A lot has changed, particularly in football. The next generation must be prepared to assume the mantle when the best of the best are ready to hang up their boots because no one can rule the world for all time.
However, as FIFA 24 approaches, it’s time to meet a new team composed of the top EAFC 24 wonderkids you can add to your squad.
In EAFC 24, a wonderkid is a talented young player who is under the age of 21 and has a great deal of potential. By that standard, a ton of outstanding players, including Vinicius Junior, who is 24 years old, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland, who are all no longer wonderkids.
But haven’t you already heard of those guys? This list should help you find some unknown performers who have the potential to become household names.
Football is a game that thrives on young talent. Create your own legends with some of the top young players in EAFC 24. No one is more adored by fans than the hometown hero who rose through the ranks of the club from the beginning of their career.
When new patches are released or players switch teams, we constantly update this page with new players. For more selections, come back soon!
Highest rated EAFC 24 Wonderkids
- Jamal Musiala – 20 – Bayern – CAM/CM – 86 OVR/93 POT
- Pedri – 20 – Barcelona – CM – 86 OVR/92 POT
- Jude Bellingham – 20 – Real Madrid – CM/CAM – 86 OVR/91 POT
- Bukayo Saka – 21 – Arsenal – RW – 86 OVR/90 POT
- Florian Wirtz – 20 – Leverkusen – CAM/CM – 85 OVR/91 POT
- Gavi – 18 – Barcelona – CM – 83 OVR/90 POT
- Eduardo Camavinga – 20 – Real Madrid – CDM/CM – 82 OVR/89 POT
- Josko Gvardiol – 21 – Man City – CB/LB – 82 OVR/88 POT
- Nuno Mendes – 21 – PSG – LB – 82 OVR/87 POT
- Balde – 19 – Barcelona – LB – 81 OVR/89 POT
- Arnau Martinez – 20 – Girona – RB – 80 OVR/87 POT
- Karim Adeyemi – 21 – Dortmund – ST/LW – 80 OVR/87 POT
- Moises Caicedo – 21 – Chelsea – CDM/CM – 80 OVR/85 POT
- Xavi Simons – 20 – RB Leipzig (PSG) – CAM – 79 OVR/89 POT
- Yeremy Pino – 20 – Villarreal – LW/RW/ST – 79 OVR/87 POT
- Ryan Gravenberch – 21 – Liverpool – CM/CDM/CAM – 79 OVR/87 POT
- Florian Balogun – 21 – Monaco – ST – 79 OVR/86 POT
- Goncalo Inacio – 21 – Sporting – CB – 79 OVR/86 POT
- Piero Hincapie – 21 – Leverkusen – CB/LB – 79 OVR/86 POT
- Nico Williams – 20 – Athletic Bilbao – RW/LW – 79 OVR/85 POT
- Gabri Veiga – 21 – Al Ahli – CM/CAM – 78 OVR/89 POT
- Elye Wahi – 20 – Lens – ST – 78 OVR/88 POT
- Antonio Silva – 19 – Benfica – CB – 78 OVR/88 POT
- Michael Olise – 21 – Crystal Palace – RW – 78 OVR/84 POT
- Lucas Chevalier – 21 – Lille – GK – 78 OVR/84 POT
Best Wonderkid Goalkeepers in EAFC 24
Guillaume Restes – 18 – Toulouse – £3m value – 70 OVR/87 POT
Guillaume Restes, the new default wonderkid goalkeeper in almost any Career Mode, is just one of the countless talented young shot-stoppers in the French League.
His goalkeeping statistics are strong overall, and he is a good height. With 74 reflexes, he can be added to a wide range of teams right away, and given his high starting potential, he is likely to develop quickly.
Dennis Seimen – 17 – Stuttgart – £750k value – 61 OVR/84 POT
Is this the German regen of David Seaman? Dennis Seimen has age and height on his side if you’re searching for a raw option with a lot of potential.
If you’re going to throw him in at the deep end, his 56 positioning and 58 handling are a concern, so make sure to boost his match performance rating with lots of successful passes and invest in new goalkeeping coaches so that he increases ratings quickly.
Lucas Chevalier – 21 – Lille – £16m value – 78 OVR/84 POT
The best young goalkeeper in EAFC 24 (excluding Donnarumma and Kobel, of course) is Lucas Chevalier of Lille, who is ranked first in both Ligue 1 and the Europa Conference League.
He is a reliable all-around player with good diving and reflexes, making him the kind of quality signing that can fit into almost any team.
