USMNT NXGN Nine: The soccer wonderkids set for careers with Stars and Stripes

You have to be doing something right to be earning praise from Wayne Rooney at just 15 years old...

That's exactly what happened for Akinmboni when he made his debut last season for D.C. United, becoming the third-youngest player to ever feature in an MLS match.

“He’s 15 and I have to protect him. But I just felt he was ready to come in and play," Rooney said after handing Akinmboni his debut. "Is he going to play every game? Of course not. He’s still a very young boy. But for him and for us to see him playing in an away game in difficult circumstances and performing the way he did as a 15-year-old – he’s got a very bright future."

The now-16-year-old central defender has featured four times in total for D.C., having trained with Bayern Munich prior to signing on with his local club. His stint at Bayern likely came about due to his uncle, former Bayern and Ghana star Sammy Kuffour, but it's clear that there's plenty of talent there.

Akinmboni, who was born in Maryland, has played for the U.S. at the Under-17 level, but is still eligible to play for Nigeria or Ghana.

The son of a Honduran legend, Figueroa is already making waves in the U.S. and in Europe.

His father, Maynor, played for Wigan and Hull in England before ending his career in MLS, but Figueroa doesn't look set to follow in his footsteps with Honduras. While Maynor earned 181 caps and legendary status with the Honduran team, his son is a regular with the U.S. U17s, and he looks set to stay with the U.S. long-term.

At club level, Figueroa is already making waves in the Liverpool academy after arriving at the club as an U14 player. A pacey striker, Figueroa is a much different player than his dad, who made his name as a reliable defender for years.

He's just 16 now and is playing for Liverpool's U18s as he looks to follow in his father's footsteps by making it in England and, ultimately, at international level.

USMNT fans are constantly keeping an eye on one starlet at Reims, Folarin Balogun, but he may not be the only American-eligible starlet at the French side worth looking out for.

Henry joined the club in June 2022, becoming one of several USL starlets to make the leap to Europe. He had broken through with Orange County SC in the years prior and even earned his first USMNT call-up in December 2021 at the age of 17.

Primarily, though, he's featured for the youth teams, playing at U17, U19 and U20 level. Still, that 2021 USMNT call-up was a sign that those at U.S. Soccer are high on him as he matures as a central defender.

Henry hasn't yet made his first team debut for Reims, featuring exclusively for the club's reserve team.

Medina looks to be the first player to truly emerge from MLS' new developmental pathway, MLS Next Pro.

The San Jose Earthquakes midfielder featured heavily in the new competition in its 2022 debut season, and it's been all up from there. He signed his first professional contract with the Earthquakes last June, having already completed a training stint with Bayern Munich a few months prior.

Internationally, Medina has absolutely dazzled with the U.S. U17s. He scored against Argentina and Portugal in 2022 and was then dominant during the U.S. team's run through the CONCACAF U17 Championships.

Up next will be his MLS debut, and there are few better coaches to play under than Luchi Gonzalez, who is renowned for his ability to develop talent.

Medina is one of his big projects in San Jose as the Quakes look to nurture a midfielder that has the talent to reach the top.

He's just 18 and already playing meaningful minutes in Croatia for a club, Hajduk Split, that sits second in the league, and though it's still very early for Pukstas, the signs are all positive.

Born in Oklahoma and the son of a Lithuanian Olympic marathon runner, Pukstas' rise has taken him all over the world already.

He joined Sporting KC's academy in 2018, trialed with Manchester United in 2019, played for Barcelona's Residency Academy in Arizona in 2020 and, by 2022, he was making his pro debut in the Croatian top flight.

Lithuania have reached out in an effort to cap him but, for now, the midfielder looks to be a key member of the U.S. U20s heading toward the World Cup.

It's not just that Slonina has the potential to be the best goalkeeper in American soccer; he has the potential to be the best goalkeeper in the world.

That's why Chelsea signed him from the Chicago Fire in 2022 as the Blues look to nurture their potential goalkeeper of the future.

Slonina has everything you look for in a goalkeeper: size, athleticism, reactions, and command. But perhaps his biggest asset is his mindset as, despite being just 18 years old, Slonina has the work ethic of a seasoned vet.

He's played for Chelsea's youth teams so far and there's certainly a chance he spends the next few years on loan before truly making the leap at Chelsea or elsewhere. Internationally, though he's already earned his first USMNT cap, and it looks like that'll be the first of many.

Matt Turner isn't going anywhere as the USMNT's No. 1, but Slonina's time is coming, whether it's this cycle or the next.

He already has a CONCACAF Champions League title to his name. What's next for Obed Vargas?

The 17-year-old starlet from Alaska was a key contributor during the Sounders' run to continental glory, although a back injury robbed him of much of the 2022 season. He's back now, though, for what could be his breakout year in MLS.

At just 17, he's already playing for the U20s and expects to play some role for the Sounders. It remains to be seen where he develops positionally, though, as Vargas can play any number of roles in the midfield.

Thus far, Vargas has featured primarily on one side of a double pivot and, despite his age, he's shown the maturity needed to anchor a team as the more defensive-minded half of that duo. With some growing, though, you could see Vargas morph into an all-action No.8, capable of creating havoc all over the field.

One thing to watch for, though, is Mexico, as Vargas is eligible to play for El Tri. However, he's only played for the U.S. up to this point and looks like he has what it takes to become a future USMNT midfielder in the years to come.

If the start of the MLS season is any indication, Caleb Wiley is on his way to the very top.

The Atlanta United homegrown is emerging as a star in a team full of them. Playing on the left-hand side, Wiley has proven an absolute menace, scoring goals and assisting them for an Atlanta team that looks like it has what it takes to be this season's juggernaut.

He's the second-youngest player in MLS with a goal and an assist in back-to-back games, and Atlanta are just getting started thanks to the play of Wiley, World Cup winner Thiago Almada and Brazilian winger Luiz Araujo.

Wiley's progress has been steady before this season's nuclear explosion, and now the whole world is noticing what a gem Atlanta United has on its hands. He's just 18 but already has 30 MLS games under his belt with plenty more to come.

Look for Wiley to be a key figure at the U20 World Cup as the U.S. looks to make a deep run.

“I genuinely believe we have the next Virgil van Dijk playing in our league. He's 17, playing week in, week out, and he is absolutely unbelievable – Josh Wynder, who plays for Louisville.”

That's what USL Sporting DIrector Mark Cartwright told Sky Sports last year. The next Virgil van Dijk? It couldn't be, right?

Lofty expectations for sure, but it's hard not to credit Wynder for what he's shown so far. He's been ever-present for Louisville City in the USL and looks set to be a key figure for the U.S. U20s, but this is only just the start.

The six-foot-three central defender looks set to join Benfica once he turns 18 and is legally able to sign with a European side. Few clubs in the world nurture talent like Benfica, so the fact that they see what Cartwright sees has to be a promising sign.

The next Van Dijk? Maybe, maybe not. But Wynder has a seemingly-endless ceiling and could be in the USMNT picture sooner than many think.