Estevao Willian, Franco Mastantuono and the top 10 NXGN wonderkids to watch at the 2025 Club World Cup

Fans outside of South America have likely seen the umpteen viral clips of Estevao Willian in action for Palmeiras over the past 12 months, but the Club World Cup will offer many their first chance to watch the most exciting Brazilian talent since Neymar play a match in full.

Having already agreed to join Chelsea for a fee of £56m ($71m) this summer, it wasn't initially known whether Estevao would represent the Blues or his boyhood team at this tournament. However, the decision was made for the 18-year-old to use the Club World Cup as a farewell to Palmeiras, for whom he has already scored 26 goals in 78 competitive appearances.

A fleet-footed forward who was nicknamed 'Messinho' as he came through the ranks in Sao Paulo due to his similarities in style to the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, Estevao will come up against the legendary Argentine and Inter Miami in the group stages as he aims to show the world just why everyone at Stamford Bridge is so keen to get him to west London ahead of next season.

Real Madrid fans, meanwhile, will be licking their lips at the prospect of catching their newest teenage signing from South America in action during this tournament. Franco Mastantuono has been turning heads for over a year with his performances for River Plate, and he will bid farewell to his boyhood club this summer after a deal was agreed for him to move to the Spanish capital after the Club World Cup.

Madrid are set to pay €40m (£33m/$45m) to sign Mastantuono after pushing themselves ahead of Paris Saint-Germain to the front of the queue for the 17-year-old midfielder. The youngest goal-scorer in River's storied history, Mastantuono has taken his game to new levels in 2025, with his superb free-kick goal against Boca Juniors in the Superclasico an illustration of both his talent and confidence on the biggest stage.

He has also just become the youngest player to ever make their debut in a competitive match for Argentina, and this summer promises to be a real coming-out party for one of the very best teenage players on the planet.

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River aren't finished when it comes to producing young stars, though. The same academy that has recently nurtured Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Claudio Echeverri and Mastantuono has plenty more where they came from, with Ian Subiabre set to be the next teenager to take the Monumental by storm.

The 18-year-old, who can play either as a winger or central striker, has started to earn regular opportunities with the River first team, while Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United have all been credited with interest in signing Subiabre. Given the success of some of his predecessors, don't be shocked if he becomes a household name in the not-too-distant future.

While River possess the most-talked about Argentine academy right now, the work being done at Velez Sarsfield shouldn't be ignored. World Cup winner Thiago Almada is the pick of a number of high-quality youngsters who have emerged from the current Primera Division champions' youth sector over the past decade or so, and there is a suggestion that Alvaro Montoro could be the pick of the lot.

Likened to Andres Iniesta as he came through the ranks at Velez, Montoro scored three goals in five Copa Libertadores games this season before he was snapped up by the reigning South American champions, Botafogo, ahead of their appearance at the Club World Cup.

As such, given he is so new to the Brazilian side's squad, Montoro might have to be patient for opportunities during the tournament. However, if the 18-year-old attacking midfielder does see the pitch in the U.S., he will be keen to show just why Borussia Dortmund, among others, were so keen to bring him to Europe before Botafogo swept in.

Crossing back into Europe, and one of the most exciting prospects arriving in the U.S. from across the Atlantic this summer is Porto attacking midfielder Rodrigo Mora. A revelation at youth level, which concluded with him finishing as top scorer at the 2024 Under-17 European Championship, Mora has been electric ever since breaking into the senior ranks in Portugal.

The 18-year-old didn't make his Porto first-team debut until September, but he still managed the end the campaign with 10 goals and four assists from just 23 league appearances - a return which included some absolutely mesmerising individual strikes. That form saw him rewarded with a first senior Portugal call-up in June, and though he didn't make his debut, the experience of being around the Nations League-winning squad will certainly help his development.

