GOAL selected the 50 best footballing talents from around the world born on or after January 1, 2001 – but are they living up to their potential?
Since NXGN's launch in 2016, GOAL has profiled the 50 best footballing wonderkids on the planet on an annual basis. Some of those recognised for their talent as teenagers are now household names, but others have not yet realised their potential.
So, after theNXGN 2025 list was revealed, check out where the stars of 2020 are now:
Every NXGN list
Dembele, Tielemans & 2016's best wonderkids
Mbappe, Donnarumma & 2017's best wonderkids
De Ligt, Kluivert & 2018's best wonderkids
Haaland, Sancho & 2019's best wonderkids
James, Oberdorf & 2020's best women's wonderkids
Pedri, Ansu Fati & 2021's best wonderkids
Le Tissier, Bennison & 2021's best women's wonderkids
Bellingham, Musiala & 2022's best wonderkids
Dumornay, Fowler & 2022's best women's wonderkids
Gavi, Garnacho & 2023's best wonderkids
Shaw, Thompson & 2023's best women's wonderkids
Yamal, Mainoo & 2024's best wonderkids
Caicedo, Moultrie & 2024's best women's wonderkids
Getty Images50Pablo Moreno (Juventus)
2020: Having scored more than 200 goals at youth level for Barcelona, teenage forward Moreno was beginning to make a similar impact in Turin, while having also earned a place on the first team's bench during the 2019-20 campaign.
2021: Moreno joined Manchester City in a swap deal in the summer of 2020, before being sent on loan to Girona. He managed 26 appearances in the Spanish second tier, scoring twice.
2022: The forward was loaned back to Girona for a second successive season, but struggled for game time, starting just once in the league all campaign. He left City to join Portuguese side Maritimo in the summer of 2022.
2023: Moreno made 22 appearances across all competition in 2022-23, but failed to find the net as Maritimo suffered relegation. His contract was terminated, and he returned to the Spanish second division with FC Andorra.
2024: The attacker started just one league game through the 2023-24 campaign as he continued to struggle in getting his career going.
2025: Moreno joined Osasuna B in the Spanish third tier over the summer, but he has yet again failed to make any kind of positive impact.
Advertisementasianadotmy49Luqman Hakim (Selangor)
2020: Already a Malaysia Under-23s international at the age of 18, Hakim had seen a move to Belgian side KV Kortrijk be put on hold due to Covid-19 restrictions.
2021: Hakim eventually arrived at Kortrijk in the summer of 2020, but made just one appearance in his first season with the club. He did, however, make his full international debut in May 2021.
2022: The forward failed to make a first-team appearance in 2021-22 as reports began to swirl that he might return to Malaysia in a bid to earn minutes at the senior level.
2023: Hakim did manage two appearances for Kortrijk in the first half of 2022-23, but was loaned to Icelandic second division side Njardvik on a year-long deal in February 2023.
2024: In January 2024, Hakim joined Japanese third-tier side YSCC Yokohama in a bid to gain regular first-team minutes.
2025: Those minutes weren't forthcoming, as Hakim made just one league start during the 2024 season, and he is now back at Kortrijk as he contemplates his next move.
48Luca Unbehaun (Borussia Dortmund)
2020: Having been snapped up from Bochum in 2016, Germany youth international Unbehaun was working his way through the youth ranks at Dortmund.
2021: The first-choice goalkeeper for Dortmund's reserve side, Unbehaun did make the first-team bench on a number of occasions.
2022: Unbehaun missed a lot of the 2021-22 season with a hand injury, but remained the No.1 for Dortmund's reserves, who played in the German third tier.
2023: The goalkeeper's wait for a first-team debut at Dortmund went on, though Unbehaun was named on the bench for a number of Champions League matches. At the end of the season, he left BVB having never made a first-team appearance, joining third-division side SC Verl.
2024: Unbehaun was first-choice at Verl as he looked to finally get his career moving in the right direction.
2025: A move to the Dutch second tier followed for Unbehaun, as he joined FC Emmen ahead of the 2024-25 season, and he has been the club's first-choice goalkeeper through the campaign.
Getty Images47Naci Unuvar (Ajax)
2020: Having become Ajax's youngest-ever goalscorer at the age of 16, Unuvar was being tipped to eventually replace Hakim Ziyech in the first team, despite reports linking him with Barcelona.
2021: Unuvar endured a difficult campaign, as he struggled to kick on in Amsterdam, and played solely for Jong Ajax in the second division.
2022: Unuvar performed much better for Jong Ajax in 2021-22, racking up double-figure totals for both goals and assists, while also earning a couple of first-team appearances.
2023: The winger spent the 2022-23 campaign on loan at Turkish champions Trabzonspor, but he started just one league match for the club. Ajax then sent him back out on loan, this time to Twente, in the summer of 2023.
2024: Unuvar started just two Eredivisie games for Twente, though he enjoyed a couple of eye-catching cameos over the course of the season. He was then sent on loan to Espanyol in Spain during the summer that followed.
2025: Having managed just two substitute appearances in La Liga, Unuvar's loan was cut short, and Ajax cancelled his contract in January. Twente picked him up shortly after, and he has taken up a similar role as an impact substitute since his return to Grolsch Veste.
