Ranking the 5 best U-23 players in the world in 2021

Highlighting the best five U-23 players in the football world this year

Seeing U-23 players stepping up and capturing the world's attention with their incredible talents is not new in football. The likes of Pele, Ronaldo Nazario and Michael Owen are good examples of footballers who rose to stardom at a very tender age. Memories of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo running riot as teenagers are also still fresh in our heads.

It goes without saying that the football world continues to bless us with sensational young talents year after year. The last few seasons have seen many young players announce themselves to the world in fantastic fashion. They have captured everyone's attention with their brilliant performances for club and country.

It has taken another step further in 2021. From January to December, we've witnessed a number of fast-rising talents take center stage in the beautiful game. This has inspired us to compile a list of five U-23 stars who have stood out in the sport this year. Let's take a look at them:

#5 Dusan Vahlovic

Vlahovic is ome of the U-23 stars who could secure a high-profile transfer next year

Dusan Vahlovic has been one of the finest attackers in Europe since the beginning of the year. The Fiorentina striker had an outing to remember last season. He bagged an impressive 21 goals and two assists for the Serie A side in 37 league games.

🇷🇸 Dušan Vlahović (21) in Serie A for @acffiorentina these last 2 seasons:

☑️ 41 starts
⚽️ 22 goals
🅰️ 4 assists

His 16 goals this season make him the top U23 goalscorer in Serie A.

And the 4th youngest goalscorer in the top 5 leagues. 🤩 https://t.co/FYFuheC9Pr

The 21-year-old has taken his game to another level this season, becoming a huge tormentor for opposition defenses in the Italian top flight. The Serbian U-23 star has recorded 18 goals and three assists in 22 appearances for Fiorentina across all competitions so far.

That includes 16 goals in just 20 Serie A games and two goals in two matches in the Italian Cup.

Thanks to his brilliant exploits in front of goal, Dusan Vahlovic has become a top target for many big clubs across Europe. It surely won't be a surprise if he is snapped up by one of those clubs in the coming months.

#4 Pedri

Pedri has placed himself among the finest U-23 talents in world football this year

The Spaniard established himself as a regular in Barcelona's midfield in his debut campaign in the Catalan capital. He made a whopping 52 appearances for Blaugrana last season, scoring four times and setting up another six.

Pedri has made his debut for Barcelona, Spain's U21, U23 and the major national team. He was a starter for every side and is currently playing in the olympics. He has played a total of 67 matches this season, more than any other player in Europe.

— @Juezcentral https://t.co/m0Bz4JLdJb

Pedri followed it up with another string of brilliant displays for Spain both in the Euros and the Olympics. He featured in all of La Roja's games in both tournaments. He was recently honored with the Golden Boy award and the Kopa Trophy for the spectacular year he's had. Absolutely one of the best U-23 stars in world football right now.