Everything you need to know about the prestigious award for the best football prospects
Who will be the next big football star? Where will the next Lionel Messi come from? Will we ever see another player like Cristiano Ronaldo? These questions excite fans around the globe and spark endless debate about future legends of the game.
Wonderkids captures the imagination of audiences worldwide. This is the fascination behind NXGN, a celebration of extraordinary young talent that hints at the next generation of football superstars. GOAL provides a complete view of the award, its history, and the players who have defined it over the years.
What is NXGN?
NXGN is a yearly list recognizing the top under 19 football players for a given season. Established in 2016, the men’s edition spotlights the 50 brightest prospects, with the season’s leader crowned as the winner from 2016 through 2022. The NXGN Women’s Edition began in 2020 and has grown from a slate of 10 players to 25 by 2023, highlighting rising talent across the gender spectrum.
How is the NXGN grid determined?
The NXGN selections are curated by a team of global soccer experts, guided by a dedicated group of youth specialists. They monitor the sport’s most promising talents throughout the year, weighing performance, potential, and trajectory to assemble the list.
What is NXGN Nine?
In 2023 the NXGN tradition shifted to a broader recognition. Rather than a single winner for each list, nine players were named as the NXGN Nine. These players are regarded as elite talents with the potential to evolve into world-class footballers as they continue to develop. Each member receives a distinct award from NXGN to mark this high-level achievement.
Past NXGN winners
The article highlights the male and female winners from 2016 onward. In 2016 the inaugural NXGN crown went to Youri Tielemans, who was with Anderlecht at the time, ahead of Breel Embolo and Gianluigi Donnarumma. The following year Donnarumma claimed the NXGN title, with Kylian Mbappé and Christian Pulisic finishing second and third respectively.
In 2018 the NXGN trophy went to Justin Kluivert, while Donnarumma finished second for the second time and Vinicius Junior took third place. The 2019 edition saw Jadon Sancho win, with Vinicius Junior and Callum Hudson-Odoi rounding out the podium that year. The full male NXGN winners list is presented within the article context to illustrate the heritage of the award.
NXGN also honors emerging women’s football talents. Lena Oberdorf claimed the first NXGN Women’s Award in 2020, followed by Jordyn Huitema and Claudia Pina. The spotlight then moved to Hanna Bennison, who earned the 2021 NXGN Women’s Award, and Melchie Dumornay who topped the 2022 edition, underscoring the rapid rise of the women’s game alongside the men.
Across the years, NXGN has become a trusted lens into who might define football’s next era, with each edition offering both a snapshot of current promise and a forecast of future impact.