If you're in the process of building a dynasty in EA Sports FC 26, you will need to invest in young talent – GOAL has you covered.
If you're kicking off a new save in EA Sports FC 26 Career Mode, you simply need to have an eye on the future and that means signing the best young players available. Whether you are a major club looking to secure the talent of the next Lionel Messi or a smaller team looking to make a profit by serving as a stepping-stone, buying high-potential young players is a key aspect of the game.
Here, GOAL brings you the best young players to sign in every position – from strikers and midfielders to defenders and goalkeepers – to help you get off to a flying start in Career Mode.
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EndrickReal Madrid19ST7791Francesco CamardaLecce17ST6587Mathys TelTottenham20ST7786Eli Junior KroupiBournemouth19ST7485Conrad HarderRB Leipzig20ST7485Charalampos KostoulasBrighton18ST7285Chido ObiMan Utd17ST6584Christian KofaneBayer Leverkusen19ST6884Marc GuiuChelsea19ST7184Francesco Pio EspositoLombardia20ST7284Jeronimo DominaUnion Santa Fe19ST7084Nelson WeiperMainz20ST7084Santiago CastroBologna20ST7684Kaye FuroClub Brugge18ST6383Kaua EliasShakhtar Donetsk19ST7183
Real Madrid's Brazilian striker Endrick remains the best young striker in EA Sports FC 26, having also been deemed the forward with the most potential in FC 25. His rating at the beginning of the game is 77, but he has an exceptionally high ceiling of 91 – a rating which, if reached, would place him at a similar stature to players such as Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele.
AC Milan youngster Francesco Camarda, who is on loan at Lecce in the game, follows Endrick in the potential stakes, with a possible rating of 87, putting him slightly ahead of Tottenham's Mathys Tel, whose potential is 86. Manchester United fans will be excited to see how Chido Obi develops, with the teen boasting a potential rating of 84 in the game.
AdvertisementGettyBest young midfielders in EA Sports FC 26: Wonderkid CAMs, RWs, LWs, CMs & CDMs
Lamine YamalBarcelona18RM8995Desire DouePSG20RW8591Joao NevesPSG20CM8590EstevaoChelsea18RM7889Jorthy MokioAjax17CDM7089Kenan YildizJuventus20CAM7989Arda GulerReal Madrid20RM8189Rodrigo MoraPorto18CAM7689Rio NgumohaLiverpool17LM6888Franco MastantuonoReal Madrid18CAM7788Geovany QuendaSporting18RM7688Antonio NusaRB Leipzig20LM7688Pablo GarciaReal Betis19RM6887Assane Diao DiaouneComo20LM7687Lucas BergvallTottenham19CM7787Ethan NwaneriArsenal18RW7687Warren Zaire-EmeryPSG19CM8087Arthur VermeerenMarseille20CM7787Julien DuranvilleBorussia Dortmund19RM7287Kees SmitAZ19CAM7287Lennart KarlBayern Munich17CAM6386Ayyoub BouaddiLOSC Lille17CM7586Konstantinos KaretsasGenk17CAM7086Maher CarizzoVelez19RM7286Joao CostaAl Ettifaq20RM7186
It will come as little surprise to learn that Lamine Yamal is the best young midfielder in EA Sports FC 26 and, given that he is just 18, he will likely be so for the next few years. The Barcelona wonderkid is already one of the best players in the game and boasts a potential rating of 95, which means he is capable of emulating talents such as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
Paris Saint-Germain duo Desire Doue and Joao Neves follow Yamal, with potential ratings of 91 and 90 respectively, while the likes of Chelsea's Estevao (PR: 89) and Ajax defensive midfielder Jorthy Mokio (PR: 89) will be sought-after talents, especially if you are in control of a bigger club. Liverpool's exciting winger Rio Ngumoha leads an array of 17-year-old talents in our list, with the Anfield sensation possessing a potential rating of 88.
Other intriguing talents within that 17-year-old cohort, include Bayern Munich youth Lennart Karl (PRL 86), Lille central midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi (PR: 86) and Genk's Greek CAM Konstantinos Karetsas (PR: 86).
Getty Images SportBest young defenders in EA Sports FC 26: Wonderkid CBs, LBs & RBs
Dean HuijsenReal Madrid20CB8289Jorrel HatoChelsea19LB7889Pau CubarsiBarcelona18CB8288Givairo ReadFeyenoord19RB7588Finn JeltschStuttgart19CB7287Myles Lewis-SkellyArsenal18LB7887Luka VuskovicHamburg18CB7287El Chadaille BitshiabuRB Leipzig20CB7587Pietro ComuzzoFiorentina20CB7486Leny YoroMan Utd19CB7886Joaquin SeysClub Brugge20RB7386Joane GadouRB Salzburg18CB6685YarekPSV20CB7385Pau NavarroVillarreal20CB7085Jan-Carlo SimicAl-Ittihad20CB7085Diego LeonMan Utd18LB6485Martim FernandesPorto19RB7585Josh AcheampongChelsea19RB7085Tobias PalacioArgentinos Juniors18CB6985Ayden HeavenMan Utd18CB6984
The two best young centre-backs in EA Sports FC 26 both play for Spain, but on either side of the Clásico divide. Real Madrid's Dean Huijsen (PR: 89) and Barcelona's Pau Cubarsi (PR: 88), look set to form the defensive foundation for La Roja for years to come. German youth Finn Jeltsch and Croatian centre-half Jusko Vuskovic aren't far behind, with each boasting a potential rating of 87.
Chelsea's Jorrel Hato is the best young left-back in the game, while the best young right-back is Givairo Read, who plays for Feyenoord. Manchester United should be well set for the future, with Leny Yoro, Diego Leon and Ayden Heaven all among the brightest young defensive talents in the game.
Best young goalkeepers in EA Sports FC 25: Wonderkid GKs
Guillaume RestesToulouse20GK7886Matthieu EpoloStandard Liege20GK7385Dennis SeimenPaderborn19GK6684Mike PendersStrasbourg20GK7384Lucca BrughmansGenk17GK5982Tiago Pereira CardosoBorussia Monchengladbach19GK6782Robin RisserLens20GK7282Ewen JaouenReims19GK6882Mathys NifloreDunkerque18GK6381Joeri HeerkensAjax19GK6480
While he is getting to the older end of the wonderkid grouping, Guillaume Restes continues to be the best young goalkeeper in the game. However, the Toulouse shot-stoppers's potential has dropped from 88 to 86 in EA Sports FC 26. Matthieu Epolo has a similar ceiling (PR: 85), while German goalkeeper Dennis Seimen is still among the best young net-minders around.
France appears to be a fertile ground for goalkeeper talent, with the likes of Robin Risser, Ewen Jaouen and Mathys Niflore all plying their trade in the country.