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FC 25 wonderkids: Best young players with high Career Mode potential

These guys aren't kidding around.

Lamine Yamal in FC 25 performing an overheard kick

EA Sports

Published: Monday, 21 July 2025 at 10:17 am

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While Ultimate Team might rule the roost, Career Mode is still one of the best ways to play FC 25, especially if you relish watching your players develop over time.

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If you're considering starting up a new save while you wait for the upcoming FC 26 release date, then you probably want some wonderkids to add to your squad.

FC 25 has a ton of talented youngsters with high potentials that you can nurture into world class players, or potentially sell on for a huge profit if you prefer.

That's why we've put together a list of the best FC 25 wonderkids, so you can easily sign all the best young players in each position with ease – assuming you have the money, of course!

Best young players in FC 25 Career Mode

Nico Williams Jr in FC 25 striking a ball

Nico Williams Jr in FC 25.

The best young players in FC 25 Career Mode are Lamine Yamal and Endrick, thanks to their sky-high potential ability. Here are a few more of the top prospects:

We've looked at a variety of factors for these players, including their overall potential (via Futwiz), growth, contract length and prices. While some of these players are already at the top clubs and may be quite expensive to pick up, we have excluded some of the very best that you probably won't be able to sign, who are already some of the highest-rated players overall, such as Jude Bellingham, Jamal Musiala, and João Neves.

We've also defined wonderkids as any player aged 21 or younger – that means a few players like Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka and Pedri unfortunately don't make the cut, despite still relatively young.

While you could certainly make a strong attacking team out of these players, it's looking a little light at the back, with Jorrel Hato and Pau Cubarsi being the only defenders – that's why you can check out the best young players for each role further down.

These players won’t be used as much in Division Rivals or FUT Champs unless they fit with an Evolution, but they are sure to set you up for years in Career Mode, especially if you use the right Player Roles.

Best young strikers in FC 25

Ferguson in FC 25 shooting at goal

Ferguson in FC 25.

The best young strikers in FC 25 with high potential are as follows:

Finding a striker who can get 15/20 goals a season is a priority for any club and the below players will ensure goals and eventually allow you to rake in a tidy profit. All of the above players are pure strikers, and you may even be able to get them on loan in some cases.

Benjamin Šeško is certainly the best choice out of these players, as not only does he have the joint-highest potential, but he's also fairly well-developed already, meaning he can slot right into your team.

This does mean he'll be expensive, however, so if you're a little strapped for cash, then Semih Kiliçsoy of Besiktas is a much more affordable option, though he'll take a bit longer to develop.

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Best young wingers in FC 25

Bynoe-Gittens in FC 25 striking the ball

Bynoe-Gittens in FC 25.

If you need one of the best young wingers in FC 25, these are who we'd suggest picking up in Career Mode:

If you play with width in FC 25, then tricky wingers are going to be real difference-makers. They will pitch in with goals, assists, and stretching the play to create space for the rest of your team. Each of these players will help add dynamism and quality to any attack.

Both Johan Bakayoko and Matias Soule represent excellent choices, with both eventually capable of developing to an overall rating of 88, and will be a fair bit cheaper than Lamine Yamal.

If you're looking for a club to manage in Career Mode, you might want to go for Dortmund, as they have a wonderkid winger for both flanks of the pitch in the form of Julien Duranville and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, who has recently earned himself a TOTS card in Ultimate Team.

Best young midfielders in FC 25

Guerra in FC 25 dribbling the ball

Guerra in FC 25.

We have grouped defensive, attacking, and traditional midfielders together, but regardless of how you play, these players are the heartbeat of your side in FC 25 Career mode. We have included their positions to help narrow down what you’re looking for.

Gavi is far and away the best option here, with a whopping 90 overall rating, but because of that, he's also going to cost you an arm and a leg – João Neves and Oscar Gloukh won't be much cheaper either.

For more of a bargain, you're better off looking at Assan Ouédraogo of RB Leipzig or Newcastle's Lewis Miley, so long as you have the patience to develop them.

You may also recognise Rosenborg's Sverre Halseth Nypan if you're a big Football Manager fan, as the Norwegian has made quite a name for himself as an FM24 wonderkid too.

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Best young full-backs in FC 25

Rico Lewis in FC 25 doing keepy-uppies

Rico Lewis in FC 25.

