EA FC 26 wonderkids - best young players in Career Mode

Who are the best FC 26 wonderkids in Career Mode? Knowing the best young players to sign can make the difference between long-term glory and the managerial scrap heap. Whether you're looking for the next best thing to slot into your starting eleven early, or simply aiming to hoard talent to sell for a tidy profit (we're looking at you, Chelsea), we're here to help.

Signing and developing young talent is a key part of FC 26's Career Mode. There's nothing more satisfying than scouting, signing, and developing a young player to their full potential in the sports game. No matter your budget or the position you need, FC 26 has over 20,000 licensed players across 35 leagues, and tonnes of young talent to uncover. There are plenty of globally-known names with massive ceilings in the game, but this list contains a handful of hidden gems who don't command massive fees or wages, and could sign for a lower-league project as you aim for top division glory.

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What makes a young player in FC 26 a wonderkid?

We've plucked the best young players from the FC 26 database. Defined as players aged 15-21 in-game, these players have the best potential overall in Manager Career. If you train them right and give them game time, they'll hit that top rating and help you fill your trophy cabinet.

Whilst their rating might not be showstopping now, this is all about long-term success and investing in the future. If you're looking for instant success, look elsewhere (or lower your difficulty).

Endrick celebrating with other real madrid players in FC 26.

The best young players overall in FC 26

Top of the pile in potential terms is Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, but you could've assumed that. Managed correctly, you'll get a 95-rated player in a few years, but to do this, you've got to start at one of the mega-rich clubs. You won't be signing Yamal - or any of these guys - for Grimsby Town.

There's a trend in this list - players are mostly already at a massive club and will command top dollar. However, Jorthy Mokio (Ajax) and Nico Paz (Como) are easier targets if you're not a Champions League outfit already.

Name	Age	Club	Position	Overall	Potential	Growth
Lamine Yamal	18	FC Barcelona	RM, RW	89	95	+6
Desire Doue	20	Paris Saint-Germain	RW, LW, CM, RM	85	91	+6
Endrick	19	Real Madrid	ST, RW	77	91	+14
Joao Neves	20	Paris Saint-Germain	CM, CDM	85	90	+5
Estevao	18	Chelsea	RM, CAM, RW	78	89	+11
Jorthy Mokio	17	Ajax	CDM, CM, LB, CB	70	89	+19
Kenan Yildiz	20	Juventus	CAM, LM, LW, CM	79	89	+10
Nico Paz	21	Como	CAM, CM	79	89	+10
Jorrel Hato	19	Chelsea	LB, CB	78	89	+11
Rodrigo Mora	18	FC Porto	CAM, CM, LW, ST	76	89	+13

Best young strikers in FC 26

Goals win games, and to be successful, you need strikers who can deliver. If you're in your Manager Career for the long haul, there's nothing better than backing a young striker from the start and building a legacy together, whilst breaking goalscoring records. Drop one of these ballers in early, and you could go for Shearer, Messi, or Müller's all-time league records.

Endrick comes out top of the pile here, but Francesco Camarda is the real fairytale project worth signing.

Name	Age	Club	Position	Overall	Potential	Growth
Endrick	19	Real Madrid	ST, RW	77	91	+14
Francesco Camarda	17	Lecce	ST	65	87	+22
Yoan Bonny	21	Lombardia FC	ST, CAM	76	86	+10
Mathys Tel	20	Tottenham Hotspur	ST, CAM, LW	77	86	+9
Jhon Duran	21	Fenerbahce	ST	79	86	+7
Samu	21	FC Porto	ST	79	86	+7
Eli Junior Kroupi	19	AFC Bournemouth	ST	74	85	+11
Romeo Vermant	21	Club Brugge	ST	72	85	+13
Karim Konate	21	RB Salzburg	ST	72	85	+13
Charalampos Kostoulas	18	Brighton & Hove Albion	ST, CAM, RM	72	85	+13

Best young wingers in FC 26

Wingers are often a manager's most prized possession, and they can make the difference between glory and defeat. The amount of athletic, skilful wingers in FC 26 runs deep, so if you've got an ageing player to replace, these are the top picks, but there are plenty more to uncover.

Rio Ngumoha is just 17 and has a giant growth curve if you can tempt him away from Liverpool.

