Six young players set to light up Club World Cup 2025

The Fifa Club World Cup will commence on Saturday in Miami, launching a jam-packed month of action in the United States that will see 32 of the best club sides in world football vie for international glory.

Several veteran footballers like Lionel Messi will attempt to add to their legacy by winning the ultimate prize in New Jersey, whilst other promising youngsters will be looking to announce themselves on the international stage.

A handful of fine performances may also convince clubs to table bids once the transfer window reopens too.

Here’s a look at six young prospects to keep an eye on in the Club World Cup over the coming weeks:

Nene Dorgeles, Red Bull Salzburg

Red Bull Salzburg’s domestic dominance has come to a grinding halt over the past two years, with Sturm Graz asserting themselves as the top dogs in the Austrian Bundesliga. However, that hasn’t stopped their talent factory from continuing to churn out promising gems like Karim Konate, Oscar Gloukh, and Nene Dorgeles.

Born in Mali to Ivorian parents, Dorgeles joined Salzburg’s academy in 2021 and cut his teeth on loan at feeder club SV Liefering as well as Austrian outfit SV Ried and Belgian side Westerlo before going from an impact sub in 2023/24 to one of the first names on Salzburg’s team sheet in 2024/25. A direct, explosive winger, Dorgeles’ nifty footwork and blistering change of pace have seen him blow past his opponents on the touchline whilst keeping the ball glued to his feet. He thrives at taking his man on, patiently waiting for him to overcommit before brushing past his opponent with a deft drop of the shoulder.

Dorgeles’ quality in the final third has gone up a level this season, with the 22-year-old providing 15 goals and 9 assists across all competitions. However, his defensive work rate and willingness to track back demonstrate that he’s far from just a one-trick pony, but a versatile weapon who’s capable of making an impact in the Premier League. Manchester United were rumored to be eyeing a January deal for him before signing Patrick Dorgu, whilst Tottenham are reportedly mulling a potential summer transfer for him as well.

Rayan Cherki, Manchester City

After an underwhelming campaign that saw them miss out on a fifth-straight Premier League title and fail to claim any major trophies, Manchester City have wasted no time refurbishing their squad ahead of the Club World Cup. They have splurged over £100 million on four different players, but arguably the most exciting pick of the bunch is Rayan Cherki.

A product of Lyon’s world-renowned academy, Cherki quickly emerged as an integral figure for Les Gones, racking up 185 first-team appearances at the tender age of 21. Cherki’s sensational ball-carrying skills, positional awareness and low center of gravity enable him to dribble out of congested zones with either foot and come out on top in 1v1 duels, before catching out defenses with an expertly timed pass.

Such is his world-class skillset that, despite committing multiple defenders to marking him, many teams have failed to stop him from wreaking havoc. Cherki created 125 big chances – second only to Bruno Fernandes and Raphinha in Europe’s top five leagues this season – whilst he also finished as the Best Dribbler and Best Assist Provider in Ligue 1. After coming off the bench for his international debut for France, Cherki needed just a half-hour to grab a goal and an assist vs. Spain in the UEFA Nations League semifinals, demonstrating yet again why he is one of the most impressive playmakers in Europe. At 21 years old, the maverick playmaker has a new challenge ahead of him: replacing Kevin de Bruyne as City’s new creative talisman.

Jamie Gittens, Borussia Dortmund

From Jadon Sancho to Jude Bellingham to Jobe Bellingham, more and more Englishmen are moving to Borussia Dortmund to launch their professional careers, and one player who has done just that is Jamie Gittens. Born in Reading to Barbadian parents, Gittens bounced around various English academies before moving to Dortmund in 2020, where, despite being sidetracked by injuries, he managed to impose himself as a key figure in attack.

Gittens kicked off the 2024/25 season in red-hot form with 5 goals and 4 assists in 15 appearances, but the mid-season coaching appointment of Niko Kovac would see him go from indispensable to a sporadic contributor, with the Croat preferring the heightened defensive work rate of Maximilian Beier. But despite falling down the pecking order, Gittens remains a prized commodity as a speedy left winger who can hoodwink his marker with his flashy dribbling skills and elusive changes in direction. He registered 1.9 dribbles per 90 in the UEFA Champions League, better than the likes of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Kylian Mbappe.

One team that has aggressively pursued the 20-year-old forward is Chelsea. The reigning Conference League winners tabled a €35m bid for Gittens as well as a follow-up offer of €50m, only to be thwarted on both occasions by Dortmund, who are reportedly holding out for €65m. If Gittens manages to light up the Club World Cup, then Dortmund’s gamble will certainly pay off.

Dean Huijsen, Real Madrid

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and that’s proven to be the case with Dean Huijsen. Born in Amsterdam but raised in Malaga, Huijsen joined Juventus in 2021 but failed to nail down a spot in the first team before moving to Bournemouth for an initial €15.2m. Despite initially starting on the bench, a long-term injury to Marcos Senesi opened the door for Huijsen to become an integral figure in central defense alongside Ilya Zabarnyi as well as Bournemouth’s youngest-ever scorer in the Premier League.

Standing 1.96m, Huijsen towers over his opponents and asserts himself both in aerial battles in ground duels, but above all, it is his cool and composed nature in possession that has seen him emerge as one of the top young defenders in Europe. Skilled at breaking the lines with his passing and picking out teammates in dangerous areas, Huijsen is very much the prototypical modern-day defender, a battle-hardened warrior out of possession and a cultured playmaker in possession.

Following a season that saw various center backs like Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao and David Alaba fall prey to the injury bug, Real Madrid were under no illusions about the urgency to trigger Huijsen’s £50m release clause and reinforce their defensive contingent. At 20 years of age, Huijsen has everything it takes to not only become a key pillar of Real Madrid’s backline for the next decade, but Spain’s as well.

Samu Aghehowa, Porto

It has been a meteoric rise to stardom for Samu Aghehowa. Born in Spain to Nigerian parents, Aghehowa made his first-team debut for Granada on August 14, 2023 and scored in a 3-1 loss to Atletico Madrid, prompting the latter to sign him for €6 million a week later. He was then loaned out to fellow LaLiga side Deportivo Alaves, finishing as their top scorer with eight goals and garnering interest from Chelsea, only to miss out on a transfer to Stamford Bridge due to image rights problems and an ankle injury uncovered during his medical examinations.

Instead, he took his talents to FC Porto, who paid €15 million for 50% of his rights. Tasked with replacing Mehdi Taremi and Evanilson, who joined Inter and Bournemouth, respectively, Aghehowa proved to be one of the sole bright spots in a torrid campaign for the Dragons with 25 goals in 42 appearances. A multifaceted center forward, Aghehowa’s physical prowess and jumping ability enable him to not only bully opposing defenders, but to hold up the ball and free up space for his fellow attackers to exploit.

Last summer, Spain won the European Championships thanks to a scintillating attacking trio featuring two players of African descent – Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal. By the time the World Cup rolls around next summer, all three of their starting forwards could be the progeny of African immigrants.

Franco Mastantuono, River Plate

Will join Real Madrid after Club World Cup

Lionel Messi. Angel Di Maria. Diego Maradona. Just a handful of the left-footed creative wizards who, after developing their skills in Argentina, made a name for themselves in Spain. The next one to do so could very well be Franco Mastantuono, who, despite interest from newly crowned Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, has now agreed to join Real Madrid for €45m (£38.3m) after the Club World Cup.

After rising through the youth ranks at River Plate, Mastantuono became their third-youngest debutant as well as their youngest-ever goal scorer. Under the watchful eye of Marcelo Gallardo, the teenager has emerged as an indispensable figure in attack, capable of gliding around the pitch like Teflon and weighing up passes to perfection. Whether he’s playing on the right wing or as an attacking midfielder, Mastantuono remains unfazed by the occasion and goes about his business with ruthless efficiency. He loves to tiptoe his way into the half-spaces and catch the opposition off-guard with either a pinpoint reverse pass or a ferocious long-range shot, boasting a confidence that belies his 17 years of age.

Similar to other hybrid playmakers like Lamine Yamal or Desire Doue, Mastantuono’s creativity is matched only by his footballing IQ. He isn’t the kind of player who will force a pass for the sake of it – instead, he can slow down the game or speed it up depending on what the game demands, and he also boasts the positional intelligence and technical finesse to create separation from his marker and work the ball into dangerous areas.

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