FourFourTwo’s 59 best young players in 2016 list re-emerges and makes for fascinating reading

Lists of the best players in the world for any given year crop up constantly – but one from 2016 of the greatest young stars on the globe at that time makes for interesting reading.

The popular football magazine FourFourTwo often compiles lists of top players in the world or within specific leagues. Sometimes these lists age well, while other times they don’t reflect future performances.

One list from 2016, highlighting the best 59 wonderkids in world football aged 21 and under, has resurfaced. Many players listed were active in the Premier League at that time or later transitioned to it.

Notably, Kylian Mbappe, then a 17-year-old striker at Monaco, was ranked 44th—it’s safe to say he has become a global superstar. Demarai Gray, then 20 and at Leicester City, was listed at 53rd, while Andreas Christensen, also 20 and on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach from Chelsea, made the list too. Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi was recognized for his potential at number 20.

In the top 10 of FourFourTwo’s 2016 list of wonderkids, Ousmane Dembélé was ranked 10th at Borussia Dortmund at just 19, while Leroy Sané, a new addition to Manchester City, secured the ninth spot. Marco Asensio, progressing through the ranks at Real Madrid, came in eighth, and Manchester United’s Anthony Martial was seventh.

At sixth, a 19-year-old Gabriel Jesus was still with Palmeiras before his move to Manchester City in January 2017. Marcus Rashford, who had made a significant impact in 2016, was fifth. Gianluigi Donnarumma, then 17 and playing for AC Milan, ranked fourth, followed by Renato Sanches of Bayern Munich in third. Kingsley Coman, also from Bayern, was rated second, while Dele Alli topped the list after his impressive performances for Tottenham and England.

Here’s the full list of FourFourTwo’s 59 best young players in 2016:

59. Jesus Vallejo, 19 (Eintracht Frankfurt, on loan from Real Madrid)
58. Thiago Maia, 19 (Santos)
57. Kasper Dolberg, 19 (Ajax)
56. Benjamin Henrichs, 19 (Bayer Leverkusen)
55. Jorge Meré, 19 (Sporting Gijon)
54. Andre Horta, 19 (Benfica)
53. Demarai Gray, 20 (Leicester)
52. Malcom, 19 (Bordeaux)
51. Leon Bailey, 20 (Genk)
50. Vincent Koziello, 20 (Nice)
49. Aleksandr Golovin, 20 (CSKA Moscow)
48. Adam Ounas, 20 (Bordeaux)
47. Predrag Rajkovic, 20 (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
46. Santi Mina, 20 (Valencia)
45. Jorge, 20 (Flamengo)
44. Kylian Mbappe, 17 (Monaco)
43. Oliver Burke, 19 (RB Leipzig)
42. Franck Kessie, 19 (Atalanta)
41. Bart Ramselaar, 20 (PSV)
40. Gonçalo Guedes, 19 (Benfica)

### FourFourTwo’s 59 Best Young Players of 2016: A Look Back

The popular football magazine FourFourTwo’s list of the best 59 wonderkids from 2016 has resurfaced, offering a fascinating glimpse into the future of young talent at that time. Many players featured prominently in the Premier League or later made their mark in English football.

Notably, a 17-year-old Kylian Mbappe was ranked 44th while playing for Monaco. Demarai Gray, then 20 at Leicester City, was placed 53rd, and 20-year-old Andreas Christensen, on loan from Chelsea to Borussia Monchengladbach, also made the list. Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi was highlighted at number 20.

In the top 10, Ousmane Dembélé ranked 10th while at Borussia Dortmund, and Leroy Sané, a new signing for Manchester City, was 9th. Marco Asensio, emerging at Real Madrid, was 8th, and Manchester United’s Anthony Martial was 7th.

Gabriel Jesus, then 19 and still at Palmeiras, came in at 6th. Marcus Rashford, who had burst onto the scene in 2016, was 5th. Gianluigi Donnarumma, a 17-year-old goalkeeper at AC Milan, was ranked 4th, while Renato Sanches from Bayern Munich took 3rd. Kingsley Coman was 2nd, and Dele Alli, recognized for his rapid rise at Tottenham, topped the list.

