Kobbie Mainoo, a midfielder for Manchester United, is rated as the seventh-best wonderkid in all of football.
This occurs during the homegrown star of United’s fantastical breakthrough campaign.
Mainoo has been a revelation for the team ever since he returned from a three-month layoff due to a preseason injury.
His calm, collected, and graceful performances have won him accolades from his teammates, the media, and supporters. These qualities have frequently allowed him to stand head and shoulders above some of his more seasoned and experienced teammates.
Without a question, the 18-year-old is currently among the first names on the squad sheet when Erik ten Hag is selecting his starting lineup.
Mainoo has made 22 appearances for United this season in all competitions. In that time, he’s scored two goals.
After winning United’s January Player of the Month title, he went on to earn the Premier League’s February Goal of the Month award for the Red Devils thanks to a brilliant last-minute solo effort against Wolves.
Gareth Southgate first passed over Mainoo for an England senior call-up. The Carrington Academy alumnus was initially scheduled to join the Three Lions squad earlier than expected.
But following a brilliant performance against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarterfinal last Sunday, Southgate appeared to reverse course and add Mainoo to his national team lineup far too late.
The yearly NXGN list from GOAL, which features “50 of the most incredible talents to have been born after January 1, 2005,” was just released.
The world’s top teenage football players, both men’s and women’s, are ranked by the NXGN ranking.
GOAL’s esteemed rankings have seen players such as Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho, a United loanee, reach the top spot.
According to the journal, “the 2024 NXGN list is a truly global one, featuring established senior internationals, title winners, and names that are set to light up major tournaments this summer.” The list spans all five continents and represents 17 different countries.
Mainoo finished in seventh place, one spot ahead of Kenan Yildiz of Juventus and one spot behind Vitor Roque of Barcelona.
The 16-year-old forward Lamine Yamal of Barcelona was declared the world’s greatest wonderkid. The final four are, in order, Endrick (Palmeiras), Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris-Saint Germain), and Mathys Tel (Bayern Munich).
This acknowledgement is just one more achievement for Mainoo. For the midfielder who currently has the entire globe at his disposal, the sky is the limit.
