GOAL selected the 50 best footballing talents from around the world born on or after January 1, 1999 – but did they go on to fulfil their potential?
Since NXGN's launch in 2016, GOAL has profiled the 50 best footballing wonderkids on the planet on an annual basis. Some of those recognised for their talent as teenagers are now household names, but others have not yet realised their potential.
So, after the NXGN 2025 list was revealed, check out where the stars of 2018 are now:
Every NXGN list
Dembele, Tielemans & 2016's best wonderkids
Mbappe, Donnarumma & 2017's best wonderkids
Haaland, Sancho & 2019's best wonderkids
Saka, Rodrygo & 2020's best wonderkids
James, Oberdorf & 2020's best women's wonderkids
Pedri, Ansu Fati & 2021's best wonderkids
Le Tissier, Bennison & 2021's best women's wonderkids
Bellingham, Musiala & 2022's best wonderkids
Dumornay, Fowler & 2022's best women's wonderkids
Gavi, Garnacho & 2023's best wonderkids
Shaw, Thompson & 2023's best women's wonderkids
Yamal, Mainoo & 2024's best wonderkids
Caicedo, Moultrie & 2024's best women's wonderkids
Yacine Adli (Paris Saint-Germain)
2018: One of the stars of the 2017 U17 World Cup, the attacking midfielder was considered the most precious jewel in Paris Saint-Germain’s youth academy.
2019: Having not made an appearance in the first half of the 2018-19 campaign, Adli joined Bordeaux in a deal worth €5.5m.
2020: Adli enjoyed an encouraging first full season at Bordeaux, scoring his first professional goals in the process.
2021: The midfielder began to develop into one of the most promising players in Ligue 1, convincing AC Milan to pay around €10m to sign him in the summer of 2021, though he was immediately sent back on loan to Bordeaux.
2022: Adli continued to put in some strong displays in the French top flight, and surpassed his best season for direct goal contributions, even as Bordeaux were relegated to Ligue 2.
2023: The midfielder barely featured during his first season in Milan, making just six appearances which totalled 140 minutes.
2024: Adli fared slightly better in 2023-24 as he forced his way into the line-up for periods during the campaign.
2025: Fiorentina signed Adli on loan in August, and he has emerged as a star in Florence, with La Viola keen to sign him on a permanent basis.
AdvertisementAlan (Palmeiras)
2018: Having helped Brazil finish third at the 2017 U17 World Cup, Alan was being linked with a move to Real Madrid, even though he had yet to break into the Palmeiras first team.
2019: The midfielder continued to wait for a senior debut in Sao Paulo.
2020: Having still not made a first-team appearance, Alan was loaned to Serie B side Guarani in August 2020, only to suffer a broken leg two months later.
2021: Alan recovered to join another second-division side, Operario, on loan for the remainder of the 2021 campaign.
2022: After changing his name to 'Alanzinho', the winger spent the first half of the 2022 Brazilian season with Serie B side Sport Recife before moving to Europe for the first time, joining Portuguese second-division side Moreirense on a season-long loan.
2023: Alanzinho worked his way into the Moreirense line-up around the turn of the year and played a key role in their successful promotion push, contributing eight goals and 10 assists in all competitions.
2024: Moreirense made Alanzinho's move permanent as they prepared for life in the top-flight, and he made a bright start to life in the Primeira Liga, though the goal contributions dried up in the second half of the campaign.
2025: Now operating as a No.10 and back going by 'Alan', the Brazilian has enjoyed some memorable games in the Portuguese top flight this season as he looks to have found a home where he can thrive.
Ethan Ampadu (Chelsea)
2018: Even though he was still only 17, Ampadu had already made his debut at club and international level, for Chelsea and Wales respectively, and was being touted as the 'new David Luiz'.
2019: Ampadu made just five appearances over the course of the 2018-19 campaign, none of which came in the Premier League. He was loaned to RB Leipzig ahead of the following season.
2020: The versatile defender made only seven Leipzig appearances before a back injury ended his season in February 2020. He returned to England, joining Sheffield United on loan.
2021: Ampadu enjoyed the best season of his career in terms of appearances, but was unable to help keep the Blades in the Premier League. Another loan move beckoned, as he joined newly-promoted Venezia in Serie A.
2022: A regular starter in 2021-22, Ampadu performed well enough to earn another loan move back to Italy with Spezia despite Venezia's relegation.
2023: Ampadu was an almost ever-present for the second successive season, but again suffered relegation from Serie A. He then finally left Chelsea on a permanent basis, joining Leeds United in a £7m deal.
2024: Whether playing in midfield or defence, Ampadu was outstanding in the Championship and wore the captain's armband on a regular basis as Leeds narrowly missed out on promotion back to the Premier League.
2025: Having officially been made club captain at Elland Road, Ampadu is again a leading performer for Leeds as they look to secure a return to the top flight.
Mirko Antonucci (Roma)
2018: An old-school winger who had come through the Roma youth academy, Antonucci became an instant fan favourite after setting up a goal for Edin Dzeko on his Giallorossi debut in January 2018.
2019: Antonucci joined Pescara on loan for the 2018-19 campaign, playing 21 games for the Serie B outfit without finding the net.
2020: After making four appearances for Roma in the first half of the 2019-20 season, Antonucci joined Vitoria Setubal on loan for the remainder of the campaign, but made just six appearances for the Portuguese side.
2021: Another loan spell followed for Antonucci as he joined Salernitana in Serie B, but he featured just three times as they secured promotion to the top flight. At the end of the season, he was sold to Cittadella by Roma.
2022: Antonucci was a regular in Serie B for his new club, but managed just three goals.
2023: The striker raised his game in 2022-23, scoring 11 goals in the Italian second division, and that convinced recently-relegated Spezia to sign him that summer.
2024: Antonucci managed just a solitary goal in the first half of the 2023-24 campaign, and was loaned to fellow Serie B side Cosenza in the January transfer window, though his form didn't really improve.
2025: Out on loan again, this time at another Serie B team in Cesena, Antonucci continues to play plenty of games but struggles to provide goals or assists.
