GOAL selected the 50 best footballing talents from around the world born on or after January 1, 2003 – but are they living up to 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 2022 are now:
Every NXGN list
Dembele, Tielemans & 2016's best wonderkids
Mbappe, Donnarumma & 2017's best wonderkids
De Ligt, Kluivert & 2018'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
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
50Bruno Iglesias (Real Madrid)
2022: Iglesias was being likened to Kaka within the Real Madrid academy having reached double-figures for both goals and assists for the U19s while Arsenal and Manchester City were tracking his progress.
2023: The playmaker struggled having stepped up to Madrid's Castilla team, and spent the second half of the 2022-23 team representing Madrid's second reserve side, RSC Internacional, in the fifth tier of Spanish football.
2024: Iglesias was loaned to Celta Vigo's reserve side, but started just once in the Spanish third tier amid a number of cameos from the bench.
2025: Back in the capital, Iglesias is now part of the Real Madrid C squad, for whom he appears regularly in the fourth tier.
Advertisement49Endrick (Palmeiras)
2022: Endrick was being dubbed the biggest Brazilian talent since Neymar after shining as a 15-year-old in the prestigious U20s Copinha for Palmeiras, with Europe's biggest clubs already queuing up to sign him.
2023: Having scored three goals in his first seven senior appearances, Endrick agreed to join Real Madrid for €60m in January 2023, though he will not move to Spain until the summer of 2024 when he turns 18.
2024: Endrick's first full season of senior football ended with him scoring 11 league goals, including some crucial strikes in the run-in as Palmeiras defended the Brasilerao title. He also began to make his mark on the Brazil national team by scoring against England and Spain, among others.
2025: The forward arrived in Madrid ahead of the 2024-25 season, and despite scoring on both his La Liga and Champions League debuts, his opportunities have been limited due to the Blancos' star-studded attack monopolising the minutes.
Getty Images48Marcelo Flores (Arsenal)
2022: Already a full Mexico international, Flores was making waves in Arsenal's youth sides by scoring spectacular goals and pulling off even more spectacular celebrations.
2023: Flores joined Real Oviedo on loan ahead of the 2022-23 season, but slowly fell out of contention for the Spanish second-division side. He was then sold to Mexican giants Tigres in September 2023.
2024: The winger played regularly during his first year months in Liga MX, though mostly as a substitute.
2025: Flores is slowly securing himself a place in the Tigres line up as the 2025 Clausura gets up to full speed.
47Roony Bardghji (FC Copenhagen)
2022: Dubbed 'the Swedish Messi', Bardghji was already the youngest goal-scorer in the history of the Danish Superliga, and the wide forward was being linked with a host of Europe's biggest clubs.
2023: After an injury-hit start to the 2022-23 season, Bardghji established himself as a regular contributor in Copenhagen, though he netted just three goals.
2024: Bardghji enjoyed a breakout season as he netted 11 goals in all competitions, including a late winner against Manchester United in the Champions League, and top Premier League clubs were following him closely before he suffered a serious knee injury in May 2024 that ruined any hopes of a summer transfer.
2025: The forward is continuing his recovery as he eyes a return before the season is out.