Maarten Vandevoordt – 21 – Genk – £9.5m value – 75 OVR/85 POT
Maarten Vandevoordt has been your top option for a few years now if you’ve been looking for a wonderkid goalkeeper in Career Mode. However, he has a tentative agreement to join RB Leipzig in 2019, so be sure to sign him up before that transaction is finalized.
Vandevooardt is a great height and has strong stats across the board to start as your goalkeeper right away despite his age.
Bart Verbruggen – 21 – Brighton – £9m value – 75 OVR/85 POT
Bart Verbruggen was acquired by Brighton to compete with Jason Steele after Rob Sanchez left for Chelsea. His large frame makes it easy for him to get down and make saves thanks to his excellent reflexes.
In Career Mode teams that rely on possession, it can be challenging to train keepers. However, his positioning needs improvement, so decide whether it would be beneficial to switch up his training regimen in the near future to concentrate on that.
Gavin Bazunu – 21 – Southampton – £3.5m value – 71 OVR/83 POT
Gavin Bazunu gained international attention while playing for the Republic of Ireland by saving a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty. After making the switch to Southampton, he was not treated favorably by being a part of an equally inexperienced team that was ultimately relegated to the Championship.
Despite this setback, Bazunu still has a ton of potential and, despite not being a very realistic signing, will still be a valuable member of your team for the next ten or more years.
James Trafford – 20 – Burnley – 71 OVR/84 POT
James Trafford, a different international hero who stopped a crucial penalty in the U-21 Euro final, was signed by Burnley and has started as their starting goalkeeper in all of their Premier League games thus far.
Even though it’s not the most realistic signing, you would be excused for luring him away from Turf Moor because he’s a high-potential English talent who’s great for Road to Glory Career Mode saves. You’re not shortchanging Burney because they also have goalies on their roster with more experience.
Best Wonderkid Defenders in EAFC 24
Quilindschy Hartman – 21 – Feyenoord – £5.5m value – 73 OVR/83 POT
Quilindschy Hartman has grown into a crucial part of Arne Slot’s impressive Feyenoord squad despite his youth.
The Bruiser, Aerial, and Slide Tackle Playstyles make him a physical presence at the back, which can really help to make up for a smaller, quicker center-back who distributes the ball. He is quick and technical in true Dutch Total Football style.
Grab him so you can say you first heard of him because Feyenoord are continuing their strong form and his overall and potential are steadily rising.
Antonio Silva – 19 – Benfica – £25m value – 78 OVR/88 POT
Antonio Silva, a young prodigy whose rating soared throughout FIFA 23, is still one of the hottest wonderkid defenders in EAFC 24.
At 6 feet 2 inches tall, he has the physical presence and strength to dominate the defense. He is an incredible all-arounder with a number of stats that are around 80 at the beginning of your save.
Bright Arrey-Mbi – 20 – Hannover 96 – £1.6m value – 66 OVR/79 POT
Check out Bright Arrey-Mbi in the German second division if you’re looking for a left-footed option who is affordable enough to be available for a variety of different teams.
Highlights include 88 sprint speed and 78 strength at 6 feet 2 inches, but his mid-sixties defending stats are good overall and should improve quickly given his age.
Leonidas Stergiou – 21 – Stuttgart (St. Gallen) – £3m value – 70 OVR/82 POT
For the past few seasons, Leonidas Stergiou has been among the best wonderkid defenders, but in EAFC 24, he is even better.
He now combines his 84 pace with 77 strength, 80 stamina, and good tackling to play every week.
His height of 5 feet 11 inches is the only issue. While this is somewhat mitigated by his 85 jumping, he is still best paired with a taller partner and a more powerful full-back or CDM to avoid being exposed at corners.
Willian Pacho – 21 – Eintracht Frankfurt – £7.7m value – 74 OVR/84 POT
It’s hard to believe that Willian Pacho only ranks 74 overall with his 85 sprint speed, 85 strength, 77 standing tackle, and 76 slide tackling. That only makes him more approachable to a wider range of teams, though.
Given his athletic prowess, this player is essentially an instant buy if you can afford him. This gives you the perfect opportunity to hone his technical abilities and turn him into one of the best defenders in all of football.
Nnamdi Collins – 18 – Eintracht Frankfurt – £1m value – 63 OVR/82 POT
Nnamdi Collins, a 6′ 3″ center-back who plays for Frankfurt and is still a teenager, is a similarly physically dominant defender with 85 pace and 78 strength.
As you work him up with game time, his 64 standing tackle on such a low-rated defender isn’t bad either, so he won’t feel like too much of a liability.
