Top 20 under 20: Ranking world football's best teenagers in 2016

The future is bright. Here are the 20 best teenagers who put their burgeoning talents on display in 2016.

Ineligible (turned 20 this year): Kelechi Iheanacho, Dele Alli, Diogo Jota, Andreas Christensen, Kingsley Coman, Mahmoud Dahoud, Maxwel Cornet, Alex Iwobi, Julian Brandt, Franck Kessie, Demarai Gray, Jack Harrison

20. Amadou Diawara, Napoli (19)

It's been a slow integration for Amadou Diawara at Napoli - the Guinean has made only nine appearances thus far - but it was his fantastic 2015-16 campaign with Bologna that earned him a move to the San Paolo, and a nod on our list. The midfield enforcer has gone from Lega Pro (Italy's third tier) to arguably the second-best team in the country in just two years.

19. Emre Mor, Borussia Dortmund (19)

Turkey's electric winger joined the Bundesliga club from Nordsjaelland this past summer, and though he hasn't hit the heights of two notable teammates - who we'll get to shortly - it's clear every time he gets on the ball that the diminutive youngster is capable of making something happen with his close control and explosive acceleration.

18. Youri Tielemans, Anderlecht (19)

If it feels like Youri Tielemans is named on lists just like this one every single year, it's because he has been. The Belgian midfielder has already made more than 100 appearances for Anderlecht despite his tender age. Already a master manipulator of the ball - Tielemans' ability to pick a killer pass is among his most impressive skills - he remains one of the brightest young talents to come off the Belgian conveyor belt.

17. Martin Odegaard, Real Madrid (18)

It's easy to dismiss Martin Odegaard's inclusion as simple name recognition, given that he's been at the centre of the teenage footballing world for the last couple of years. But 2016 saw the Norwegian wunderkind make a notable step forward, earning his full debut for Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey. Sure, his progress has perhaps been slower than expected following his 2015 move to the Bernabeu, but that shouldn't obscure just how talented the midfielder is.

16. Breel Embolo, Schalke (19)

Breel Embolo's season was cruelly cut short before it could really hit full stride, as the Swiss phenom suffered a broken ankle in October, just seven matches into his Schalke stint. The powerful attacker had long been turning heads across Europe during his days with both Basel and the Swiss national team - including his time at Euro 2016, when he was often left on the bench in favour of inferior options.

15. Alexander Isak, AIK (17)

Though it's something of a crude comparison at the moment, there's a reason why Alexander Isak is being dubbed the successor to Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Sweden. Lanky yet graceful, the 6-foot-2 forward turned heads by scoring 10 goals for AIK this past season, and is attracting interest from the likes of Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus, with reports suggesting it will take an offer around €15 million to pry him away from the Allsvenskan.

14. Manuel Locatelli, AC Milan (18)

The other young phenom at the forefront of AC Milan's exciting revival, silky midfielder Manuel Locatelli certainly has a penchant for the spectacular. His two goals this season have both been thunderous strikes into the roof of the net, his left-footed rocket against Sassuolo outshone by his match-winning missile against Juventus. The future is bright at the San Siro.

13. Malang Sarr, Nice (17)

Mario Balotelli and Alassane Plea bang in the goals and get the love, but Nice's surprise run to the top of Ligue 1 this season is as much a product of Malang Sarr's imperious form at the back as it is anything else. The rock upon which Lucien Favre's side is built, the 17-year-old has started all 19 league matches for the Cote d'Azur side this season, looking assured in possession and showcasing an acute ability to read the game.

12. Jean-Kevin Augustin, PSG (19)

While he's become a semi-regular off the bench at club level in the French capital, the greatest accomplishment of Jean-Kevin Augustin's young career came at the international level, when the explosive striker led France to the UEFA European Under-19 title this past summer by equalling a tournament record with six goals - including a stunning solo effort in the final against Italy.

11. Issa Diop, Toulouse (19)

Integral to Toulouse's miraculous escape from relegation last season, French centre-back Issa Diop has continued to grow this year under Pascal Dupraz, solidifying his status both as a mainstay at the Stadium Municipal, and as one of the most exciting young defenders on the continent. Dominant in the air but athletic enough to keep pace on the deck, Diop figures to be a part of Les Bleus' setup for a very long time.

