FIFA’s Career Mode is without doubt one of the most appealing and thrilling parts of the game, and one way to gain success in that game mode is by loading your team up with the best young talent there is available. As Career Mode fans will be aware, with this game mode, you get to manage and play your team through an entire career based on FIFA 22. You can pick to play the game as a player, or a manager, or both and if you elect to take on the managerial role, then key to your success will be finding the FIFA 22 best young players, at the best possible prices to transfer to your team.
Unlike Ultimate Team mode, in Career Mode, players will age and can improve their abilities as they gain more skills and experience. However, once they reach a certain age, those abilities may start to decline. So finding young talent that can improve into a true gem of the world game is a fantastic way to be a successful Career Mode player and manager.
Finding the best young players FIFA 22 can offer, can be a time-consuming exercise, so what we have done is to save you a bit of time by producing our list of the top young FIFA 2022 players for all the key positions in the game.
As with previous editions of this list that we compiled in 2019, 2020 and 2021, there may be one or two faces from last year that make the list again.
This year, we are not going to stick to a set formation but give you options for the key positions listed in the FIFA game, so that will include:
- Defensive midfielders
- Standard midfielders
- Attacking midfielders
- Full backs and wing backs
- Strikers and centre forwards
The Importance Of Potential Rating
One of the key elements in deciding whether a player is likely to be a future superstar is their Potential Rating. This is an indication of how ‘good’ a player could become if they reach their potential.
These ratings are a guide only, players can fail to reach their true potential, and others can exceed it (up to the maximum player rating of 99). It all depends on:
- how well a player trains
- how often they play
- how well they perform when selected in your team
So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at our list for FIFA 22’s Top Young Talent. By that we mean players aged 20 or younger at the start of the game and as with last year, we have given you three options for each position, (with six for centre back as teams tend to play with at least two in this position).
Furthermore, we’ve tried to give you:
- one ‘money no issue’ option
- one mid-range selection, and
- one cut price value selection to try and help managers with varying budgets.
The Best Young Players FIFA 2022 Has Available
Goalkeepers
| 1. | Etienne Green (St. Etienne) | Age – 20 Overall – 72 Potential – 81 Price Tag – £3.8m Etienne Green is a young English keeper who has taken his chance with St. Etienne in France this season to emerge as one of the best young keepers in Ligue 1. Mark my words, his ratings next season will be a whole lot improved on this as he gains in experience. |
| 2. | Maarten Vandevoort (Genk) | Age – 19 Overall – 71 Potential – 87 Price Tag – £3.7m Vandervoort has been on this list every year since he was a 16-year-old. His ratings have improved over that time but his potential has declined a little since last year, however, he still represents outstanding value. |
| 3. | Alejandro Itrurbe (Atletico Madrid) | Age – 17 Overall – 62 Potential – 81 Price Tag – £750k The future between the sticks at Atletico Madrid looks to be in safe hands as when Jan Oblak moves on the young Iturbe could well step in. The youngster has played 8 games for Atletico and not looked out of place and he is a great value option with a very impressive potential rating. |
Right Backs
| 1. | Jurrien Timber (Ajax) | Age – 20 Overall – 75 Potential – 86 Price Tag – £9.9m Timber is a right back who can also play as a centre back where his physicality and pace mark him out as an outstanding prospect. He’s become a regular for Ajax this season and has made 73 career appearances in the league for the Dutch superstars as well as making 6 appearances for the Netherlands national team. |
| 2. | Tariq Lamptey (Brighton) | Age – 20 Overall – 74 Potential – 84 Price Tag – £7.7m Rated by Chelsea as being too short to become a top-level professional, Lamptey has proved doubters wrong with his incredible pace, stamina and engine. He is a little injury prone but when fit, he is amongst the very best right backs in the Premier League. |
| 3. | Becir Omeragic (FC Zurich) | Age – 19 Overall – 67 Potential – 83 Price Tag – £2.2m Already a Switzerland full international with four caps, the talented young left back has played 31 games already for his club side and his height and physicality allied to solid pace, have made him able to play both right back and centre back for his club and country. |
Right Wing Backs
| 1. | Jayden Bogle (Sheffield United) | Age – 20 Overall – 74 Potential – 85 Price Tag – £7.7m The former Derby County player has made a smooth transition to playing right wing back for Sheffield United this season and his pace and energy have seen him become a key part of the Blades campaign for promotion back to the Premier League. |