Balde – 19 – Barcelona – £45m value – 81 OVR/89 POT
Balde, who is one of the best full-back prospects in the world of football, combines speed, endurance, and surprising defensive ability for a young player.
Ansu Fati should be purchased if you have the money because Barcelona’s financial situation makes it less likely that they will be able to hold onto their most promising players. Who would have predicted where Ansu Fati would be playing this season two years ago?
Arnau Martinez – 20 – Girona – £33.5m value – 80 OVR/87 POT
Arnau Martinez, a lesser-known full-back who can also play in the middle, is a tall, defensively sound full-back with a high overall rating for someone so young.
He’s one of those players with a ton of different stats just under 80, even though many of them don’t appear to be particularly impressive at the beginning of Career Mode. With some practice and game time, you can develop an all-around beast with statistics for speed, passing, dribbling, and defense that can compete with the best.
Destiny Udogie – 20 – Spurs – £18.5m value – 77 OVR/86 POT
Due to his strong physical attributes and one of the best wonderkid defenders, Destiny Udogie is now much easier to sign because he has returned to his original club, Spurs.
While Ange Postecoglou’s new back 4 system at Spurs has seen him start every game this year, they should be happy to let Udogie go since they still have Ben Davies and Ryan Sessegnon to choose from in EAFC 24.
Udogie, in contrast to many other wing backs, actually has respectable passing and crossing stats right out of the gate, freeing you up to work on improving his defensive qualities for a more stable back line.
Ian Maatsen – 20 – Chelsea – £7.7m value – 74 OVR/83 POT
Ian Maatsen excelled as Burnley romped to the Championship title last season, but since returning to Chelsea, he has fallen behind left-backs valued at more than £100 million in the hierarchy.
You will receive a lightning-quick defender who can dribble forward as well as put a foot in defensively in exchange for saving him from Chelsea loan purgatory with a permanent deal.
Joe Scally – 20 – Borussia Monchengladbach – £5m value – 74 OVR/80 POT
Given his average overall rating, Joe Scally, who is only 20 years old, not only has excellent physical attributes but also strong defending, dribbling, and passing stats.
You have a young player who can immediately fit into the first team of many respectable European football teams when you combine that with his tall frame.
Best Wonderkid Midfielders in EAFC 24
Florian Wirtz – 20 – Bayer Leverkusen – £70m value – 85 OVR/91 POT
Florian Wirtz, who is only 20 but has a huge new overall rating, seems to have been around for a while. However, with Leverkusen challenging in the Bundesliga and Europa League, this could be his mainstream breakout season.
Florian Wirtz is a wonderkid in every way in EAFC 24 whereas in the past his statistics were underwhelming for the price tag and it was all about potential. He’s an incredible signing for any top team with a ton of passing, dribbling, and shooting Play Styles to play with, unbelievable passing and dribbling stats, and a beefed up stamina stat to last the full 90.
Archie Gray – 17 – Leeds United – £1.5m value – 65 OVR/84 POT
Archie Gray, who is at the other end of the overall rating scale, is a very good pickup with tremendous potential.
Archie is the grand-nephew of Leeds legend Eddie Gray. At 6 feet 2 inches tall, he has the physical presence to compete in the middle of the field. Even though he needs to work on his stamina, he has plenty of time and room to grow to do so.
He has essentially started every game for Leeds this season, so he will undoubtedly be upgraded in upcoming patches. Grab him now while he’s the cheapest he’ll ever be if you’re starting with a team at the base of the pyramid!
Arthur Vermeeren – 18 – Royal Antwerp – £4m value – 72 OVR/85 POT
Arthur Vermeeren, one of the top players in FIFA 23, has transitioned to EAFC 24 with ease. He already possesses the Block and Anticipate Play Styles to make the ball stick to his legs while tracking back, making him an agile and tenacious defensive midfielder.
But graft isn’t the only factor. After breaking up a play with 78 short passing, Vermeeren has the vision to select a strong progressive pass and launch a counterattack.
However, I’ve discovered that Royal Antwerp frequently refuses to sell him because they don’t have enough CDMs. If this occurs, you must use the edit teams menu to add a random CDM to their roster before starting your save with the “current customised” squads. To give Royal Antwerp a CDM you don’t want, approach another one of their players and use the player swap feature. Then, you ought to be able to seize Vermeeren.
Samuele Ricci – 21 – Torino – £13.5m value – 76 OVR/86 POT
Samuele Ricci is someone to watch, despite the fact that he doesn’t have any particularly noteworthy skills at the beginning of Career Mode. This is because almost all of his important stats fall between the mid- and high-seventies.
