Top 10 U19 football talents to watch in 2026/27
From Max Dowman and Lennart Karl to Cavan Sullivan and Mezian Mesloub: ten young players worth following, the evidence behind their promise and the next step each needs to take.
Some teenagers are trying to earn their first regular starts. Others are already scoring in the Champions League or helping to turn a club's season around. Put them all under the label “wonderkid” and the most interesting part gets lost: what happens next?
These ten under-19 football talents give us ten different answers. Max Dowman is pushing for more opportunities at Arsenal. Lennart Karl has already shown he can score on the biggest club stage. Cavan Sullivan is making a growing contribution in Philadelphia, while the early senior careers of Mezian Mesloub and Abdellah Ouazane are gathering momentum.
This is a watchlist of players at different stages of development. Some have already made their first breakthrough; others are working towards one. Our order balances current impact, opportunity and the strength of the story to follow. It is an editorial selection, not a prediction of who will have the best career.
Everyone here is under 19 on 26 September 2026, and plays in at least one competition covered by Oddsivio. That age limit matters: Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí, for example, are already 19 and fall outside it. Other eligible players also miss out; this is a selection of ten, not an exhaustive register of young talent.
Statistics checked on 24 September 2026. European figures refer to 2026/27; Sullivan's MLS figures refer to calendar-year 2026. League, domestic cup and European totals are identified separately. Value charts use the weekly history through 21 September, retrieved on 24 September.
The U19 watchlist at a glance
- Max Dowman — 16 · Arsenal. Turning cup impact into league opportunities.
- Lennart Karl — 18 · Bayern Munich. Building on goals at Bundesliga and Champions League level.
- Cavan Sullivan — 16 · Philadelphia Union. Sustaining a season of growing senior influence.
- Konstantinos Karetsas — 18 · Borussia Dortmund. Bringing his creativity to a new league.
- Mezian Mesloub — 16 · Lens. Making early senior moments a regular occurrence.
- Rio Ngumoha — 18 · Liverpool. Earning more starts after a European milestone.
- Abdellah Ouazane — 17 · Ajax. Turning an exciting introduction into a bigger role.
- Jorthy Mokio — 18 · Ajax. Becoming a more consistent presence in midfield.
- Djibril Coulibaly — 17 · Nice. Making repeated starts count in a demanding midfield role.
- Kyllian Antonio — 18 · Lens. Establishing himself through league and European responsibility.
1. Max Dowman — Arsenal's cup spark, with more to earn
16 · Attacking midfielder/winger · League Cup: one start, 90 minutes, two goals
Dowman's card shows the League Cup. His Premier League involvement is discussed separately below.
Dowman's two goals in Arsenal's 4–2 League Cup win at Ipswich on 15 September made a persuasive case for another opportunity. At 16, producing the decisive scoring contribution in a senior cup tie is a meaningful step. It also gives supporters something more concrete than preseason praise to discuss. Dowman's match record
The contrast with his league involvement is the key to his place on this list. He has played just nine Premier League minutes this season. His cup performance is evidence of what he can contribute when selected; his league minutes show how much room remains for his role to grow.
The Premier League picked him as Arsenal's potential breakout player in its preseason guide. Expectations are already high. The useful question is how regularly Arsenal can give that ability a place in competitive matches.
His Oddsivio estimated value rose from €45.7m on 3 August to €56.6m on 21 September, up 24%. That is a model reassessment over the period, not a price tag attached to two goals.
Watch next: his first league start of the season, and whether Arsenal give him time to influence a match before its closing stages.
2. Lennart Karl — the next step after the introduction
18 · Attacking midfielder · Bundesliga: three appearances, two starts, one goal
Karl belongs here precisely because an under-19 watchlist need not be a list of unknowns.
Last season, Oddsivio recorded five Bundesliga goals and four Champions League goals for the Bayern teenager. Sixteen league starts and six starts in Europe gave those goals a substantial foundation. His first senior breakthrough has happened; now comes the challenge of making influence a habit. Karl's statistics
His opener against Elversberg on 13 September offers a useful example. Karl arrived to finish Ismael Saibari's low delivery from the left, giving Bayern the lead in the 26th minute. It was a reminder that an attacking midfielder's value also lies in recognising where a chance will arrive. Bayern's match report
He has made two Bundesliga starts this season, accumulating 134 minutes. The sample is still small, but the standard he is trying to reach is different from that of a player hoping to make his debut. Bayern already know he can contribute. His next task is to keep doing it among a squad full of senior alternatives.
Watch next: the timing of his runs into the penalty area, alongside his ability to create when he receives the ball outside it.
3. Cavan Sullivan — Philadelphia's promise is becoming production
16 · Midfielder · MLS 2026: 24 appearances, 17 starts, seven goals
Sullivan made his MLS debut at 14 years and 293 days in July 2024. His current performances are giving people a reason to keep watching.