These are the best young LBs and RBs in FC 25 to sign:

There was a time when full-backs weren’t considered fashionable positions, but that changed recently. Now, your full-back or wing-back is instrumental to a team's success, equally contributing at both ends of the pitch and even inverting to add extra bodies in midfield.

If you have cash to burn, Ajax's Jorrel Hato and Barca's Alejandro Balde have the highest potential ratings, but both are left-backs, so you'll probably only need one.

On the right flank, Malo Gusto and Rico Lewis are the best options, although both will also be rather expensive.

Best young centre-backs in FC 25

Malo Gusto in a Chelsea shirt in FC 25.

Malo Gusto in FC 25. EA Sports

Now that Player Roles have been added into FC 25, it’s vital to sign defenders who fit the way you want to play. If you want to build from the back, ensure the players are comfortable with the ball at their feet and can pass, whilst other defenders are more traditional destroyers. These are the top young CBs we'd pick up:

Jorrel Hato is back again, as the versatile defender can do a job at centre-back as well as left-back, and he's joined by Atalanta's domineering young Giorgio Scalvini.

Luka Vušcović represents the best value, though you'll have to wait until he finishes his loan at Westerlo – if you can't wait that long, then you should take a look at Tobías Palacio instead.

Giovanni Leoni and Håkon Volden both don't have particularly high potentials, but this makes them ideal signings for lower-league clubs with smaller budgets, as they'll improve with you as you climb the leagues.

Best young goalkeepers in FC 25

Guillaume Restes jumping for a cross in FC 25.

Guillaume Restes in FC 25. EA Sports

Other than full-back, the goalkeeper position has evolved the most in modern football, with some keepers, like Ederson, being just as comfortable with the ball at their feet as the average player. Therefore, if you want to begin attacks from the very start, you must have a youngster who can develop into the modern keeper in FC 25. Here are the goalkeeping wonderkids we'd suggest:

Unfortunately, the goalkeeper offering isn't quite as rich as many other positions, with only Toulouse's Guillaume Restes possessing a truly impressive potential ability of 89.

James Beadle and Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro represent the next best options, as they're the most developed of the remaining goalkeepers on our list.

After that, the rest aren't particularly worth looking at – it might just be worth getting yourself an older player to put between the sticks if you find yourself unable to sign Restes.

Best cheap young players in EA FC 25 with highest potential: Hidden gems

Joseph in FC 25 shooting at goal

Joseph in FC 25.

The majority of the players listed already will cost a fair amount; if you’re not a big side, many will be out of reach. Therefore, we’ve listed some more affordable players who will make great signings for smaller sides climbing the ranks to success. These are the hidden gems we'd buy in Career Mode:

If you don't have a massive transfer budget to spend on the likes of Gavi and Yamal, there are still plenty of cheaper players with a decent potential if you're willing to put the work in.

Mustafa Hekimoglu and Chris Rigg are probably the best examples of this, as both will eventually grow into very solid players.

These players are worth signing for a team in a league like the EFL Championship, so that they develop alongside the team, growing into Premier League players as you get promoted, and then once you've got a higher transfer budget later down the line, you can replace them with someone a bit better.

Best young women to sign in FC 25

You can now play Career Mode as women's teams in FC 25, so we've included a selection of the best young women players to sign across all positions.

Linda Caicedo is definitely the best pick here, not only because of her high potential ability of 90, but because she's a versatile player who can play in a number of positions.

If you're looking for a particular club to manage, then you really can't get much better than Athletico Madrid, who boast three players on this list: Andrea Medina, Silvia Lloris and Luany.

Despite their prowess on the international stage, the US is surprisingly lacking in young talent, with Angel City's Kennedy Fuller the only option on our list.

Read more on FC 25:

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Authors

Jon NicholsonFreelance Writer

Jon Nicholson is a Freelance Gaming Writer, specialising in the Call of Duty franchise. He previously worked for Gfinity, GGRecon and Red Bull writing a variety of gaming news and guides. Alongside his previous work, he's a Freelance News Writer for Esports Insider.

Joshua LambFreelance Writer

Joshua Lamb is a freelance writer at Radio Times Gaming, covering news and guides. He is also a games journalist and critic at The Times where he reviews the latest titles, having also previously reported on events such as Gamescom and the BAFTA Game Awards.

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