Reyna, Pedri and the future superstars to watch at the Under-17 World Cup

Already a mainstay of the LA Galaxy squad with 18 first-team appearances, midfielder Efrain Alvarez has been described by team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the "best talent in MLS".

The 17-year-old has previously represented the United States at youth level and has not ruled out switching allegiance again as he looks to make the most out of his international career.

Already a household name in France, Adil Aouchiche equalled Michel Platini's goals record at a single UEFA tournament by netting nine times at the summer's European Championship in Ireland.

What made that achievement even greater was that he did it from central midfielder, underlining just why there is so much excitement surrounding his ability in attacking areas.

The 17-year-old has already made his first-team debut for Paris Saint-Germain but could soon be on the move as his contract is set to expire in June.

With Sebastiano Esposito having been withdrawn from Italy's squad to help cover for the absence of Alexis Sanchez at Inter, the burden of carrying the team's attacking threat will fall on Nicolo Cudrig.

The teenager left Udinese for Monaco in the summer of 2018 before spending last season on loan in Belgium with Cercle Brugge.

He is now back with the Ligue 1 side and looking to establish himself in the principality.

With Reinier Jesus blocked from participating in the tournament by Flamengo, the hosts will be looking to Kaio Jorge to fire them to glory.

The teenager has already made six first-team appearances for Santos under Jorge Sampaoli and will likely partner Talles Magno up front.

Kaio's physical strength and pace have already resulted in some pundits comparing him to Manchester City and Selecao striker Gabriel Jesus.

As soon as it was announced that Etienne Eto'o – son of Samuel – would not be featuring in Brazil, all eyes in Cameroon turned towards attacking midfielder Steve Mvoue.

The winner of the Player of the Tournament at this year's U17 African Cup of Nations, his performances were so impressive he was called up to the senior squad by Clarence Seedorf ahead of their own AFCON campaign during the summer.

Despite being naturally left-footed, winger Jun Nishikawa prefers to play off the right-hand side, allowing him to cut inside and deliver shots and crosses towards goal.

The 17-year-old has already made his first-team debut for Cerezo Osaka in the J-League and has been linked with a move to Barcelona.

The youngest player to debut in the history of San Lorenzo, diminutive attacking midfielder Matias Palacios is already being likened to Pablo Aimar in his homeland.

Comfortable dribbling with the ball at his feet and blessed with an eye for a killer pass, there is hope that he can help the Albiceleste move back towards the top of the world game in coming years.

"Replacing Pedri will be impossible," Las Palmas coach Pepe Mel admitted when asked how his side will cope without the left-sided midfielder over the next few weeks.

A star of the Spanish second tier, Barcelona have already agreed to pay €5 million (£4.3m/$5.5m) to sign the 16-year-old next summer, though the Catalans could end up forking out triple that amount depending on performances.

Many onlookers believe that Pedri will prove a bargain irrespective of the final fee, given this is a player that has previously been compared with Andres Iniesta.

The son of USMNT legend Claudio Reyna, 17-year-old Giovanni joined Borussia Dortmund earlier this year, following in the footsteps of current United States captain Christian Pulisic.

Manchester City are already said to be monitoring Reyna's progress and the attacking midfielder heads to Brazil hoping to form a killer partnership with Sporting Kansas City forward Gianluca Busio.

In a Netherlands squad full of talent that includes Liverpool defender Ki-Jana Hoever and Chelsea winger Ian Maatsen, perhaps the most eye-catching player on their roster is 16-year-old Naci Unuvar.

Having signed his first professional contract at Ajax earlier in the year, the playmaker has been in electrifying form, scoring five goals in eight games for the Eredivisie champions' U19 side.

A dazzling dribbler with an eye for a pass as well as a goal, there is a lot of buzz surrounding one of the tournament's youngest players.