Guardian publishes Next Generation 2025: 60 of the world’s best young football talents

Guardian unveils 60-player Next Generation 2025 shortlist

The Guardian has published its Next Generation 2025 list, identifying 60 of the best young talents in world football. The annual interactive feature is the paper’s long-running scouting project that highlights emerging players to watch across the global game.

The series builds on previous editions of the Next Generation project. The Guardian notes the format’s history with reference to earlier classes, with the paper previously writing:

"Next Generation 2017: 60 of the best young talents in world football From Vinicius Júnior, who has already signed for Real Madrid, to 'the Romanian Donnarumma' the Guardian identifies 60 of the best players in the world born in 2000."

The publication invites readers to check the progress of previous Next Generation classes and to explore the latest 2025 selections, which continue the Guardian’s tradition of profiling the next wave of stars before they break into senior football.