4 Wonderkids Set To Take Over Football

Hello and welcome back to our new 4-4-2 video feature, The Boys A Bit Special

in which we're highlighting the best and brightest teenagers world football has to offer

Each month, we'll be selecting four players, some more renowned than others, and giving them the airtime we think they deserve

Don't forget to comment your suggestions below if there's a player we really should be spotlighting

but try not to take it personally if your team's favourite youngster isn't featured. Relax, it's not that deep

So without further ado, on with the show, and it's a Galactico with a twist who kicks off this episode

Marco Mastantono has had two breakout years, not one. The Argentine international slipped on Claudio Echeverri's boots

and into the red Sasha Dawn rubber plate kit shortly after Echeverri's move to Manchester City

just over 18 months ago. That was Mastantono's first breakout year, 2024, when he announced himself in South America

In 2025, Mastantono has arrived on the world stage. The newly turned 18-year-old has assumed starting responsibilities

under Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid and that's a lot easier said than done

Just ask Renier, Hendrik or Ardakula. Mastantono is a left-footed right-winger and hails from a sporting background

He was once considered one of Argentina's 10 best tennis players in his age group

before committing to football. To watch Mastantono during his final six months

in Argentinian football, it was clear he'd outgrown the environment. Very little appeared to challenge him anymore

Make no mistake, at 18 he's got a lot to learn and will be in and out of the team because of the sheer talent in Real Madrid's ranks

But players who make their Argentina debuts and move to the Santiago Bernabeu for €40m before they're old enough to legally buy a pint, not that they'd be doing that anyway, tend to be a bit special

When Mastantono isn't shooting, he's winning fouls which lead to shooting opportunities for others

When he isn't doing either of those things, he's creating chances, doing so almost five times per game during his final 12 months with River Plate, which is remarkably consistent

Mastantono has a strong preference for his left foot, but that isn't to say that his right is obsolete

demonstrated by the goal he scored against Levante to open his Real Madrid account given the chance though he always cut infield

from an aggressive starting position right out there on the touchline. And when he arrives within a reasonable distance from goal

he loads the bullets and fires. There's no shortage of attacking options at the Bernabeu

but consistent starts are indicative of a player who has Alonso's trust, and that's a rare, valuable

some would even say special commodity for any teenager. I don't think I've seen anything like it, yes, I'm going to say it, since Messi

When 5'6'' Rodrigo Moura scored on his first FC Porto start at the age of 17

he was hoisted like a puppet by 6'4'' teammate Samu Agahoa. Size, ironically, plays a big part in Moura's game

How often have we heard stories of players who were overlooked due to their diminutive stature or their inability to impact matches physically

Kevin Keegan is one, Andres Iniesta another, and they did all right for themselves

In Mora's case, he's probably benefited from being born in the modern era when his talent is such that he's rarely needed to engage in the more agricultural parts of the game

From an early age, Mora superseded his peers with technical ability and an eye for a pass

In particular, Mora's display at the 2024 UEFA Under-17 Euros earned him the Golden Ball

the tournament's prize for the best player, after he scored five times and provided two assists en route to finishing a runner-up with Portugal

The season before last, Mora finished joint top scorer in the UEFA Youth League 2 netting seven goals as Porto were knocked out on penalties in the semi-final

He's doing his bit, and you can't say fairer than that. Last year, while still a teenager, Moura hit double figures for Porto

and was subsequently called up to Roberto Martinez's senior Portugal squad for the UEFA Nations League finals over the summer

It'll be some feat to continue in the same vein during 25-26, but if he does, he stands a real chance of making the World Cup squad

In many ways, Moura is a throwback to the archetypal European No. 10

Short and slippery, sporting those flowing auburn locks, receiving between lines, ducking

and weaving between pressure. If a footballer could quite literally dribble through an opposing player legs Moura would be it Balance and composure in the final third are what he all about Moura is constantly active in attacking spaces and likes to make himself a touchpoint for his port of teammates to find inside the area

And that makes him a nightmare to keep tabs on for defences. Boyish looks, huge talent, a crab-like ability to protect possession in tight spaces

He's both footed and bears a stylistic resemblance to the one and only David Silva

Moura is, how they say in Portuguese, un craque. The English representative in this Boys A Bit special feature

hasn't made a single appearance in the Premier League yet but we're pretty sure he will before long

Leeds United are an historic institution and Ellen Road is one of English football's oldest and most authentic stadiums

There's one family whose legacy adorns the walls and corridors more than any other

and that's the Greys At least one member of the Grey family has played for or managed

Leeds United during the 1960s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s. 17-year-old Harry Gray is

the latest in a long line of Gray family men to pull on the white shirt of Leeds. The teenage

striker made his senior debut at the end of Leeds' championship-winning 24-25 season, but those around

the club have been talking about the great-nephew of Ellen Road icon Eddie Gray much longer than he's

been around the first team. Harry's elder brother Archie, now at Spurs, burst onto the scene with

Leeds as a fresh-faced, versatile midfielder, playing over 50 times in his one and only season

as a first-team player. And as a former Leeds reporter myself, I can tell you first-hand that

whenever people spoke of Archie's development and the Grey family lineage, that there was almost

always mention of his younger sibling Harry too, and that was because of his goal-scoring exploits

in the academy. Tall, confident and wiry, Harry is much like his brother, already an accomplished

footballer, even if senior opportunities in the Premier League will be harder to come by than

Archie found in the division below. The Leeds youngster is a striker striker, working hard

out of possession and clinical in front of goal. His style is typical of the number nines

that his granddad Frank Gray a European Cup winner with Nottingham Forest made a living playing against back in the 70s and 80s Harry is yet to make his Premier League debut but that coming Already this season he scored a hat against senior opposition and made light work of PL2 defences for the 21s

And we know what you're thinking. There's no nepotism going on here. He really is a bit special

The Basque country is known for two things. It's food and it's football clubs

John Martin is the latest in a succession of young Basque players to break into the senior set-up at Anueta

having cut his teeth at the club's world-renowned Zubieta Academy. The teenage central defender is an aerial colossus first and foremost

In the same way San Sebastian's weather is often compared to its British cousin, Martín's style of play is more like that of an old-school, proper British centre-half

Last-minute tackles, dueling in the air, no-nonsense clearances, blocking shots, and, you know what, sometimes leaving one on the man he's been tasked with marking

L'Oreal haven't started this season very well. They changed manager and sporting director recently and this is a club in the past that hasn't exactly thrived when in a state of flux

Martín hasn't been a favourite of new coach Sergio Francisco, but his emergence last term and the more recent extension of his contract, which now runs until 2031, suggests the 19-year-old has a longer shelf life in Donostia

The Basque Lighthouse, which is a nickname I'm really quite proud to have come up with, is a major threat in the opposition penalty area and has demonstrated exactly that in youth international tournaments for Spain

Even at 6 foot 1 inches, which is by no means the tallest for a top 5 European league central defender

Martín's aerial prowess is his standout attribute, and something he's likely to improve upon as he develops further, both tactically and physically

Spain's pool of up-and-coming centre-halves is rich with promising talent, considering Pau Kubasi and Dean Hoyssen playing regularly for La Liga's big too

But don't be fooled by Martín's current lack of game time. He deserves to be spoken about in the same breath, and clubs know it

And don't forget you can read all about the world's best young talents and more in the latest issue of 442 magazine

And remember, tell us in the comments which teenagers you want to see featured on the next episode of the Boys a Bit Special

Thanks for watching. Bye for now