Last August, we earmarked a handful of young players to have breakout years. Now halfway through the season, how are those picks looking?In a world of hot takes and bold predictions, it’s easy to sp...
Last August, we earmarked a handful of young players to have breakout years. Now halfway through the season, how are those picks looking?
In a world of hot takes and bold predictions, it’s easy to spew incendiary comments without holding yourself accountable. We don’t do that here at Urban Pitch.
Prior to the start of the 2025-26 season, we dropped our customary “Breakout Stars to Watch” list, and it’s about that time to put our predictions under the microscope. We’re just over halfway through a season that has already had so much intrigue, and with so much still to play for, it’s the perfect time to check back in.
Similar to last year, we’ll pick out the best of the bunch from our initial list, as well as throw in some new names that have firmly made their mark.
Updates From the Initial List
Lily Yohannes, 18, OL Lyonnes, United States
We’ll kick it off with maybe the name I’m most proud of. Saying the 18-year-old American Lily Yohannes has shone would be a gross understatement; quite frankly, she deserves all the superlatives. In her first season with one of the giants of women’s football, OL Lyonnes, she hasn’t once looked out of place. She began with a goal and a stellar performance in her debut against Olympique Marseille and hasn’t looked back.
She’s racked up four goals and four assists in her 18 appearances, which makes her just one off her total G/A tally from last year, and we’re only in January. She’s a sensational player, and at such a tender age, it’s genuinely frightening to think about the kind of ceiling she has (if she even has one).
The standout moment of the season wasn’t hard to pick; her goal in the UEFA Women’s Champions League against St. Pölten was voted goal of the league phase, and rightfully so. She picked the ball up just inside the opposition half before spotting the goalkeeper off her line and lofting the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the center circle.
Gonzalo Garcia, 21, Real Madrid, Spain
Since shining in the Club World Cup over the summer, Gonzalo Garcia began the season slowly, and even had a stint back with Real Madrid’s Castilla U-21 team. Kylian Mbappe’sBallon d’Or-level play hasn’t helped his case, and like with fellow young striker Endrick, he struggled to break into the team consistently as we thought he might. However, Mbappe’s injury in January saw Garcia get a rare chance, and he made the most of his opportunity.
In the five-game stretch where he started, Garcia bagged five goals and one assist with a scintillating hat-trick against Real Betis in his first start of that run. It was a brief but telling period that reminded the world just how talented the 21-year-old is. With Mbappe fit once again, there’s no telling how much game time Garcia will see, but with Madrid sending Endrick on loan rather than their homegrown Spaniard, maybe new coach Álvaro Arbeloa has bigger plans for Garcia.
Gilberto Mora, 17, Club Tijuana, Mexico
The U-17 player with the most goals in the world in 2025, Club Tijuana diamond Gilberto Mora continues to take his play to higher levels. His Liga MX Apertura campaign ended with an impressive five goals and one assist in 14 appearances, but it was during the break in the season for the FIFA U-20 World Cup where he truly turned on the shine.
Despite going out in the quarterfinals to Argentina, Mora was one of the tournament’s best players. He bagged three goals and two assists in Mexico’s five matches played, and his performances backed up the numbers. His elite technical ability and eye for a killer pass in the middle of the park are golden attributes, and having only just turned 17 in October, there’s still so much more growth ahead for one of the Americas’ brightest stars.
Michelle Agyemang, 19, Arsenal, England
Probably the most unfortunate update of the list, Michelle Agyemang was on cloud nine after her super showing at the 2025 Women’s EUROs. She began her season with two goal contributions in her opening five games of the WSL season, in which she played with Brighton and Hove Albion on loan from Arsenal. However, a torn ACL while on international duty with England cut her season short, and it’s unclear when she’ll make her return. It’s devastating for the 19-year-old, who will likely lose out on nearly a year of development, but with her temperament and talent, I have a feeling she’ll be back stronger.
New Additions Who Have Made Their Mark
Lennart Karl, 17, FC Bayern, Germany
We mentioned Mora had the most U-17 goals in 2025, and the player right behind him was Bayern Munich’s Lennart Karl. He was an unknown quantity to most at the beginning of the year, but his performances on the biggest stage have made him a household name.
His stunner against Club Brugge made him the youngest player to score for FC Bayern in a Champions League game, and he’s since gone on to add two more to that tally this season in back-to-back games. With additional stellar performances against Arsenal and Sporting, Karl also became the youngest player to score in three consecutive UEFA Champions League matches.
Add that to his four goals and two assists in the Bundesliga, and you’ve got a breakout senior campaign to remember for Bayern’s young phenom.
Nico Paz, 21, Como, Argentina
Still only 21 years old, Nico Paz has played a major role in Como’s resurgence in Serie A since being promoted in 2024. After a solid 2024-25 campaign that represented his first full season of senior football, Paz taken things to even loftier heights under Cesc Fabregas in 2025-26. Paz already has eight goals and six assists this season, only one off his goal contributions for the entirety of last year, and while he’s not a new commodity to clued-in European football fans, I still think he isn’t spoken about enough in the conversations around Europe’s best young players.
Category: General Sports