| 2. | Jeremie Frimpong (Club) | Age – 20 Overall – 74 Potential – 84 Price Tag – £7.7m Frimpong is about the same price as Bogle in FIFA 22 but I feel just doesn’t quite offer the same quality. The former Celtic star can play right back and right wing back, but his pace is best utilised in the more advance wing back role. |
| 3. | Hugo Siquet (Standard Liege) | Age – 18 Overall – 69 Potential – 83 Price Tag – £2.7m After making almost 40 appearances for Standard Liege, Siquet joined SC Freiburg in real life during the winter transfer window. He’s a pacy, intelligent wing back with excellent stamina and who is excellent going forward as well as defending. |
Left Backs
| 1. | Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich) | Age – 20 Overall – 82 Potential – 89 Price Tag – £49m If money is no object, then Alfonso Davies, who was our top pick at left back last year, is also the top pick this year. The Canadian star not only has incredible pace, but he is fast developing into a very useful attacking player for Bayern Munich in a more advanced left midfield role. |
| 2. | Luca Netz (Borussia Monchengladbach) | Age – 18 Overall – 68 Potential – 85 Price Tag – £2.5m A much cheaper option for those seeking a quality young left back is Luca Netz. The Borussia full back has played just a handful of games for his club side this season, but he has plenty of potential and has great quality on the ball. |
| 3. | Valentin Barco (Boca Juniors) | Age – 16 Overall – 63 Potential – 83 Price Tag – £1.1m A small and diminutive left back, Barco has broken into the Boca Juniors first team aged just 16, which gives you an indication of how talented he is. Superb defender, with great tackling ability. Very much plays like an Argentine version of Tariq Lamptey. |
Left Wing Backs
| 1. | Nuno Mendes (Paris St Germain) |
Age – 19 Overall – 78 Potential – 88 Price Tag – £25m The talented left wing back is on loan at PSG from Sporting Lisbon in real life, but it appears a formality that the French side will buy him. Incredibly quick, Benfica, Porto and Sporting all wanted him before he signed for Sporting, where he thrived earning that loan move to PSG. |
| 2. | Rayan Ait-Nouri (Wolverhampton Wanderers) |
Age – 20 Overall – 73 Potential – 84 Price Tag – £5.6m Ait-Nouri has been in and out of the Wolves team this season and he has thrived as a wing back more so than a left sided defender. He has good pace, great energy and is creative. He can be a little hot-headed at times though, so watch those yellow cards! |
| 3. | Liberato Cacace (Sint-Truidense) |
Age – 20 Overall – 72 Potential – 83 Price Tag – £4.2m This young New Zealander has great energy and pace and can get up and down the flank. He’s still a little raw and learning his trade well in Belgian football, but he has the potential to develop into a high-quality player. |
Central Defenders
| 1. | Wesley Fofana (Leicester City) |
Age – 20 Overall – 78 Potential – 86 Price Tag – £24.9m Fofana’s absence from Leicester’s team this season due to a broken leg in pre-season has been huge and the tall, powerful centre back cannot come back soon enough for Brendan Rodgers team. Pacy, powerful and an excellent reader of the game. He has next-level talent for his age. |
| 2. | Benoit Badiashile (AS Monaco) | Age – 20 Overall – 76 Potential – 84 Price Tag – £13.3m A tall, powerful centre back who is very much in the Ibrahima Konate mould. He has played over 100 games for Monaco scoring three goals and has been strongly linked with moves to a number of top European sides over the last couple of years. |
| 3. | Josko Gvardiol (Red Bull Leipzig) |
Age – 19 Overall – 75 Potential – 87 Price Tag – £10.8m A powerfully built centre back who signed for Leipzig from Dinamo Zagreb and was immediately loaned back to the club for the 2020-21 season. This year, he has been a key element of a rebuilt Red Bull Leipzig defense and has played 45 times this season scoring two goals. |
| 4. | Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace) |
Age – 20 Overall – 73 Potential – 84 Price Tag – £5.2m The Palace centre back has been hugely impressive for the Eagles this season, scoring key goals and earning a call up to the England squad, and his first cap, in the meantime. Not the tallest but he has superb pace, great leaping ability and is a fine man marker. |
| 5. | Leonidas Stergiou (FC St. Gallen) |
Age – 19 Overall – 67 Potential – 86 Price Tag – £2.2m For someone aged just 19, Stergiou has vast experience having been a stalwart at the heart of the St.Gallen defence for the last two seasons. He has enormous potential despite his low starting rating in FIFA 2022 and he is an ideal player to buy to develop alongside quality centre backs at your team. |
| 6. | Rav Van Den Berg (PEC Zwolle) | Age – 16 Overall – 59 Potential – 83 Price Tag – £580k The younger brother of Sepp Van Den Berg, the Liverpool defender on loan at Preston North End, already 6ft 3 inches tall, the youngster has played a handful of times for PEC Zwolle aged just 16 and looks to have a very bright future ahead of him. |
