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Best U21 Young Talented Player In Champions League 2025 1. Lamine Yamal-18, 2. Désiré Doué-19, 3. João Neves-20, 4. Arda Güler-20, 5. Estêvão Willian-18, 6. Pau Cubarsí-18
The 2025 Champions League is turning into a showcase for the next big things in football, where kids barely out of school are stealing the show from the old guard.
With the new league phase format packing in more high-stakes games, managers are leaning hard on these fresh faces to shake things up.
Don’t forget Lamine Yamal at Barcelona, who is only 18 years old, but he’s already breaking records, he becomes the youngest player to reach 25 Champions League appearances back in October.
Or, with PSG’s Désiré Doué, who score and assisted at one point in the UEFA Champions League final last season, and who won the Young Player of the Season award.
Why the hype? These young stars advancing to Champions League 2025 are proving that football in the golden age is just starting, and we’re all rooting for them to get their hands on Europe’s biggest stage.
Lamine Yamal is the Barcelona star kid that's getting everyone talking, and rightly so. The 18-year-old has already set some records -- including the youngest player to appear in 25 Champions League in that crazy 6-1 win over Olympiacos in October.
He has scored 2 goals and four assists in four games this season, becoming the youngest player ever to score and assist in a UCL game. Then, that magic of the semi-finals against Inter, when his goal made him the youngest scorer in a UCL semi, (17 years old).
And with five goals and three assists last season in champions League. He scooped the 2024 Kopa Trophy at the Ballon d'Or for being the world's top young gun, plus he retained it in 2025, making him the first to do back-to-back.
Désiré Doué is the name on everyone's lips after his unreal showing in last season's Champions League final, where PSG finally lifted the trophy with a 5-0 demolition of Inter. The 19-year-old bagged a brace and an assist, becoming the first player ever to rack up three goal involvements in a final, and the youngest to do it all.
It's no surprise he walked away with Player of the Match. And with 24 goal contributions in his debut Ligue 1 year, PSG's got a gem who's just getting started. Top it off, he nabbed the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season award, edging out Yamal himself.
João Neves burst onto the scene at PSG and hasn't looked back, anchoring midfield with the kind of bite and brains that scream future captain. In the UCL last season, he notched a goal and two assists over 27 appearances, but it was his man-of-the-match display in that 4-2 thriller against Manchester City.
This season, he's already got three goals in Ligue 1, and with Portugal calling him up for Nations League duty.
Arda Güler is the Turkish magician who's finally shaking off injuries to dazzle at Real Madrid. In 10 UCL outings last season, he grabbed an assist with a whipped free-kick that curled into the top corner against City, and this year he's building on that with zero goals 1 assists but sharp cameos off the bench. The kid's got 3 goals and 4 assists in La Liga already. Güler's subtle flicks and long-range threats make him the spark Madrid needs when the game's tight.
Estêvão Willian, the Brazilian hit the ground running at Chelsea after his long-awaited move from Palmeiras. In just three games this season, he's scored once and assisted another, including a cool penalty against Ajax that became his first UCL goal.
Fresh off a Club World Cup stunner where he bagged a goal against his future club, Estêvão's quick feet and elastico flicks have full-backs in knots, he's already twisting defenders and earning raves from Maresca as the next big thing on the wing.
And talk about arrivals: that 95th-minute winner against Liverpool in the Premier League? Chelsea fans are still buzzing.
Pau Cubarsí might not light up the scoresheet, but this kid's a defensive wizard who's got Barcelona dreaming big again. Turning 18 in January, he clocked over 50 appearances last season, including a record as the youngest defender to start a UCL quarterfinal at 17 years and 79 days old. He's been rock-solid with three clean sheets in four outings this year.
Kenan Yıldız is pure fire for Juventus, turning heads with his Kopa nod after seven goals and four assists in 28 starts last year. This UCL campaign, he's got 1 goal and 1 assist in 3 games, including a brace off the bench that dragged Juve back from 4-2 down to draw Inter in the Derby d'Italia. Then came that Del Piero-esque screamer against Dortmund, a 4-4 thriller where his wonder-goal from outside the box sealed MVP honors.
Franco Mastantuono is the Argentine prodigy who's got Real Madrid buzzing. At 17 years and 33 days, he became Madrid's youngest-ever UCL starter in a 2-1 win over Marseille, threading a defense-splitter for Vinícius' winner.
Not even Messi's shadow, Mastantuono's vision spots runs from another postcode, and his 45m euro tag feels like a steal after bossing four La Liga starts already. Xabi Alonso's hidden gem, turning crowded mids into highways with one touch, and already hailed as the club's new young star.
Warren Zaïre-Emery Last year's UCL campaign saw him net a stunning 25-yard strike that bounced off the bar for a key group win, and wearing the armband on his birthday in a 4-1 rout of Rennes, he became PSG's second-youngest captain ever, and his six-tackle masterclass against Auxerre showed why, Zaïre-Emery charges box-to-box, winning duels and threading passes that keep the attack humming.
Aleksandar Pavlovi is Bayern’s machine in the middle who has come a long way since his debut. He has played 244 minutes in three UCL games for the club this season, with 94% pass accuracy and zero goalless periods, but it was his 44 tackles last season that really stood out.
1. Endrick (Age 19, Real Madrid)
2. Myles Lewis-Skelly (Age 19, Arsenal)
3. Dean Huijsen (Age 20, Real madrid)
4. Rayan Cherki (Age 22, Manchester City)
5. Ethan Nwaneri (Age 18, Arsenal)
The future of European football looks very bright with these young stars entering the Champions League. They’re not just youngsters with more chance than ever.
They are already putting their stamp on people’s faces with daring moves and some incredible decisions that can make all the difference to a match.
They are already in charge on the biggest stage in Europe, and with their desire and creativity we can only think the next season of football will be nothing less than fantastic.
FAQ
Who is the best young player in Champions League 2025?
Ans: Désiré Doué is the current young talent in champions league.
Which U21 player has scored the most goals in UCL 2025?
Ans: Désiré Doué, 2 goals this season and 5 goals and 3 assists last season
Who are the rising stars to watch?
Ans: Lamine Yamal, Désiré Doué, Estêvão Willian and Arda Güler