JUDE BELLINGHAM was pipped to top spot as the world’s most promising young star.
And there are two surprise clubs with the top talents plying their trade in English football.
Bellingham, 19, has proven why he is being tipped with a £130million-plus transfer to Real Madrid or Manchester City with his performances for Borussia Dortmund and England.
But he has to settle for second place in the CIES Football Observatory’s young star power rankings for Under-20 players in 75 leagues around the world.
Bellingham’s 3.66 score – largely based on experience – is only behind the No1 ace, Gavi.
The Barcelona and Spain midfielder is still only 18 but has already racked up 90 senior club appearances as well as 19 caps, earning him a score of 4.37.
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The record-breaking technician and Golden Boy winner, who scored at the World Cup, is already a key cog in Xavi’s midfield.
And despite interest from Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Bayern Munich amid his complicated contract situation, Gavi is said to be keen to stay put at the Nou Camp, possibly for his entire career.
Marcos Leonardo completes the podium and is one of four Brazilian rising talents in the top ten.
The Santos man, 19, made his debut soon after his 17th birthday in 2020 and is a youth international.
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Benfica’s teenager Antonio Silva is the only centre-back in the top ten.
But his 39 senior appearances – including in the Champions League quarter-final defeat to Inter – since his promotion from the B team justify his inclusion.
Vitor Roque, 18, is making a name for himself in attack for Athletico Paranaense.
That has earned him his senior Brazil debut against Morocco last month as Manchester United, Arsenal and Barcelona weigh up a swoop.
Gavi’s team-mate Alejandro Balde, 19, is sixth following the left-back’s rise from the La Masia academy to the first team and now a five-cap Spain star.
Another 19-year-old left-back, AZ Alkmaar’s Milos Kerkez, is next.
He spent a brief spell with AC Milan but has settled at AZ since joining in 2022 and breaking into the Hungary squad.
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Endrick is Brazilian No3 – and probably the most well known after already agreeing a £60m transfer to Real Madrid, who won the tussle for his signature.
The 5ft 8ins Palmeiras striker is still only 16 but had some of Europe’s biggest clubs chasing after him when he burst on to the scene in his homeland.
The fourth and final Brazil ace is Angelo Gabriel.
Leonardo’s pal at Santos, the 18-year-old forward born in December 2004 already has played a staggering 112 times for his boyhood club and was the subject of a failed bid from Newcastle.
Completing the top ten is Youssoufa Moukoko, the Borussia Dortmund striker.
The German, 18, registered ridiculous numbers in the academy and the club wasted no time promoting him to the first team as soon as he turned 16 in 2020 before featuring as the youngest German at a World Cup.
It means there are no players in England at the top of the list – with the first one down in 17.
And he does not play for one of the ‘Big Six’, ruling out of the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Carney Chukwuemeka and Harvey Elliott.
It is instead Wilfried Gnonto, the Leeds and Italy sensation.
Despite being snubbed by Javi Gracia in recent weeks, the former Inter Milan youngster, 19, has shown glimpses of his talent for club and country.
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Ironically, immediately behind Gnonto is Matheus Martins of Watford.
The Brazil U20 star, 19, is on loan at Vicarage Road from Udinese following his move from Fluminense.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