Right Midfield
| 1. | Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) |
Age – 19 Overall – 80 Potential – 88 Price Tag – £39.1m Hugely talented Arsenal winger and England international who can play down either the right or left of midfield, or even at left back. Creative and a good goalscorer too with lots of pace. Strong defensive ability and good stamina earmark him as a special talent. |
| 2. | Christos Tzolis (Norwich City) |
Age – 19 Overall – 74 Potential – 87 Price Tag – £8.6m Norwich City fans have not seen the best of the Greek International this season but watch out for him in the Championship next year as he should play a much more prominent role for his team in that division. |
| 3. | Ahmad Diallo (Manchester United) |
Age – 18 Overall – 68 Potential – 85 Price Tag – £2.7m Diallo’s ill-fated spell on loan at Rangers this season has been blighted by injury and a lack of form, but he is still so young and has the raw talent to become a very special player in the future and he is a good value pick up for many teams at just £2.7m. |
Left Midfield
| 1. | Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund) |
Age – 18 Overall – 79 Potential – 89 Price Tag – £31.8m Personally, I prefer Bellingham as a central midfielder, but to fit in as many quality players as I could onto this list, I’ve moved him to left midfield. A supreme talent who has lit up the Bundesliga even just aged 18 and shone alongside proven international calibre players. Undervalued, even at £31.8m. |
| 2. | Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich) |
Age – 18 Overall – 76 Potential – 88 Price Tag – £15.1m Musiala has elected to play for Germany over England and after breaking into the Bayern first team this season, it won’t be too long before he is a regular for club and country. He has 15 goals in 77 games for Bayern and has already played 11 times (scoring once) for the German national team. |
| 3. | Michael Olise (Crystal Palace) |
Age– 19 Overall – 73 Potential – 85 Price Tag – £6m The French youngster shone at Reading in his two years with the Berkshire club before moving to Palace in 2021. He has since become a shining light for Palace this season, playing 31 times and scoring four goals and his close control, dribbling ability and pace have proven problematic for opposing defenders. |
Defensive Midfielder
| 1. | Ryan Gravenberch (Ajax) |
Age – 19 Overall – 78 Potential – 90 Price Tag – £28.4m One of the most coveted defensive midfielders in world football at the moment. Gravenberch can play a holding or natural midfield role for Ajax and his mopping up skills have drawn comparisons with previous Dutch greats in the role such as Edgar Davids, Frank Rijkaard and Clarence Seedorf. |
| 2. | Nicolo Rovella (Juventus) |
Age – 19 Overall – 70 Potential – 87 Price Tag – £3.5m Juventus snapped up Rovella from Genoa after an impressive couple of seasons and immediately loaned him back to the club. The talented youngster has shone once again in a struggling Genoa side and he should be a real contender for a first team spot when he returns to Juventus for next season. |
| 3. | Romeo Lavia (Manchester City) |
Age – 18 Overall – 62 Potential – 85 Price Tag – £1m The Belgian youngster has made just one appearance this season or Manchester City, but he has all the attributes to become a very talented anchoring midfielder. Good control, vision and passing skills allied to a fierce will to win make him one to watch closely. |
Central Midfielder
| 1. | Pedri (Barcelona) |
Age – 18 Overall – 81 Potential – 91 Price Tag – £46.4m Barcelona’s youngster is one of the most coveted young players in World Football and looks set to be at the heart of Barcelona’s midfield for many years to come. Intelligent on the ball, a clever passer and a scorer of goals too. He has it all as his potential rating shows. |
| 2. | Billy Gilmour (Chelsea) |
Age – 20 Overall – 72 Potential – 86 Price Tag – £4.7m Chelsea’s young Scottish star has been on loan at Norwich this season and he has been one of the better players for the Canaries in their Premier League campaign. Great touch and vision and already a Scottish international, for me his overall and potential ratings are a little on the low side. |
| 3. | Gavi (Barcelona) |
Age – 16 Overall – 66 Potential – 85 Price Tag – £1.8m It’s rare that we pick a player from the same club in the same position, but Gavi’s age and price tag mean that he is a fantastic value pick up for any club with a relatively modest budget. Definitely one for the future, the youngster is already on the radar of many of European football’s top teams. |
Attacking Midfielder
| 1. | Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen) |
Age – 18 Overall – 78 Potential – 89 Price Tag – £25.4m Leverkusen’s young midfield star has been called the best young player in the Bundesliga this season and little wonder so many teams are interested in the 18-year-old. A clever, attacking midfielder who is creative but also scores goals and who also works hard for the team defensively too. |
| 2. | Emil Smith Rowe (Arsenal) |
