Drie Vitessenaren in IBWM100 van 2016
As always, we’ve stuck with the format that served Don Balon so successfully for many years; 100 names and details of where each player is from. We’ll revisit the list in twelve months’ time and assess how the year has panned out for each of the players concerned.
The process we use for selection remains exactly the same. We talk to scouts, coaches, players, journalists, fans and bloggers from around the world to get a clear a picture of exactly who we should be watching and why. Across the year, we monitor each player on our long list to see how things are going while considering what the future is likely to hold for them. Eventually our long list becomes the #IBWM100 – nothing definitive, just the players that we believe will really soar in 2016.
By definition, the very best kids should already be at the biggest clubs. While many already are, it’s the opportunity to play regularly which makes a huge difference. Signing for a Champions League club in your early teens might offer good money, the best coaches and the best facilities, but if you’re not playing regularly by the time you turn 22, you’re going to be up against it. Dozens of other kids will have already turned out for their club fifty times at a similar level. It’s a cliché, but there really is no substitute for playing first team football. We like players to be performing in the top division of the country they are based too.
We want to ensure that the #IBWM100 has a good balance of nationalities and positions and we always try to bring as many new names into the mix as possible. Because of this approach, many outstanding individuals don’t make the list.
This year, for example, despite meeting our criteria for selection, we’ve not included Aymeric Laporte, Adrien Rabiot, Marquinhos, Matthias Ginter and Hakan Çalhanoğlu to name but a few. Outstanding young footballers all, but players that we think may already be operating at the top end of their range. We could have included them, certainly, but that means we’d have to ignore someone new and that goes against what we’re trying to do. The #IBWM100 is all about catching the right player at the right time as they make their way to the top.
We don’t expect you to agree with all our choices, just to understand why we’ve picked the players that we have. If we get it wrong, we’ll be here in December 2016 to justify our selections and assess how the year has gone for every single player on the list.
There are 46 nations represented this year with some exceptional talents included. Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands continue to lead the way but Eastern Europe – in particular the Adriatic States – is posting a clear warning of how things are likely to develop over the next decade. Exciting times lie ahead.
As ever, we love to hear your opinions on the #IBWM100 so please feel free to leave comments below the line when the list published. We’re also available on Twitter and will try to answer everything that comes our way.
Enjoy watching the #IBWM100 in 2016, good luck to them all.
(* born on or after 1/1/1994)
| Country | Player | Age | Position | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | Elseid Hysaj | 21 | Defender | Napoli |
| Milot Rashica | 19 | Midfielder | Vitesse | |
| Argentina | Héctor Villalba | 21 | Midfielder | San Lorenzo |
| Sebastián Driussi | 19 | Striker | River Plate | |
| Australia | Alex Gersbach | 18 | Defender | Sydney FC |
| Belgium | Edmilson Junior | 21 | Midfielder | Sint Truidense VV |
| Thomas Foket | 21 | Defender | KAA Gent | |
| Youri Tielemans | 18 | Midfielder | RSC Anderlecht | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Armin Hodžić | 21 | Striker | Dinamo Zagreb |
| Goran Karačić | 19 | Goalkeeper | HŠK Zrinjski Mostar | |
| Brazil | Gabriel | 19 | Striker | Santos |
| Malcom | 18 | Striker | Corinthians | |
| Otávio | 21 | Midfielder | Atlético Paranaense | |
| Canada | Cyle Larin | 20 | Striker | Orlando City |
| Colombia | Harold Preciado | 21 | Striker | Deportivo Cali |
| Croatia | Alen Halilović | 19 | Midfielder | Sporting de Gijón (on loan from FC Barcelona) |
| Duje Ćaleta-Car | 19 | Defender | FC Red Bull Salzburg | |
| Josip Posavec | 19 | Goalkeeper | Inter Zaprešić (on loan from Palermo) | |
| Denmark | Andreas Christensen | 19 | Defender | Borussia Mönchengladbach (on loan from Chelsea) |
| Mikkel Duelund | 18 | Midfielder | FC Midtjylland | |
| Ecuador | José Angulo | 20 | Striker | Independiente del Valle |
| Egypt | Kahraba | 21 | Midfielder | Zamalek |