Mora had been tipped for a transfer this summer, with Manchester United and PSG among those linked with the teenager, only for him to sign a new five-year deal in May. That contract includes a €70m (£59m/$80m) release clause, and some impressive Club World Cup displays could yet lead to a Champions League contender stumping up that cash in the not-too-distant future.

PSG arrive at the Club World Cup as the favourites to triumph after an all-conquering season that ended with them finally winning the Champions League after so many years of embarrassing failures. There aren't many players among their numbers, then, who have anything to prove this summer - though Warren Zaire-Emery is a slight outlier in that regard.

The arrival of Joao Neves at Parc des Princes saw Zaire-Emery slide out of Luis Enrique's preferred starting line up, and the 19-year-old mostly had to make do with cameos off the bench in the biggest games as PSG chased down their treble. However, amid reports of interest from Saudi Arabia in Fabian Ruiz, a spot in the French champions' midfield three might be about to open back up.

Zaire-Emery certainly feels like the obvious candidate to step in should Ruiz depart having racked up over 120 appearances for Les Parisiens' first team while still a teenager. Certainly one of the the best passers of his generation will be keen to show he deserves more opportunities next season by impressing in the U.S.

While most Chelsea fans are excited about seeing both Estevao and new signing Liam Delap in action over the next month, the Club World Cup also offers Blues supporters another opportunity to check-in on the development of homegrown forward Tyrique George.

The 19-year-old broke into the first-team picture at Stamford Bridge over the course of the season and put in some impressive displays during their triumphant Conference League run in particular. A tall, pacy winger who can also play centrally, George figures to earn an even bigger role next season, too, if he can impress over the summer.

Chelsea blocked George and team-mate Josh Acheampong from joining up with England's Under-19s for their European Championship, so the hope is that Ezno Maresca will give both academy graduates chance to shine in the U.S.

Red Bull Salzburg's presence at the Club World Cup has confused some fans given they rarely - if ever - trouble the latter stages of the Champions League, while they haven't even won the Austrian Bundesliga in either of the last two seasons. That said, they arrive with their usual litany of young talents who will be keen to showcase their abilities on such a grand stage.

The most exciting of those talents is centre-back Joane Gadou, who forced his way into the Salzburg line up in the second half of last season and immediately looked at home. Signed from PSG last summer in a deal that could be worth up to €10m (£8.5m/$11.5m), the 18-year-old is regarded back in France as one of the top players in his age group, and he has shown why since landing in Austria.

An extremely accomplished defender, Gadou's supreme ball-playing ability is matched by his outstanding physical attributes, meaning he is just a comfortable playing out from the back as he is forcing an opposition player off the ball thanks to a combination of his strength and speed. Other clubs may well take notice if Gadou can silence some of the world's top strikers in the next few weeks.

While most of the attention when it comes to young players will focus on the European and South American sides at the Club World Cup, there are gems to be found among the other participants, too. One of those could be Mamelodi Sundowns forward Kutlwano Letlhaku.

The 19-year-old has already garnered interest from European clubs after translating some his outstanding youth performances into the senior side. He is also returning from having just helped South Africa win the U20 Africa Cup of Nations, and so expect him to enter this tournament with a spring in his step.

David Martinez knows all about announcing himself at a global tournament, as he was the driving force behind Venezuela winning the U17 World Cup in 2023 with a number of outstanding performances. Now, he will form part of an LAFC team who are looking to make the most of their last-minute entry into the Club World Cup.

Martinez moved from his homeland to the States ahead of the 2024 season and helped LAFC reach the MLS Cup playoff quarter-finals by chipping in with four goals despite missing a chunk of the campaign through injury. Now, the 19-year-old winger is starting to earn more regular starts for Steve Cherundolo's side and has already netted three times as we approach the halfway point of the season.

Despite their delayed invite to the tournament, LAFC might be the best-equipped of the three MLS sides to spring a shock this summer, and Martinez is capable of again using a worldwide stage to announce himself to fans everywhere.