The Philadelphia midfielder has played 1,482 MLS minutes and scored seven league goals in 2026. Seventeen starts are particularly significant: he is accumulating the kind of responsibility that turns a young player's reputation into a season we can assess. Sullivan's season record
His two goals in the 5–0 win at San Diego supplied the highlights. One was an inventive backheel; the other a finish through the goalkeeper's legs. Philadelphia's Player of the Matchday announcement placed the performance within the team's unbeaten run after the World Cup break.
He then scored as Philadelphia recovered from 3–0 down to beat Sporting Kansas City 4–3, earning a seventh Team of the Matchday selection of the season. A first senior United States call-up adds another stage to a rapidly developing year. A call-up is an opportunity, however, not yet an international appearance.
The rise is visible in his value chart: €6.7m on 3 August became €24.6m on 21 September, a 266% increase in Oddsivio's estimate. Playing time, performance and context all feed into an estimate; the chart cannot isolate one cause.
Watch next: whether he can maintain his influence as opponents give him more attention, and what his first senior international camp brings. He turns 17 on 28 September.
4. Konstantinos Karetsas — a new stage for his creativity
18 · Attacking midfielder · Bundesliga: three appearances, two starts, 164 minutes
Karetsas arrives in this conversation with senior experience already behind him. When Dortmund signed him, sporting director Ole Book highlighted his ability to find quick solutions in crowded attacking areas. The next test is bringing that creativity to German football.
Borussia Dortmund signed the Greek teenager from Genk in August. He has since made two Bundesliga starts and recorded one league assist in 164 minutes. That is an introduction to a new environment, not enough evidence to judge the entire move. Karetsas's current record
His return against Stuttgart on 19 September supplied a revealing example. Introduced in the 62nd minute, Karetsas later found Jobe Bellingham, whose pass created Maximilian Beier's winner.
The sequence captures the appeal of following a creative midfielder: the important action can happen before the final pass. Dortmund's Stuttgart report
Watch next: whether Dortmund give him a sustained run and how often he helps create openings when opponents leave little space between defence and midfield.
5. Mezian Mesloub — Lens have more than a debut story
16 · Attacking midfielder · Ligue 1: three appearances, one start, 112 minutes
Mesloub's senior debut was the sort families remember forever: a goal for Lens against Nantes in May. His father, Walid, had played for the club too. Lens subsequently gave the teenager his first professional contract.
That is an inviting introduction. This season gives us a reason to continue the story.
Mesloub has made one Ligue 1 start and played 112 league minutes. More strikingly, his first Champions League appearance brought an assist in 29 minutes, independently recorded by UEFA.
The circumstances made it count. Slavia Prague were already down to ten men when Mesloub came on. With Lens trailing 2–1, he crossed for Florian Thauvin's stoppage-time equaliser. Ruben Aguilar then scored the winner. A teenager's introduction had become part of a remarkable European comeback. Lens's match report
His 141 recorded minutes across those two competitions are an early sample. This cameo showed what he could contribute in a late push against ten men; a settled league game will ask different questions about finding space and choosing when to use it.
There is no published Oddsivio value estimate for Mesloub yet.
Watch next: how he creates openings when opponents are set in their defensive shape, as well as in the urgency of a late comeback.
6. Rio Ngumoha — a European start that asked more of him
18 · Winger · Premier League: three appearances, one start, 100 minutes
There are different ways to announce yourself in a Champions League starting XI. Ngumoha's first start, against Atlético Madrid, involved helping Liverpool find a winner without scoring it himself.
His dribbling on the left unsettled the visitors before Alexis Mac Allister struck. Liverpool's account of the match also records the other demand on him: his manager expected defensive work alongside his attacking contribution.
That makes this a useful development story. Beating a defender catches the eye; doing enough throughout the game to earn the next start is a broader task.
Ngumoha played an hour against Atlético, separately from his 100 Premier League minutes this season. Last term, he had five league starts and 601 minutes. He has already shown he belongs in the senior conversation, but a larger weekly role still has to be earned. Ngumoha's statistics
Watch next: whether European trust becomes a run of league opportunities, and whether his work without the ball helps keep him on the pitch.
7. Abdellah Ouazane — a goal worth replaying, a role worth following
17 · Attacking midfielder · Eredivisie: seven appearances, two starts, one goal
Ouazane's goal against Heerenveen gave Ajax supporters an early reason to learn his name. He received the ball from Caio Henrique, created space and finished powerfully. Almost half the votes in the club's Goal of the Month poll went his way. Ajax's award report
The more useful long-term clue is how often he is getting on the pitch. Ouazane has played 271 Eredivisie minutes, with another 178 minutes in Conference League qualifying. Across those competitions, that is 449 minutes of senior experience already this season. Ouazane's match record
When Ajax announced his contract, the club described a midfielder who could connect midfield and attack through passing and dribbling. That is the club's assessment of his potential; the next question is how consistently he can provide those qualities against senior opposition. Ajax's signing announcement
His two league starts came on 9 and 16 August; his next five appearances were from the bench. The next step is to turn those cameos into a place in the starting XI, giving Ajax a route through midfield even when the spectacular finish does not arrive.
