By Ethan Barlow

In a cross-Atlantic battle, European football meets America’s sporting drafts

Due to the differences between the American sports setup and football in Europe, this idea could never be possible, but it’s a fun concept to think about, nevertheless. If players aged 20 and under were drafted, here’s how they would rank:

#1 Pick - Jude Bellingham

There’s no surprise to see Jude Bellingham at the top of any list as the Real Madrid superstar is one of not just the best youngsters in the world, but players. The Englishman has been so sensational this season that he has been included in early Ballon d’Or conversations alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.

Bellingham has 20 goals in 29 appearances so far in his opening season at Los Blancos, which is almost more goals than he had in 132 appearances at Borussia Dortmund (24). If Real Madrid are to win a league and Champions League double, and England has a good run, or even wins the Euros in the summer, Bellingham would have to be a strong favourite for the Ballon d’Or. If he was to win the illustrious award, he would be the second youngest ever to win it, one month older than Ronaldo Nazario’s 1997 recognition.

#2 pick - Jamal Musiala

A good friend and England youth teammate of Bellingham, Jamal Musiala is the next best behind the Real Madrid man. Luckily for everyone but England, the Bayern Munich man opted to play for Germany as that was where he was born, despite spending his early years in England.

Musiala turns 21 at the end of this month and has already made over 150 appearances for the Bavarians, scoring 39 goals. The attacking midfielder progressed through the Bayern youth system after they picked him up from Chelsea when he was just 15. Musiala was the standout in another disappointing German World Cup campaign, with his distinct dribbling style setting him as one of the best in the world. Musiala’s 89th-minute strike on the final day of last season’s Bundesliga season snatched the title away from Bellingham and Dortmund. The two players have been compared a lot since their rise to the top, but they are both part of a very promising era of central midfielders.

Bellingham and Musiala could be the future blueprint for goalscoring midfielders (Image: Getty Images)

#3 pick - Gavi

Gavi is another player who is part of a loaded upcoming generation of midfield talent. He made his debuts for Barcelona and Spain at just 16 and 17, and he partners Pedri in both midfields which have a striking similarity to another famous pairing: Xavi and Andrés Iniesta, you can’t say one without the other. Gavi and Pedri come as a pair and even have the same numbers as the two footballing icons who came before them.

Pedri has similarities to both Iniesta and Xavi, whereas Gavi is completely different. He is energetic on and off the ball and is very good in tight spaces. To live up to the previous pairing is immense pressure on the youngsters, but they are both immensely talented either side of 20 years old.

#4 pick - Florian Wirtz

Florian Wirtz has been essential to Xabi Alonso’s style of play and Bayer Leverkusen’s eight-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga. Wirtz has made 133 appearances for the league leaders, scoring 31 times. The German international has always been a good player, but this season, he has elevated his game to be one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe. Wirtz has 24 goal involvements in 30 appearances this season and Leverkusen will be very hard-pushed to keep his services past the summer.

Wirtz was part of Germany’s European Under-21 Championship triumph in 2021. Wirtz is thought of very highly in England, sparking interest from Liverpool and Manchester City. Bayern Munich have also been linked with the 20-year-old with a summer raid of Leverkusen expected.

#5 pick - Xavi Simons

Emerging as a La Masia product, Xavi Simons was tipped to be one of the world’s best from his early teens as Barcelona had high hopes for the Dutchman. Barcelona let go of the youngster after they believed he had hit his ceiling, and how wrong they were. In his time at Paris Saint-Germain, he has had two impressive loan seasons, one at PSV in which he almost scored a goal every other game from the wing. He is now completing a season-long loan at RB Leipzig.

Simons has been one of the Bundesliga’s most impressive players this season, with 17 goal contributions in all competitions thus far. Simons will return to Paris as one of the best young wingers in the world. It looks like Leipzig may be priced out of a permanent transfer, as PSG may have the 20-year-old in their plans.

Wirtz and Simons battling out in the Bundesliga (Image: Getty Images)

#6 pick - Warren Zaïre-Emery

A product of the PSG academy, the Frenchman is another talented youngster on the French giant’s hands. Zaïre-Emery is just 17 years old and made his first senior appearance at just 15. At the time, he became the youngest player to start a Champions League knockout match.

Zaïre-Emery is a highly intelligent central midfielder who won’t score many goals or get many assists, but his control over games at such an early age is very impressive. Zaïre-Emery looks like he will be a name which will become familiar in the PSG team for years to come.

Just how good a player will Zaire-Emery be when he reaches his peak? (Image: Getty Images)

#7 pick - Lamine Yamal

The man (or boy) who very recently broke Zaire-Emery’s youngest Champions League knockout stage’s youngest-ever starter record is another part of Barcelona’s rebuild towards their next generation of success. Born in 2007, Yamine Lamal is the youngest player on this list.

The third La Masia graduate on the list, Yamal was the youngest Barcelona player to make an appearance since 1922 and he is the youngest player to ever appear and score for the Spanish national team. The winger beat out the previous records set by Gavi.

Yamal replacing Gavi for Barça: One wonderkid for another (Image: Getty Images)

#8 pick - Levi Colwill

Levi Colwill has had to be patient in getting a chance to perform at Stamford Bridge, but while Chelsea have spent hundreds of millions on players and tens on centre-backs, Colwill was right under their nose. He is getting his chance to perform in Mauricio Pochettino’s new-look Chelsea team.

Colwill has had successful season-long loan spells at both Huddersfield Town and Brighton and Hove Albion. Colwill earned his first England cap in October 2023 and is expected to be part of Gareth Southgate’s squad to head to Germany in the summer.

#9 pick - Mathys Tel

Playing second fiddle to one of the best strikers of the last 10 years in Harry Kane, Mathys Tel hasn’t had the chance to shine as the main man yet at Bayern Munich or anywhere in his senior career. Bayern signed the Frenchman from Stade Rennes in the summer of 2022 after making just 10 appearances in France.

Since joining the record Bundesliga champions, Tel has made 56 appearances but has only started five of them. Tel has scored 12 goals for Bayern, which is a goal every 106 minutes of action. An impressive return for a player who will only get better in the shadow of some of the world’s best.

#10 pick - Evan Ferguson

Evan Ferguson has emerged as one of the Premier League’s hottest talents this season. The Irishman was signed by Brighton from his boyhood cub when he was just 16 years old. Just four games at Bohemian FC were enough to entice Brighton to sign the striker.

Since signing for the seaside club, Ferguson has made 59 appearances, scoring 16 goals. Ferguson is yet to stamp his place in Roberto De Zerbi’s starting eleven, starting 12 of his 23 Premier League appearances this season. Ferguson has made a mark internationally, scoring three in his first 10 caps for the Republic of Ireland.

If there were to be an American-style draft for European football, how would it go?