Age – 20 Overall – 76 Potential – 86 Price Tag – £14.2m Emil Smith-Rowe has shone for Arsenal over the last two years, and he along with Saka have been the two youngsters to give Gunners fans hope for the future. A skilful, intelligent attacking midfielder in the Bergkamp style, he has superb natural technique and skill, but does lack a little pace. |
| 3. | Fabio Carvalho (Fulham) |
Age – 18 Overall – 67 Potential– 86 Price Tag – £2.2m The young Portuguese star has been a creative influence for Fulham over the course of the season, so much so that Liverpool have already agreed a deal to bring the youngster to Anfield for next season. Pacy, intelligent and can score goals too, he is available at a great price. |
Right Winger
| 1. | Jeremy Doku (Rennes) |
Age – 19 Overall – 77 Potential – 88 Price Tag – £19.8m The fleet of foot winger made a big money move to Rennes in 2020 and has made 90 appearances in his career at club level, scoring 10 goals. He’s also a Belgium regular, making 10 appearances and scoring twice for his national team. A much better value option than Rodrygo for right wing. |
| 2. | Rayan Cherki (Lyon) |
Age – 17 Overall – 73 Potential – 88 Price Tag – £6m One of the youngest ever players to play in a Champions League semi-final, Cherki has been on the fringes of the Lyon first team since he broke into the squad as a 16-year-old. Aged just 17 he has 14 goals in 74 career games. |
| 3. | Cole Palmer (Manchester City) |
Age – 19 Overall – 64 Potential – 84 Price Tag – £1.4m The youngster has been around the fringes of the Manchester City squad all season long and has made 13 career appearances scoring 3 goals, all but two appearances of which came this season. He is versatile and skilled enough to also play as a CAM. |
Left Winger
| 1. | Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid) |
Age – 20 Overall – 80 Potential – 90 Price Tag – £40m Pace still rules in FIFA 22 and that is what this flying Brazilian winger has in spades. He’s forming a superb partnership at club level with Karim Benzema and is quickly developing into one of the best wingers in the world. |
| 2. | Ansu Fati (Barcelona) |
Age – 18 Overall – 76 Potential – 90 Price Tag – £15.1m If there is one player I would sign every time on FIFA 22, then it would be Ansu Fati. Not only is he young, but even at that £15.1m price tag, he is a bargain. For me, he offers far more potential long-term value than Vinicius Jr above him in this list at less than half the cost. |
| 3. | Franco Orozco (Lanus) |
Age – 19 Overall – 65 Potential – 84 Price Tag – £1.5m Diminutive winger, who uses his pace, control, and low centre of gravity well. Creative and can score goals. He’s not going to win you over with his physicality, but his skill, technique and low starting price make him a worthy lower priced left-wing option. |
Centre Forward
| 1. | Goncalo Ramos (Benfica) |
Age – 20 Overall – 72 Potential – 86 Price Tag – £4.7m 28 goals in 91 games for Benfica and Benfica B in all competitions have seen Goncalo Ramos come to the fore. He’s proven to be a perfect foil for teammate Darwin Nunez and he has the ability to keep improving and move into the reckoning for the Portugal squad for the World Cup. |
| 2. | Santiago Giménez (Cruz Azul) |
Age – 20 Overall – 71 Potential – 86 Price Tag – £3.9m Argentinian born Giminez has become a Mexican international after playing all his career in the country at Cruz Azul. He’s got 3 caps for Mexico scoring one goal and has 15 goals in 97 games for his club. |
| 3. | Reinier (Real Madrid) |
Age – 19 Overall – 71 Potential – 84 Price Tag – £3.9m Reinier has seen his potential drop a couple of points from last season, but he is still a very solid option at CF and can also play CAM. He’s played 56 games already in his career, scoring 9 goals and has appeared in 18 games for Dortmund, on loan from Real Madrid, this season. |
Striker
| 1. | Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) |
Age – 20 Overall – 88 Potential – 93 Price Tag – £118.3m The Norwegian superstar has just signed a deal to join Manchester City in the summer for £51m, and in FIFA 2022, he is a hugely expensive talent at more than double that amount, that only the richest can afford, but he does have the potential to match Lionel Messi’s current game-leading 93 rating. |
| 2. | Adam Hlozek (Sparta Prague) |
Age – 18 Overall – 74 Potential – 87 Price Tag – £8.6m The 18-year-old youngster is already a full international, winning 14 caps for the Czech Republic (scoring one goal) and his versatility means he can play as a striker, or a left and right midfielder. He’s scored 11 goals and added 15 assists this season for his club team. |
| 3. | Dane Scarlett (Tottenham Hotspur) |
Age – 17 Overall – 63 Potential – 86 Price Tag – £1.3m A hugely talented young player who has made 10 appearances for Spurs and is reckoned to have a very bright future. He has 13 goals in 13 appearances for England’s Under 15, 16 and 19 teams. Jose Mourinho said of him after handing him his debut; “I know that he will be somebody in a few years.” |
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