Watch next: where he receives the ball between midfield and attack, and whether he can turn those touches into openings for teammates.
8. Jorthy Mokio — the quieter work of becoming reliable
18 · Midfielder · Eredivisie: seven appearances, five starts, 433 minutes
Mokio and Ouazane play for the same club, but they illustrate different points on the same path.
Last season, Mokio recorded 15 Eredivisie starts and 1,473 minutes. His place here is about what he does with that experience. Five starts and 433 league minutes this season, plus six appearances in Conference League qualifying, give him repeated chances to build on it. Mokio's statistics
His league record includes ten tackles and eight interceptions, alongside one goal. Those defensive actions give us a different angle on Ajax's young midfield: where he interrupts an opponent's move, and what his team can do with the ball afterwards.
Mokio played the full match in Ajax's 5–1 win over Willem II on 15 September. The attacking headlines went elsewhere, but his midfield role provides another thread to follow as Ajax balance domestic and European football. Ajax's match report
Watch next: his positioning when Ajax lose possession, and whether his ball-winning helps them regain control of the next phase of play.
9. Djibril Coulibaly — five starts say plenty
17 · Central midfielder · Ligue 1: five starts, 433 minutes
Coulibaly offers one of the clearest changes in responsibility on this list. Last season, Oddsivio recorded 125 league minutes and one start. This season, he has started all five of Nice's opening Ligue 1 matches and played 433 minutes. Coulibaly's statistics
His work against Lille shows why that matters. Playing alongside Axel Witsel, he helped Nice manage the midfield in a 2–1 win. The club's analysis credited him with 54 touches and 94% pass completion in that match. Those figures describe one performance, not his season average. Nice's performance analysis
There was entertainment too. An early slalom through the defence ended with a shot narrowly wide, showing a more adventurous side to his afternoon. Nice's match report
With no league goal or assist yet, Coulibaly could disappear from a list built solely around attacking output. Repeated selection at 17 tells us why he should be on this one.
Watch next: whether he keeps his place and continues to handle the responsibility of receiving and moving the ball in central midfield.
10. Kyllian Antonio — a defender earning a bigger assignment
18 · Defender · Ligue 1: three starts, 270 minutes
Antonio has already passed his previous season's Ligue 1 minutes. Two starts and 189 minutes last term have become three starts and 270 minutes this time, with a full Champions League start adding another level of responsibility. Antonio's statistics
Lens's official league figures provide some detail behind that involvement: nine tackles, three interceptions and 17 duels won from 27 contested. He has also completed 160 of 178 passes. Three games are too few to rank him against established defenders, but they give us a starting point for assessing how he handles his work.
His Oddsivio estimated value has moved from €8.5m on 3 August to €14.0m on 21 September, up 66%. The increased responsibility is visible in the football record; the chart is another way of following his changing profile, rather than proof that his ability has improved by a particular percentage.
His season has included a sharp lesson, too: a dangerous challenge brought a red card in the 39th minute of the Trophée des Champions against Paris Saint-Germain on 16 August. Lens held on to win, but the incident gives his development a clear next test. Lens's report
Watch next: the timing of his challenges, especially when stepping out to win the ball, and whether he can keep his place without leaving his team short-handed.
What will make this a season to remember?
A single spectacular performance gives us a reason to pay attention. The following weeks tell us more.
For Dowman, Mesloub and Ouazane, the next question is how much more senior football they can earn. For Karl, Sullivan and Karetsas, it is how often their influence shows up across a demanding run of games. Coulibaly and Antonio provide a reminder to watch the players whose progress is clearest in selection and responsibility, not just in goals.
That is what makes this group worth following together. Their ages are close; their next challenges are different.
For the wider picture, read our U21 breakthrough players to watch in 2026/27. Our younger-player value ranking offers another view of the next generation, using a different birth-year cohort and a valuation-based order.
A note on the numbers
The player cards use Oddsivio's provider data consistently. The text supplements those records with the official club, league and UEFA sources linked above. They were checked on 24 September; the latest recorded club matches for this group fall on or before 20 September. Domestic cups and European qualifying rounds are labelled separately from league football. Event counts can differ between providers: our cards retain one source rather than combining shot, key-pass or defensive totals from different systems. Short samples show opportunity and early contribution; they are not reliable season-long rates.
Sullivan's numbers cover the 2026 MLS season. MLS can credit secondary assists, so its official assist totals are not directly comparable with the provider figures used elsewhere. We have kept those competing totals out of his card and the main comparison.
Oddsivio estimated values are model estimates, not transfer fees or asking prices. The charts use weekly value histories through 21 September, retrieved together on 24 September 2026. Those histories can be revised; the figures here reflect that dated extract. Comparison dates are shown individually, and percentage changes use unrounded numbers. Values can fall as well as rise, and missing estimates for Mesloub and Ouazane do not mean they are worth zero. Read how our player-value model works for the method and its limits.