Name	Age	Club	Position	Overall	Potential	Growth
Lamine Yamal	18	FC Barcelona	RM, RW	89	95	+6
Desire Doue	20	Paris Saint-Germain	RW, LW, CM, RM	85	91	+6
Estevao	18	Chelsea	RM, CAM, RW	78	89	+11
Arda Guler	20	Real Madrid	RM, CAM, RW	81	89	+8
Rio Ngumoha	17	Liverpool	LM, LW	68	88	+20
Geovany Quenda	18	Sporting CP	RM, LM, RW, LW	76	88	+12
Pablo Garcia	19	Real Betis	RM, RW, LM, ST	68	87	+19
Julien Duranville	19	Borussia Dortmund	RM, RW, LM, ST	72	87	+15
Ethan Nwaneri	18	Arsenal	RW, RM, CM	76	87	+11
Assane Diao Diaoune	20	Como	LM, RM, LW	76	87	+11

Best young midfielders in FC 26

Great midfielders steer your ship. We think it's easiest to bring in a wonderkid into midfield as you'll often have more experienced options alongside to balance out your team (unlike the riskier strikers or goalies). Our list has some of the future stars of attacking and defensive midfield.

Kees Smit represents a whopping potential and profit, if you're patient.

Name	Age	Club	Position	Overall	Potential	Growth
Joao Neves	20	Paris Saint-Germain	CM, CDM	85	90	+5
Jorthy Mokio	17	Ajax	CDM, CM, LB, CB	70	89	+19
Kenan Yildiz	20	Juventus	CAM, LM, LW, CM	79	89	+10
Nico Paz	21	Como	CAM, CM	79	89	+10
Gavi	21	FC Barcelona	CM, CAM	83	89	+6
Rodrigo Mora	18	FC Porto	CAM, CM, LW, ST	76	89	+13
Jauregizar	21	Athletic Club	CM, CDM	78	88	+10
Franco Mastantuono	18	Real Madrid	CAM, RW, ST	77	88	+11
Kees Smit	19	AZ	CAM, CM, RM	72	87	+15
Lucas Bergvall	19	Tottenham Hotspur	CM, CDM, CAM	77	87	+10

Best young defenders in FC 26

Goals win games, but defence wins titles. Typically, defenders peak at an older age than attackers, so your team might have a few ageing defenders you'll need to replace early. Here are your top wonderkid defenders to sign if you need a reliable center back or a speedy full back.

The Dutch leagues are renowned wonderkid farms, and Givairo Read is the latest in a long line of high-potential bargains.

Name	Age	Club	Position	Overall	Potential	Growth
Dean Huijsen	20	Real Madrid	CB	82	89	+7
Jorrel Hato	19	Chelsea	LB, CB	78	89	+11
Pau Cubarsi	18	FC Barcelona	CB	82	88	+6
Givairo Read	19	Feyenoord	RB, RM	75	88	+13
Finn Jeltsch	19	VfB Stuttgart	CB	72	87	+15
Luka Vuskovic	18	Hamburger SV	CB	72	87	+15
El Chadaille Bitshiabu	20	RB Leipzig	CB	75	87	+12
Myles Lewis-Skelly	18	Arsenal	LB, CM	78	87	+9
Ousmane Diomande	21	Sporting CP	CB	80	87	+7
Balde	21	FC Barcelona	LB, LM	83	87	+4

Best young goalkeepers in FC 26

Goalkeepers aren't the most glamorous or out-there superstars, but you'll need safe hands to guarantee trophies. To get the best goalies with higher potential, we'd be stretching the term 'kid' too far, so you'll need to tell your scouts to look for players in their mid-20s.

Restes is the obvious buy here, but the +23 potential in young Lucca Brughmans can't be ignored.

Name	Age	Club	Position	Overall	Potential	Growth
Guillaume Restes	20	Toulouse FC	GK	78	86	+8
Matthieu Epolo	20	Standard Liege	GK	73	85	+12
Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro	21	AZ	GK	71	84	+13
Dennis Seimen	19	SC Paderborn 07	GK	66	84	+18
Mike Penders	20	RC Strasbourg	GK	73	84	+11
Lucca Brughmans	17	Genk	GK	59	82	+23
Tiago Pereira Cardoso	19	Borussia M'gladbach	GK	67	82	+15
Ewen Jaouen	21	Stade de Reims	GK	68	82	+14
James Beadle	21	Birmingham City	GK	70	82	+12
Robin Risser	20	RC Lens	GK	72	82	+10

So those are the best wonderkids in FC 26. We're sure you're already drawing up a shortlist for your latest youth project, but don't go too mad at once. Signing too many young players risks them becoming unhappy and stagnating, and they won't hit those sky-high potentials.

If you're just getting to grips with FC 26, make sure you've dialed in the best FC 26 settings before kicking off, and take your pick from our guide to EA FC 26 tactic codes to get your team playing like world beaters.