French outlet L’Equipe has released their list of the top 50 players born in, or after 2001 and the top spot is awarded to none other than Barcelona’s Andy Fati. The youngster joined the Barcelona youth academy from Sevilla and has since graduated into the first team from the world-famous La Masia academy of the Blaugrana.
This season, Fati has managed to make a giant leap in establishing himself ahead of other quality forwards such as Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Francisco Trincao. The 18-year-old has been involved in 9 goals this season, netting 5 and assisting 4 across La Liga and the Champions League.
Currently, though, the winger is out with a medical laceration and is expected to make his return to the first team in March.
Barcelona’s Pedri has also managed to get onto the top 50 list, coming in at 4th behind Eduardo Camavinga of Rennes and Ryan Gravenberch of Ajax.
While Barcelona might not be what they once were, their academy has not lost its shine and reputation of producing world-class talents. A youth system that produced the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Carles Puyol and Sergio Busquets as completely homegrown talents has shown it’s worth in Pedri and Fati once more.
Dortmund’s Giovanni Reyna and Jude Bellingham have also managed to get onto the list, with Premier League starlets Mason Greenwood and Bukayo Saka making it into the plan. Yari Verschaeren of Anderlecht and Myron Boadu of Eredivisie club AZ are the two lesser-known entries in the top 10, who are being tipped for successful careers L’Equipe.
