Academies

Cristiano Ronaldo’s son, Cristiano Jr., took a major step into the soccer spotlight as he scored twice to lead Portugal’s Under-15 national team to victory in the 2025 Vlatko Marković Youth Tournament final against hosts Croatia.

The 14-year-old forward opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a confident left-footed finish inside the box, showcasing composure and technique reminiscent of his legendary father. The iconic 'SIUUUU' celebration also made an appearance.

The ability to choose is often taken for granted in soccer. With the increased prominence of dual nationals in recent years, fans are becoming used to seeing players pick which nationality they want to represent, like Yunus Musah and Folarin Balogun. What’s less common, however, is a player who, before turning 19, not only qualifies for four national teams but has already represented three of them.

There have been very few bright spots for Juventus this season. On the back of the club’s humiliation in the Champions League midweek, a host of injuries forced manager Massimiliano Allegri’s hand as he utilized many of his younger players against Lecce. His faith was rewarded by Nicolò Fagioli, who scored a stunning goal to give the Bianconeri a 1-0 win. 

Just as deadline day was about to slam shut, Leeds United surprised many by signing winger, Wilfried Gnonto. Anyone familiar with the 18-year-old Italian however, will be aware of the brilliant business done by Jesse Marsch to bring him to England for as little as he did. 

The Premier League breeds some of the best young talents of any league in the world. Youth academy stars are given a chance with the first team, and quite often, they stay. As we get closer to the start of the Premier League season, here are five players 20 years old and under, that you need to pay attention to this season.

A fairly unassuming weeknight MLS match between the cellar-dwelling Chicago Fire and Toronto FC proved to be anything but on Wednesday night. Chicago took care of business at home thanks to a pair of goals by 18-year-old Colombian Jhon Durán, the second of which has garnered much attention thanks to a spectacular assist. 

MLS Next Pro — a new third-tier league launched in 2022 that features mostly MLS reserve teams — is looking to change the game, literally. MLS Next Pro is in the middle of its first season and will be testing out two new rules effective immediately. One of the two new MLS Next Pro rules would be a game changer if it spread to the rest of the sport.

New MLS Next Pro Rules

The two new rules are called the Off-field Treatment Rule and the Red Card Suspension Rule. Let’s look at how they work.