### Complete List of FourFourTwo’s 59 Best Young Players in 2016:

1. **Dele Alli** (Tottenham)
2. **Kingsley Coman** (Bayern Munich)
3. **Renato Sanches** (Bayern Munich)
4. **Gianluigi Donnarumma** (AC Milan)
5. **Marcus Rashford** (Manchester United)
6. **Gabriel Jesus** (Palmeiras)
7. **Anthony Martial** (Manchester United)
8. **Marco Asensio** (Real Madrid)
9. **Leroy Sané** (Manchester City)
10. **Ousmane Dembélé** (Borussia Dortmund)
11. **Jesus Vallejo** (Eintracht Frankfurt, on loan from Real Madrid)
12. **Thiago Maia** (Santos)
13. **Kasper Dolberg** (Ajax)
14. **Benjamin Henrichs** (Bayer Leverkusen)
15. **Jorge Meré** (Sporting Gijon)
16. **Andre Horta** (Benfica)
17. **Demarai Gray** (Leicester City)
18. **Malcom** (Bordeaux)
19. **Leon Bailey** (Genk)
20. **Vincent Koziello** (Nice)
21. **Aleksandr Golovin** (CSKA Moscow)
22. **Adam Ounas** (Bordeaux)
23. **Predrag Rajkovic** (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
24. **Santi Mina** (Valencia)
25. **Jorge** (Flamengo)
26. **Oliver Burke** (RB Leipzig)
27. **Franck Kessie** (Atalanta)
28. **Bart Ramselaar** (PSV)
29. **Gonçalo Guedes** (Benfica)
30. **Issa Diop** (Toulouse)
31. **Enes Ünal** (FC Twente, on loan from Manchester City)
32. **Maxwel Cornet** (Lyon)
33. **Riechedly Bazoer** (Ajax)
34. **Mikel Oyarzabal** (Real Sociedad)
35. **Santiago Ascacibar** (Estudiantes)
36. **Lucas Hernandez** (Atletico Madrid)
37. **Thomas Lemar** (Monaco)
38. **Mahmoud Dahoud** (Borussia Monchengladbach)
39. **Jean-Kevin Augustin** (PSG)
40. **Emre Mor** (Borussia Dortmund)
41. **Davinson Sanchez** (Ajax)
42. **Breel Embolo** (Schalke)
43. **Jairo Riedewald** (Ajax)
44. **Andreas Christensen** (Borussia Monchengladbach, on loan from Chelsea)
45. **Viktor Kovalenko** (Shakhtar Donetsk)
46. **Andre Silva** (Porto)
47. **Alex Iwobi** (Arsenal)
48. **Jonathan Tah** (Bayer Leverkusen)

This list not only highlights the potential of these players back in 2016 but also serves as a reminder of how quickly talent can rise to prominence in football.

### FourFourTwo’s 59 Best Young Players of 2016: Top 20

Here’s a look at the top 20 wonderkids from FourFourTwo’s 2016 list:

20. **Ante Coric**, 19 (Dinamo Zagreb)
19. **Tin Jedvaj**, 20 (Bayer Leverkusen)
18. **Marlos Moreno**, 20 (Deportivo La Coruña, on loan from Manchester City)
17. **Timo Werner**, 20 (RB Leipzig)
16. **Youri Tielemans**, 19 (Anderlecht)
15. **Christian Pulisic**, 18 (Borussia Dortmund)
14. **Kelechi Iheanacho**, 20 (Manchester City)
13. **Julian Brandt**, 20 (Bayer Leverkusen)
12. **Giovani Lo Celso**, 20 (Rosario Central, on loan from PSG)
11. **Gabriel Barbosa**, 20 (Inter Milan)
10. **Ousmane Dembélé**, 19 (Borussia Dortmund)
9. **Leroy Sané**, 19 (Manchester City)
8. **Marco Asensio**, 20 (Real Madrid)
7. **Anthony Martial**, 20 (Manchester United)
6. **Gabriel Jesus**, 19 (Palmeiras; joined Man City in January 2017)
5. **Marcus Rashford**, 18 (Manchester United)
4. **Gianluigi Donnarumma**, 17 (AC Milan)
3. **Renato Sanches**, 19 (Bayern Munich)
2. **Kingsley Coman**, 20 (Bayern Munich)
1. **Dele Alli**, 20 (Tottenham)

This list showcases some of the brightest talents in football from that year, many of whom have since made significant impacts on the game.

 

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