Ranking the 22 best footballers under the age of 22 in 2022
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated the last two decades of football. The duo's exploits in the sport have provided them with legendary status in the history of the sport. Experts feel that no player will be able to surpass the achievements of Ronaldo and Messi.
Lionel Messi.
Cristiano Ronaldo.
The two greatest of all-time.
Let's go.
🐐 https://t.co/Nz88jN0ofo
While this claim seems palatable, it isn't necessarily going to be true. Football is an ever-evolving sport. Thanks to sports science and sports analysis, the career span and quality of performances of a footballer can be improved as time goes on.
At the turn of the millennium, football aficionados believed that Maradona and Pele would forever be the two greatest players. It took just two decades for that statement to be proven wrong as the legacy of Ronaldo and Messi was secured.
Kylian Mbappé: 27 goals in 45 games at 22 years old.
Erling Haaland: 20 goals in 16 games at 21 years old.
Can these two players go on to surpass both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's #UCL goal tallies? https://t.co/F2CQHxSDJi
As we enter 2022, numerous young players are starting to make a name for themselves on the biggest stage. In this article, I'll list 22 top football players under the age of 22 as of 22-2-2022.
#22 Jurrien Timber
Age: 20
Club: Ajax
Nation: Netherlands
Position: Centre-back/Right-back
Academy: Ajax
Market Value: €30 million
Jurrien Timber is one of three Ajax players to have made the cut. The Dutch centre-back has established himself as one of the first-choice centre-backs at the Johan Cruyff Arena. He has been an ever-present in their backline this season.
The defender's pace and relatively short height allow him to operate equally efficiently at right-back. Despite the presence of Denzel Dumfries and a handful of quality centre-backs in the Dutch national setup, Timber managed six appearances in 2021.
#21 Sandro Tonali
Age: 21
Club: AC Milan
Nation: Italy
Position: Defensive midfielder/Central midfielder
Academy: Brescia
Market Value: €35 million
Sandro Tonali has been around for quite some time and is unsurprisingly one of the oldest players among the 22. The AC Milan midfielder has drawn comparisons to San Siro stalwarts Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso for his control in midfield.
The "regista" burst onto the scene at Brescia due to his exemplary displays in both Serie B and Serie B. Since his move to Milan in 2020, which was made permanent last year, Tonali has played 50 Serie A matches and has become a Rossoneri regular.
#20 Antony
Age: 21
Club: Ajax
Nation: Brazil
Position: Right winger
Academy: Sao Paulo
Market Value: €35 million
Antony is just a couple of days away from his 22nd birthday. However, as he is still 21, the Ajax man is a shoo-in among the most talented youngsters in the world. The Brazilian has made six goal contributions in the Champions League this campaign.
Antony has featured in 72 games for Ajax, despite only joining them in 2020. His reluctance to use his weaker right foot makes him a one-dimensional player at times. With that being said, the right-winger is still a significant threat to opposition defences.
#19 Karim Adeyemi
Age: 19
Club: RB Salzburg
Nation: Germany
Position: Centre-forward
Academy: Bayern Munich
Market Value: €35 million
Karim Adeyemi would have found it hard to make a list of this kind at the start of the campaign. However, since Patson Daka's departure, the young German has taken the onus of goal scoring on himself. Adeyemi has recorded 18 goals in all competitions this season.
The striker was a part of the Bayern Munich academy from 2010 to 2012. He spent most of his youth career at the sister club of the Bavarian giants, SpVgg Unterhaching. The 20-year-old could follow in the footsteps of Daka and Halaand and leave Austria in the summer.