Top 10 Rising Sports Stars - Soccer

Top 10 Rising Sports Stars – Soccer

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Top 10 Rising Sports Stars – Baseball

Superstardom is just around the corner for these up and comers! Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Rising Sports Stars – Soccer. For this list, we’ll be taking a look at soccer’s best young talents from across the globe.

Much like his countrymen Pele and Neymar, Brazilian footballer Malcom goes by one name and one name alone. The São Paulo native got his start playing with the Corinthians youth team before making the jump to their main squad in 2014. In 2016 he signed with French club Bordeaux and quickly began lighting it up as both a winger and attacking midfielder. He helped Brazil make it to the finals of the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup but was surprisingly left off of the 2018 World Cup squad. In hindsight, it appears that Brazil could have used Malcom’s services. At just 21 years of age the future is bright for this rising star!

Werner has managed to achieve a lot in a short period of time. He began his career with VfB Stuttgart in 2013, becoming both the youngest player to represent the club as well as the youngest to ever score a goal for them. In 2016 he joined RB Leipzig and quickly thrived, scoring 21 goals and helping the club qualify for their first UEFA Champions League. Around the same time he began making a splash on the international stage, helping Germany win the FIFA Confederations Cup and taking home the tournament’s Golden Boot award in the process. Despite a lackluster performance at the 2018 World Cup Timo Werner should still be considered one of soccer’s best young players.

Let’s be honest, it’s been some time since an American player made a splash on soccer’s world stage, but Christian Pulisic is poised to change all that thanks to his multifaceted play, blistering speed and above average soccer IQ. The nineteen-year-old phenom has the ability to play as both a winger and an attacking midfielder, something he’s done on numerous occasions for both Borussia Dortmund - who he’s been with since 2015 - and the US National Team. Pulisic still has some developing to do on the pitch, namely improving his long-distance accuracy, but if America qualifies for the World Cup in 2022 it’ll be on the back of Pulisic’s play.

Despite being just 20 years old, Rashford served as a solid bench player for England’s National Team at the 2018 World Cup, helping them make it to their first semi-finals in over 25 years. When he’s not coming off the bench for his country he’s putting balls in the back of the net for Manchester United, a team he’s scored 17 goals for since 2015. In 2017 Rashford solidified his status as one of the world's hottest up and comers when he came third behind Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé – two names that’ll pop up later – in the voting for the Golden Boy award; handed out annually to Europe’s best player under the age of 21.

You didn’t think we’d go this whole list without mention at least one goaltender, did you? Gianluigi Donnarumma is the obvious candidate when it comes to which young keeper you should be keeping an eye on. The 6’5 Italian keeper made his professional debut at the ripe old age of 16 and has been a starter ever since. In 2018 he became the youngest player ever to reach 100 games in Serie A while playing for A.C. Milan, earning a slew of clean sheets along the way. Having already drawn comparisons to legendary Italian goaltender Gianluigi Buffon, it would appear that Donnarumma is on the fast track to soccer superstardom.

With two UEFA Champions League titles under his belt, Real Madrid attacking midfielder Marco Asensio has already accomplished more at the age of 22 than most players do in their entire careers. He proved to be an invaluable member of the squad during their back-to-back championship runs; something that wasn’t overlooked when it came time to select which players would represent Spain at the 2018 World Cup. While he failed to score a goal and Spain failed to advance beyond the round of 16, Asensio’s shot and ability to out-muscle opponents make him one player that you’d be foolish to sleep on.

At just 21 years of age, Ousmane Dembélé is a big reason why France has an excellent shot at repeating as World Cup champions in 2022. A sure-footed forward with blazing speed and a shot to match, Dembélé has been making his mark on the pitch for some time now, having produced first for Borussia Dortmund and later Barcelona. He took home Bundesliga Rookie of the Season honors in 2016 and followed it up by finishing second in the voting for Europe’s best player under the age of 21 award in 2017. Is Ousmane Dembélé a rising star? You better believe it.

An Olympic Gold Medal, a Premier League title and an EFL Cup - that’s what Gabriel Jesus has managed to win so far in his career…and he’s only 21. He’s scored 10 goals in just 22 international appearances and has potted another 36 in club play. The Brazilian forward has been praised for his creativity and movement and promises to be a focal point of Manchester City’s offense going forward. While his performance at the 2018 World Cup left something to be desired we aren’t holding that against him considering he's more than proved his worth.

How and why Leroy Sané was left off of Germany’s 2018 World Cup squad we will never know. What we do know is that he is an extremely talented young winger whose time with Manchester City has been nothing short of brilliant. He took home the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2017, netting 10 goals in 32 appearances and helping Man City win a Premier League title and an EFL Cup. Perhaps Germany will come to their senses by the time 2022 rolls around, because despite his dual German and French citizenship, he's played for Germany too many times to still be eligible for Les Bleus. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: Ryan Sessegnon Hirving “Chucky” Lozano Vinicius Junior

After a stellar World Cup, one could argue that Kylian Mbappé is on the cusp of full-fledged superstardom. The second teenager to score a goal in the World Cup Finals – after Pele no less - Mbappé took home the FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award and proved to be an invaluable part of France’s championship squad. His speed, strength, and vision gave opposing defenders nightmares throughout the tournament, a feeling his Ligue 1 opponents know all too well. At just 19 years of age Kylian Mbappé’s career is just getting started, which means we’ll be seeing plenty more of this French wunderkind in the years to come!