 finalists for the prize include: