18 Sheika Scott (Alajuelense)

Another promising young star who went to last year’s World Cup as a 16-year-old, Sheika Scott is one of the most interesting talents in world football right now. Although fans didn’t see much of her game-changing ability on the biggest stage given how tough Costa Rica’s group was, few would argue that she is not destined for the top.

An attacking midfielder with an eye for goal, Scott’s idol has long been Shirley Cruz, the iconic Costa Rican midfielder who twice won the Champions League with Lyon. It’s easy to tell Scott has watched a lot of Cruz, too, from what she can do with a ball already.

10 Sara Ortega (Athletic Club)

The attacking, goal-grabbing members of Spain’s prolific youth set-up will almost always get more of the spotlight, but Sara Ortega is someone who deserves to be picked out as a star for the future, too. The 19-year-old has consistently been a starter throughout La Roja’s youth levels, crowned a world champion with the U17s in 2022 and a European champion with the U19s a year later, but she’s also shown that she can cut it at senior level.

Ortega was only 16 when she debuted for Athletic Club in Liga F and she has since become a regular for the Basque outfit, whether at a full-back, in midfield or even a little further forward. Technically superb, the 19-year-old has a wonderful understanding of the game, something which allows her to be so versatile. It’s no wonder Athletic handed her a new deal at the start of the year – her future is incredibly bright.

9 Dudinha (Sao Paulo)

When Brazil finished third at the U20 World Cup last year, several members of the squad came in for praise from Pia Sundhage, then-head coach of the senior team, and Dudinha was among them. “The way Dudinha finds solutions has surprised me,” the Swede said. “You think she’s going to do one thing but she does the other. She’s really unpredictable.” At youth level, the 18-year-old has thrived, also shining for the U17s, but how would she cope at senior level? We only had a few glimpses at the answer to that question, such was her lack of opportunity with Sao Paulo, until last year.

As a regular starter for the club in the 2023 season, Dudinha’s talent was there for all to see, her excellent close control, desire to make things happen and dangerous long-distance shooting standing out in particular. She’s still developing, of course, but Brazil appear to have another gem on their hands.

8 Momoko Tanikawa (Bayern Munich – loan at Rosengard)

Few players on this list will be more exciting to follow in 2024 than Momoko Tanikawa. After lighting up the U17 World Cup in 2022 with her devastatingly accurate long-distance shooting – with both feet, it should be noted – the Japanese playmaker has landed in Europe, signing for Bayern Munich and joining Rosengard on loan, in the development-heavy Swedish league.

Tanikawa’s outstanding performances at that World Cup didn’t get as much attention as they should have, probably because of Japan’s quarter-final exit, but make no mistake – this 18-year-old is one of the most talented young players on the planet. She is a truly gifted footballer, with enviable close control and wonderful technique, and the confidence she has in her own ability, in taking on shots from range and driving at defences, makes her a match-winner, too. It’s going to be fascinating to see how the experiences she gains this year help her develop.

7 Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns)

Few, if any, on this list have been in the spotlight quite like Olivia Moultrie. Her decision in 2021 to file an antitrust lawsuit against the NWSL, the top league in the United States, has changed so much. The rule that players must be 18 or over to play in the division has since been removed, and it has allowed several top young talents to thrive, Moultrie included.

A versatile midfielder, she’s already made over 50 senior appearances for one of the best teams in the U.S., starting more than half of those games for the Portland Thorns and helping them to win the NWSL Championship in 2022. Moultrie is now making her impact at international level, too, showcasing poaching instincts on her full USWNT debut at this year’s Gold Cup with two close-range finishes. Performing at the highest level seems to come so easy to her – and she’s still only 18 years old.

6 Wieke Kaptein (Chelsea – loan at Twente)

‘Wise beyond their years’ can be an overused term with young talents, but it describes Wieke Kaptein so well. After all, it takes real maturity to become a key part of a title-chasing team at 16 years old, but that’s exactly what this Dutch starlet did when she broke into the Twente side at the start of the 2021-22 campaign. In the past two-and-a-half seasons, Kaptein has helped the club to win seven trophies, a total she’s likely to assist them in adding to over the next few months.

More silverware would be a great way to say goodbye, too, as the teenager is only on loan now after signing for Chelsea last summer. Breaking into the Blues’ team won’t be easy, but Kaptein isn’t some raw, inexperienced prospect. She might be 18 years old, but she’s already a title-winning, senior Netherlands international and can make a real impact with the English champions.

5 Signe Gaupset (Brann)

There is a lot of hype in Norway about Signe Gaupset. Just 17 years old when she stole the show in the Norwegian Cup final, scoring twice and assisting another as Brann beat Stabaek 3-1, team-mate Tuva Hansen remarked afterwards: “She is a completely unique talent. She works so well I forget that she is 17 years old. Words cannot describe how good she is.”

That hype is extending beyond her homeland now, too. Gaupset’s ability in possession, powerful shot and exciting creativity have caught the eye in the Women’s Champions League this season, and it was she who popped up with a 90th-minute equaliser to secure a historic draw against eight-time European champions Lyon in December, helping Brann reach the quarter-finals for the first time.

Her form on the biggest stage will no doubt be attracting attention from clubs abroad, and it does feel like only a matter of time until Gaupset moves on to develop her wonderful talent even further. But the 18-year-old has a wise head on her shoulders, and after seeking the advice of her more experienced team-mates, doesn’t want to rush anything.

“Something they say – and I think this as well – is that it’s not a stress to get out,” she told GOAL last year. “I think I have a lot to improve here in Norway and Brann. I want to play here until I really find the right club.” That maturity only adds to the belief that she will fulfil her potential and be Norway’s next superstar.

4 Mara Alber (Hoffenheim)

With just three minutes of normal time remaining in the 2022 Women’s U17 Euros final, it looked like it would be Spain lifting the trophy. Germany had taken an early lead, but their opponents fought back well, and it looked like Carla Camacho’s header was going to be enough to secure the title.

But Germany were still pushing, and when Jella Veit fed the ball to Mara Alber on the left wing, the teenage forward only had one thing on her mind. She faked to go down the flank, to drive towards the byline and get a cross off, but then shimmied inside, created half a yard of space and, on the very edge of the box, wrapped her favoured right foot around the ball to curl it beyond the goalkeeper and into the far corner. Germany were still alive, the game was off to penalties and, after a tense shootout, Alber and her team-mates were champions of Europe.

Winner of the Bronze Ball at the U17 Women’s World Cup that followed a few months later – only pipped to the Golden and Silver accolades by two of the players above her on this list – the most impressive thing about Alber’s young career to date is the way she has translated these exciting performances with the youth teams to senior level. The 18-year-old has been flying for Hoffenheim in her first full season with the first team; her fantastic footwork, mazy dribbling and direct mindset just as effective and difficult to stop in the Bundesliga.

3 Aline Gomes (Ferroviaria)

Often when you watch a promising young forward in action, it is their goal-scoring, their skill, their dribbling or something similar that stands out. When you watch Aline Gomes, it is her footballing intelligence. For a player of 18 years old to be so clever in her reading of the game, her understanding of how a play will develop and her anticipation to make an impact is quite remarkable. Match that with her pace, her trickery and an end product that is already quite impressive for someone so young, and it creates one of the most exciting talents on the planet.

Another player who has thrived with the youth national teams, Aline then had an explosive 2023 at senior level. Out-scored by just three players in the Brazilian top-flight after netting 10 goals in 16 starts for Ferroviaria, the teenager also earned her first call-ups for the Selecao after making a significant impression on then-head coach Pia Sundhage. “The way that Aline has taken off – the way she takes players on, uses space, is a threat on the flanks – has been really impressive,” the Swede said after the U20 World Cup in 2022.

But Aline has also excited Sundhage’s successor, Arthur Elias, and was named to the roster for this year’s CONCACAF W Gold Cup. It’s no surprise because her talent is obvious. With a direct and positive mindset, but the patience to wait for the right option, the 18-year-old has the potential to be a world-class forward.

2 Vicky Lopez (Barcelona)

It’s hard not to get over-excited about Vicky Lopez’s ability. A truly dominant talent at youth level, named Player of the Tournament at the 2023 U17 Euros and awarded the Golden Ball at the U17 World Cup the year prior, the seamless manner in which she has slipped into Barcelona’s first-team since joining the club in the summer of 2022 has been the greatest indication yet of just how special she is.

Despite still being 17 years old, despite a lack of experience at senior level and of tournaments like the Champions League, despite playing in a team blessed with some of the best players on the planet, she still catches the eye – and often. Whether it’s an incredible pass, some mesmerising skill or a sublime strike, Lopez is capable of those moments of individual brilliance that can win matches, but she also understands the game in that high-level way that is crucial to being a success at Barcelona. She makes good decisions, her movement is intelligent and her ability in possession is top-class.

A player who, in Lopez’s own words, has had two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas take her under her wing in Catalunya, what she will gain from being around players of that calibre every day will be invaluable. “Now I see myself personally as a different player compared to when I arrived,” she told AS recently. “I think I have grown because of everything I learn from them.” At 17 years old, she’s going to go to new levels yet and it’s going to be fascinating to watch.

1 Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid)

It was way back in 2020, a few weeks after her 15th birthday, that Linda Caicedo first landed on GOAL’s NXGN list. As a 14-year-old, she shone in the Colombian top-flight for America de Cali, firing the club to a first-ever league title with goal-scoring exploits that won her the Golden Boot. Her efforts also helped America qualify for the Copa Libertadores, but in a timely reminder of her youth, she would have to wait two years to feature in the competition because she didn’t meet the minimum age requirement of 16.

Fast forward four years and Caicedo has done plenty in that time to help her top the NXGN 2024 list. The 19-year-old has played in two major tournament finals at youth level, in the U17 World Cup and the U17 South American Championship; she’s signed and shone for Real Madrid, moving to Spain days after her 18th birthday; she’s helped Colombia reach the Copa America final, picking up the tournament’s Golden Ball despite only being 18; and she’s played at a senior World Cup, winning the Goal of the Tournament award for a strike against Germany that helped her nation enjoy a best-ever run to the quarter-finals.

A quick winger with wonderful technique and deadly goal-scoring instincts, Caicedo is a talismanic figure, the type of player who can drag you to victory with her leadership and game-changing contributions. Right now, with the level she is doing that at, there is no player of her generation more captivating in the entire women’s game.