10. Kasper Dolberg, Ajax (19)

With eight goals in 16 Eredivisie appearances for Ajax this season, Kasper Dolberg has rocketed to prominence in 2016, his combination of quickness, power, and a cannon for a right foot making the Dane one of the most exciting young strikers on the planet. The shining moment of his blossoming career came last month, when he showcased his full range of skills with an 18-minute hat-trick against NEC Nijmegen. Ajax just keeps churning them out.

9. Alban Lafont, Toulouse (17)

Gianluigi Donnarumma gets much of the attention - and he's certainly earned it - but Alban Lafont is very much in the discussion for the title of world's best teenage shot-stopper. Uber-athletic and praised for his calming influence between the sticks, the blossoming Toulouse star, who holds the record as the youngest-ever 'keeper to feature in Ligue 1, should be on the radar of every team that needs an upgrade in goal.

8. Leon Bailey, Genk (19)

Jamaican winger Leon Bailey has Europe's heavyweights on high alert - none more so than Manchester United, which has consistently been linked with a move for the Kingston-born stud. It's not hard to see why. Blessed with ridiculous pace, Ronald de Boer described Bailey as "so fast it's not normal" after watching him train with Ajax in 2013. But he's so much more than a physical marvel. Voted the best young player in Belgium's Jupiler League in May, the 19-year-old put all of Europe on notice by scoring seven goals in 12 Europa League matches this season (including qualifying).

7. Kylian Mbappe, AS Monaco (18)

When you start earning comparisons to Thierry Henry, you know you're doing something right. That's exactly what's happened with Kylian Mbappe, the absurdly talented Monaco attacker who is not only being likened to the French icon, but already breaking his records; Mbappe surpassed Henry as Monaco's youngest debutant in December of last year. Comfortable with both feet, able to blow defenders away with his fearsome change of pace, and boasting numerous tricks and flicks to bamboozle opponents, Mbappe is the latest - and possibly one of the brightest - talents to emerge from France's vaunted Clairefontaine academy.

6. Gabriel Jesus, Manchester City (19)

Manchester City supporters are salivating over the impending arrival of Brazilian attacker Gabriel Jesus after watching him shine with the Selecao in 2016. Lightning quick, predictably tricky with the ball at his feet, and able to find the back of the net, Pep Guardiola's side figures to get a significant boost from the January arrival of the former Palmeiras star.

5. Marcus Rashford, Manchester United (19)

Manchester United's prodigious talent took English football by storm in 2016, rocketing to relevance by making a habit out of scoring on his debut - he accomplished the feat in both the Europa League and Premier League during a whirlwind week in February. Frighteningly fast and always looking to beat his defender, Marcus Rashford looks a superstar in the making.

4. Ousmane Dembele, Borussia Dortmund (19)

Borussia Dortmund secured one of the best deals of 2016 when the club nabbed dribbling wizard Ousmane Dembele from Rennes - a move that has made Bundesliga defenders weary of being turned into a YouTube punchline by the lanky Frenchman all season long. Fluidity personified, Dembele is as exciting as they come.

3. Renato Sanches, Bayern Munich (19)

An absolute powerhouse in central midfield, Renato Sanches' energy was vital to Portugal's triumph at Euro 2016. At club level, with Arturo Vidal and Xabi Alonso not getting any younger, the all-action teenager figures to be a mainstay of Bayern Munich's lineup for years to come with his ability to combine stern tackling and attacking impetus.

2. Gianluigi Donnarumma, AC Milan (17)

Italian football is in good - and enormous - hands once icon Gianluigi Buffon decides to hang up his gloves, as his namesake at AC Milan, Gianluigi Donnarumma, has already crafted an absurd highlight reel of remarkable saves despite his career being in its infancy. A colossus of a goalkeeper who is on his way to becoming a club legend.

1. Christian Pulisic, Borussia Dortmund (18)

Sensing a theme here? Yeah, Borussia Dortmund is loaded with an enviable collection of young attacking talent. Being the undeniable future of the United States national team would be reason enough to land him on the list, but in exploding onto the scene at both club and international level in 2016, Dortmund prodigy Christian Pulisic announced himself as the present, too.