9 Youngsters Poised To Impact The 2025-26 Champions League Campaign
- Think Football Ideas
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
9 Teen Sensations Set to Shape the 2025-26 Champions League
The Champions League has a habit of shifting the spotlight, taking it from established stars and shining it unexpectedly on emerging brilliance. Supporters arrive anticipating the familiar heroes, yet more often than not, it is a teenager who seizes the moment with audacity and composure.
This season follows that tradition, with a crop of young players carrying both expectation and opportunity as they step into Europe’s grandest arena. Once academy hopefuls, they now have the chance to shape storylines and leave their mark under the floodlights.
Here are The 9 Youngsters Poised To Impact The 2025-26 Champions League Campaign
9. Claudio Echeverri (Bayer Leverkusen, on loan from Man City)
Age: 19 | Attacking mid/winger | Argentine
Claudio Echeverri’s development continues in Germany, where Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen benefit from his creativity while Manchester City keep a watchful eye.
Signed from River Plate in 2024, the Argentine first came to wider attention as a youngster at a youth tournament in Venice, scoring nine times in six games.
Known as El Diablito, he later underlined his reputation on the international stage by netting a hat-trick against Brazil at the U-17 South American Championship.
His elegance on the ball is matched by a flair for set pieces, highlighted by his free-kick at the Club World Cup.
Already tested in England’s top flight and in the FA Cup final, where City lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace, Echeverri now carries some responsibility in helping Leverkusen in Europe, with City holding the option to recall him in January.
8. Senny Mayulu (Paris St-Germain)
Age: 19 | Midfielder | French
Senny Mayulu embodies the next wave of Paris Saint-Germain’s midfield power. Despite being a teenager, he already boasts two domestic titles, two cup medals, and a Champions League final goal, which is a rare feat at his age.
His jump up has been steady, from scoring a “superb” UEFA Youth League winner against Milan’s under-19s to earning a place in PSG’s senior “elite group” in early 2024.
He soon delivered on that promise, marking his Ligue 1 debut with sharp cameos, creating goals for senior teammates, and scoring his first top-flight strike later that year.
Though often deployed from the bench, his presence shifts tempo and injects unpredictability into PSG’s attacking flow.
With memories of his strike in the 5–0 final against Inter Milan still fresh, and with records already tumbling in both domestic and international competitions, his ability to step up in decisive moments makes him invaluable for another deep run.
7. Jorrel Hato (Chelsea)
Age: 19 | Defender | Dutch
Jorrel Hato arrives at Chelsea with the reputation of being Ajax’s youngest-ever European captain, a sign of his astounding composure. Multifaceted enough to slot into full-back or central roles, his reading of the game stands out as much as his defensive awareness.
Last season, he produced six assists in the Eredivisie, demonstrating his attacking contributions from deeper positions. His journey upward at Ajax was meteoric: debuting in the league at 16 and swiftly entrusted with the vice-captaincy.
Recognised as Eredivisie Talent of the Year in 2025, he also broke into the Dutch senior side, debuting in place of Virgil van Dijk.
With more than 120 senior matches already behind him, Chelsea’s £37m summer recruit looks well equipped to handle the Champions League spotlight.
6. Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool)
Age: 17 | Winger/attacking mid | English
Liverpool’s trust in Rio Ngumoha is already paying dividends, with the teenager carving his name into the club’s history as their youngest scorer.
Agile, incisive, and direct, his style consistently unsettles defenders, while his pre-season goals hinted at a knack for decisive moments. At 16 years and 135 days, he also became the youngest player ever to start a match for the Reds.
After leaving Chelsea’s academy in 2024, his upsurge peaked with a crucial strike against Newcastle on 25 August 2025, a goal that made him the fourth-youngest scorer in Premier League history. Now 17, his next challenge is to carry that momentum into the Champions League.
5. Geovany Quenda (Sporting, to Chelsea 2026)
Age: 18 | Winger/wing-back | Portuguese
Geovany Quenda has quickly become the jewel of Sporting’s attack, a teenager whose blend of pace, trickery, and adaptability unsettles full-backs weekly.
His fingerprints were all over last season’s domestic double, from decisive runs on the wing to moments of invention in tight spaces.
Records have followed naturally: the youngest Portuguese player to ever start a Champions League match, and a league breakthrough that saw him surpass Cristiano Ronaldo’s age milestone.
Recognition came swiftly with Portugal’s Under-21s, where he lit up the European Championship, while abroad, Chelsea moved early to secure a £44m transfer for 2026. Until then, Sporting fans can enjoy watching their prodigy test himself against Europe’s elite.
4. Vasilije Adžić (Juventus)
Age: 19 | Midfielder | Montenegrin
For Montenegro, Vasilije Adžić already represents a new footballing standard. He left Budućnost Podgorica at 16 as the club’s youngest scorer, and within two years was wearing Juventus colours in both Serie A and the Champions League.
International football arrived just as quickly, as his debut was capped with a goal, which was an emphatic introduction for a midfielder unafraid of big stages. In Turin, he has grown into a pivotal figure, his stature and left foot combining for dominance in tight midfields.
That was never clearer than in September’s Derby d’Italia, when his late strike against Inter made him Juve’s youngest foreign scorer in the fierce rivalry.
With his passing range, set-piece quality, and capacity to surge forward, Adžić enters this Champions League season as a player who can bend the tempo of matches to his will.
3. Jobe Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)
Age: 19 | Midfielder | English
Jobe Bellingham’s switch to Dortmund has inevitably drawn comparisons to his older brother, but his path is already distinct. Operating with strength and range in midfield, he brings balance on the pitch, whether anchoring play or driving forward.
His formative years at Birmingham saw him break into senior football at 16, while at Sunderland, he matured into a decisive influence, scoring crucial goals and earning the Championship Young Player of the Season award as he led their promotion push.
That upswing earned a £27m move, making him one of Dortmund’s most expensive signings.
After marking his debut at the Club World Cup with both a goal and an assist, he now enters Europe’s elite stage, facing marquee Champions League clashes against English opposition with the opportunity to step out from Jude’s shadow.
2. Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid)
Age: 18 | Midfielder | Argentine
Real Madrid’s faith in Franco Mastantuono was emphatic: £39m spent to activate his release clause on the very day he turned 18.
A seamless blend of technical skill and composure, he had already lit up South American football before his move, becoming River Plate’s youngest-ever scorer and the second youngest to strike in a Superclásico against Boca Juniors with a stunning free-kick.
International recognition soon followed, as he debuted for Argentina at 17, setting another record as the nation’s youngest official debutant.
Now wearing Madrid’s number 30 shirt, his place in Europe’s premier competition feels like the natural continuation of a meteoric leap, and if he starts in the Champions League, he enters rare company alongside Lionel Messi in Argentine history.
1. Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
Age: 18 | Attacking mid/winger | English
Few young footballers carry as much anticipation as Ethan Nwaneri. From debuting in the Premier League at 15 years and 181 days, making him both Arsenal’s youngest-ever player and the youngest in English top-flight history, his trajectory has been remarkable.
By 17, he had already scored against Nottingham Forest in the league, struck twice in Europe, and earned a nomination for the PFA Young Player of the Year.
His creativity, composure, and knack for decisive moments have made him central to Arsenal’s plans, while his role in England’s Under-21 European Championship triumph further amplified expectations ahead of this Champions League campaign.
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