| England | Dele Alli | 19 | Midfielder | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Eric Dier | 21 | Defender | Tottenham Hotspur | |
| John Stones | 21 | Defender | Everton | |
| Raheem Sterling | 21 | Midfielder | Manchester City | |
| France | Anthony Martial | 20 | Midfielder | Manchester United |
| Corentin Tolisso | 21 | Midfielder | Olympique Lyonnais | |
| Kingsley Coman | 19 | Midfielder | FC Bayern München | |
| Vincent Koziello | 20 | Midfielder | OGC Nice | |
| Gabon | Didier N'Dong | 21 | Midfielder | Lorient |
| Germany | Emre Can | 21 | Midfielder | Liverpool |
| Jonathan Tah | 19 | Defender | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | |
| Julian Weigl | 20 | Midfielder | Borussia Dortmund | |
| Leroy Sané | 19 | Midfielder | FC Schalke 04 | |
| Mahmoud Dahoud | 19 | Midfielder | Borussia Mönchengladbach | |
| Donis Avdijaj | 19 | Striker | SK Sturm Graz (on loan from Schalke 04) | |
| Guinea | Amadou Diawara | 18 | Midfielder | Bologna |
| Naby Keïta | 20 | Midfielder | FC Red Bull Salzburg | |
| Italy | Adam Masina | 21 | Defender | Bologna |
| Alessio Romagnoli | 20 | Defender | Milan | |
| Federico Bernardeschi | 21 | Striker | Fiorentina | |
| Gianluigi Donnarumma | 16 | Goalkeeper | Milan | |
| Jamaica | Leon Bailey | 18 | Midfielder | KRC Genk |
| Japan | Takahiro Sekine | 20 | Midfielder | Urawa Red Diamonds |
| Takumi Minamino | 20 | Midfielder | FC Red Bull Salzburg | |
| Lithuania | Lukas Spalvis | 21 | Striker | Aalborg BK |
| Mali | Almamy Touré | 19 | Defender | AS Monaco |
| Mexico | Hirving Lozano | 19 | Midfielder | Pachuca |
| Orbelin Pineda | 19 | Midfielder | Chivas | |
| Netherlands | Jaïro Riedewald | 19 | Defender | Ajax |
| Kevin Diks | 19 | Defender | Vitesse | |
| Rick Karsdorp | 20 | Defender | Feyenoord | |
| Riechedly Bazoer | 19 | Midfielder | Ajax | |
| Nigeria | Blessing Eleke | 19 | Striker | NK Olimpija |
| Isaac Success | 19 | Striker | Granada CF | |
| Norway | Alexander Sørloth | 20 | Striker | FC Groningen |
| Iver Fossum | 19 | Midfielder | Strømsgodset | |
| Kristoffer Ajer | 17 | Midfielder | IK Start | |
| Paraguay | Antonio Sanabria | 19 | Striker | Sporting de Gijón (on loan from AS Roma) |
| Peru | Luis da Silva | 18 | Striker | Sporting Cristal |
| Poland | Arkadiusz Milik | 21 | Striker | Ajax |
| Bartłomiej Drągowski | 18 | Goalkeeper | Jagiellonia Białystok | |
| Bartosz Kapustka | 18 | Midfielder | Cracovia Kraków | |
| Mariusz Stępiński | 20 | Striker | Ruch Chorzów | |
| Piotr Zieliński | 21 | Midfielder | Empoli (on loan from Udinese) | |
| Portugal | Bernardo Silva | 21 | Midfielder | AS Monaco |
| Diogo Jota | 19 | Midfielder | Paços de Ferreira | |
| Gonçalo Guedes | 19 | Midfielder | Benfica | |
| Romania | Florin Tănase | 20 | Midfielder | Viitorul Constanța |
| Russia | Aleksey Miranchuk | 20 | Midfielder | Lokomotiv Moscow |
| Scotland | Kieran Tierney | 18 | Defender | Celtic |
| Sam Nicholson | 20 | Midfielder | Heart of Midlothian | |
| Senegal | Assane Dioussé | 18 | Midfielder | Empoli |
| Serbia | Andrija Živković | 19 | Midfielder | FK Partizan |
| Luka Jović | 17 | Striker | Crvena Zvezda | |
| Marko Grujić | 19 | Midfielder | Crvena Zvezda | |
| Sergej Milinković-Savić | 20 | Midfielder | Lazio | |
| Srđan Plavšić | 20 | Midfielder | Crvena Zvezda | |
| Slovakia | Matúš Bero | 20 | Midfielder | AS Trenčín |
| Slovenia | Andraž Šporar | 21 | Striker | FC Basel |
| Grega Sorcan | 19 | Goalkeeper | ND Gorica | |
| South Africa | Phakamani Mahlambi | 18 | Midfielder | Bidvest Wits |
| Spain | Gerard Deulofeu | 21 | Midfielder | Everton |
| Héctor Bellerín | 20 | Defender | Arsenal | |
| Iñaki Williams | 21 | Striker | Athletic Club | |
| Jonny | 21 | Defender | Celta de Vigo | |
| Marco Asensio | 19 | Midfielder | RCD Espanyol (on loan from Real Madrid) | |
| Samu Castillejo | 20 | Midfielder | Villarreal CF | |
| Víctor Camarasa | 21 | Midfielder | Levante UD | |
| Sweden | Ludwig Augustinsson | 21 | Defender | FC København |
| Simon Gustafson | 20 | Midfielder | Feyenoord | |
| Switzerland | Breel Embolo | 18 | Striker | FC Basel |
| Shani Tarshaj | 20 | Striker | Grasshopper Club Zürich | |
| Turkey | Ahmet Yılmaz Çalık | 21 | Defender | Gençlerbirligi |
| Emre Taşdemir | 20 | Defender | Bursaspor | |
| Ukraine | Oleksandr Zinchenko | 18 | Midfielder | FC Ufa |
| Uruguay | José Giménez | 20 | Defender | Atlético Madrid |
| USA | Matt Miazga | 20 | Defender | New York Red Bulls |
| Zimbabwe | Marvelous Nakamba | 21 | Midfielder | Vitesse |
