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Next generation

The Guardian identifies the best young talent coming through around the world every year and will also follow their progress with an annual update

  • Next Generation 2023: 60 of the best young talents in world football image

    Next Generation 2023: 60 of the best young talents in world football

    From Warren Zaïre-Emery to Endrick, we select some of the world’s best players born in 2006
  • Next Generation 2023: 20 of the best talents at Premier League clubs image

    Next Generation 2023: 20 of the best talents at Premier League clubs

    We pick the best youngsters at each club born between 1 September 2006 and 31 August 2007, an age band known as first-year scholars
  • Brommapojkarna’s Kevin Ackermann, Bukayo Saka of Arsenal and Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

    From Saka to Ackermann: what happened to Next Generation 2018?

    Five years ago we picked 80 of the most talented players in the world to follow their progress in a cut-throat business
  • Joel Ndala of Manchester City, Ben Doak of Liverpool, Ishé Samuels-Smith of Everton, David Obou of Crystal Palace and Jimmy Jay Morgan of Southampton

    Next Generation 2022: Why scouts select players based on ‘the relative age effect’

    Ignacio Palacios-Huerta
    If you want a child to make this list, you better make sure he is born as soon as possible after 1 September
  • trail next generation world 2022

    Next Generation 2022: 60 of the best young talents in world football

    From Antonio Nusa to Mathys Tel, we pick 60 of the most talented players born in 2005
  • trail pic next generation premier league 2022

    Next Generation 2022: 20 of the best talents at Premier League clubs

    We pick the best youngsters at each club born between 1 September 2005 and 31 August 2006, an age band known as first-year scholars
  • Vinicius Junior, Erling Haaland and Anthony Gordon were all part of our 2017 Next Gen picks.

    From Haaland to Gordon: what happened to Next Generation 2017?

    Five years ago we picked 80 promising players from around the world and have followed their progress since then
  • Next gen footballers 2021 world trail pic 1000

    Next Generation 2021: 60 of the best young talents in world football

    From ‘the next Alphonso Davies’ to Dortmund’s Moukoko, we pick 60 of the most talented players born in 2004
  • next gen premier league trail pic 1000

    Next Generation 2021: 20 of the best talents at Premier League clubs

    We pick the best young players at each club born between 1 September 2004 and 31 August 2005, an age band known as first-year scholars
  • From left: Manchester United's Jadon Sancho, Gianluigi Donnarumma of PSG and Real Sociedad’s Alexander Isak.

    From Jadon Sancho to Alexander Isak: what happened to Next Generation 2016?

    With the Next Generation 2021 picks out this week we look at the final updates for the class of 2016. How did they fare?
  • next-gen world footballers trail pic 1000

    Next Generation 2020: 60 of the best young talents in world football

    The ‘Tanzanian Mbappé’, Juan Pablo Ángel’s son and the next Kai Havertz are among our players born in 2003
  • premier league trail pic 1000

    Next Generation 2020: 20 of the best talents at Premier League clubs

    We pick the best young players at each club born between 1 September 2003 and 31 August 2004, an age band known as first-year scholars
  • Martin Odegaard of Real Madrid Castilla, Hachim Mastour playing for AC Milan, Liverpool u18’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, Uruguay’s Federico Valverde, Daniel Olmo of Spain and Christian Pulisic of USA. Composite by Jim Powell. Photographs by Getty Images

    From Ødegaard to Mastour: what happened to Next Generation 2015?

    As we prepare to publish Next Generation 2020 on Wednesday and Thursday, we say goodbye to the class of 2015. So how did they get on?
  • Trail pic for Next Gen footballers - World Interactive 2019

    Next Generation 2019: 60 of the best young talents in world football

    Eidur Gudjohnsen’s son, the new Paul Pogba and Barça’s Ansu Fati are among our 60 most talented players in the world born in 2002
  • Trail pic for Next Gen footballers - Premier League Interactive 2019

    Next Generation 2019: 20 of the best talents at Premier League clubs

    The Guardian selects the best young players at each side born between 1 September 2002 and 31 August 2003, an age band known as first-year scholars.
  • Harley Willard in action for Víkingur Ólafsvík in 2019.

    Harley Willard: ‘Iceland’s a good place just to concentrate on your football’

  • (Clockwise from top left) Leicester’s Youri Tielemans, Ousmane Dembélé of Barcelona, Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford and Real Madrid’s Luka Jovic.

    Next Generation: after five years, how has our first full class of picks fared?

  • Next Generation World Trail

    Next Generation 2018: 60 of the best young talents in world football

    From Lilian Thuram’s son to Real Madrid-bound Rodrygo and the ‘Croatian Neymar’, we pick 60 of the most talented players born in 2001
  • Next Generation

    Next Generation 2018: 20 of the best talents at Premier League clubs

    We pick the best prospect from each club born between 1 September 2001 and 31 August 2002, an age band known as first-year scholars
  • Alexander-Arnold, Ousmane Dembélé and Marcus Rashford

    Next Generation 2014-17: how have our footballers got on?

    Marcus Rashford and Ousmane Dembélé were part of our first batch of promising players in 2014. Here you can find out how all 290 have got on
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