With a little training, he can easily raise all of those skills to an 80 or higher at such a young age, transforming him from a jack of all trades to a master of them all.
Warren Zaire-Emery – 17 – PSG – £11m value – 75 OVR/88 POT
Warren Zaire-Emery, one of the EAFC 24’s top wonderkid prospects, has been outstanding for PSG thus far this season and has an equally outstanding overall rating.
Yes, it’s an unrealistic signing, but nobody will hold it against you if you use his nearly limitless potential to your advantage and realize his potential to become one of the best midfielders in the world.
Zaire-Emery is not only a promising player for the future, but he is also a valuable player right now with 75 pace and dribbling, 77 short passing, and 74 standing tackle.
Martin Baturina – 20 – Dinamo Zagreb – £8.5m value – 74 OVR/86 POT
At just 20 years old, Martin Baturina is an elite dribbler and passer, allowing him to squirm through the middle of the field and control the tempo of the game despite his lack of strength. He is a classy Croatian midfielder in the mold of Luka Modric.
This type of midfielder is much more effective in EAFC 24, where stocky, technical players excel at maintaining possession of the ball, eluding danger, and passing the ball to teammates.
Baturina is prepared to advance in his career after winning the last two championships with Dinamo Zagreb.
Jobe Bellingham – 17 – Sunderland – £1m value – 63 OVR/82 POT
Did you know Jude Bellingham has a younger brother? Jude Bellingham is arguably the best wonderkid on the planet, but did you know that?
Jobe Bellingham, who left Birmingham to join an exciting young Sunderland team in the Championship, appears to be made from the same material as his brother: he is tall and nimble with the technical ability to play nearly any midfield position.
Because of his adaptability, Jobe might find it challenging to settle on a position. That only allows you to mold him into the archetype that best suits your team, though.
Arda Guler – 18 – Real Madrid – £19m value – 77 OVR/88 POT
Arda Guler is incredibly ambitious in his decision to join Real Madrid, and he possesses the dribbling and passing skills to back it up.
Most young players, especially those playing the CAM position, lack stamina, but wonderkid Arda Guler has enough physicality in his arsenal to actually have an impact on a variety of respectable teams.
He performs even better than his statistics would indicate when you combine that with a variety of passing, shooting, and dribbling Play Styles.
Fabio Miretti & Nicolo Fagioli – 20 & 22 – Juventus – £11m & £20m value – 75 OVR/88 POT & 77 OVR/87 POT
Rome’s giants Juventus has a ready-made wonderkid midfield that you can pounce on and take advantage of.
Although the stats of both players are fairly similar, Miretti has CAM in his listed positions while Fagioli has CDM. Whatever your plans are for either of them, they are both adaptable, mobile, and technologically advanced, allowing you to shape them into any type of persona you like.
Best Wonderkid Attackers in EAFC 24
Gianluca Prestianni – 17 – Velez Sarsfield – £3.5m – 70 OVR/86 POT
There are always some incredible, overmatched young players with enormous starting potential in the Argentinian league. The winger Gianluca Presianni, who has outstanding movement and dribbling statistics for such a young player, is sure to be a popular choice this year.
Criterionally though, 63 starting stamina is actually not that bad, especially for a winger. Especially if they are under 20, many wonderkids have fewer than 50.
Prestianni’s Technical, Quick Step, and Trickster Playstyles will make him feel smooth on the ball given how good dribbling is in EAFC 24.
Elye Wahi – 20 – Lens – £26m value – 78 OVR/88 POT
Elye Wahi is a tall, swift, and excellent finisher who also possesses the Acrobatic+ golden Play Style, which enables him to use uncommon animations to reach crosses’ ends.
Wahi is a formidable force right from the start of Career Mode, where his only real weakness is strength, with 90 pace, nearly 80 dribbling, and 80 shooting.
Karim Adeyemi – 21 – Borussia Dortmund – £37m value – 80 OVR/87 POT
Karim Adeyemi, one of the fastest players in EAFC 24, is also one who, unlike some others, has the dribbling, composure, and finishing ability to make it count when it counts.
Karim Adeyemi has been a well-liked signing for a while, but his promotion to 80 overall has elevated him to a level where he appears prepared to join just about any elite team.
Brian Brobbey – 21 – Ajax – £13m value – 76 OVR/83 POT
In Career Mode, Brian Brobbey has been a sure thing for the past few seasons. He is one of the most exciting wonderkids in EAFC 24 and a great foundation for development thanks to his unbelievable pace, physique, and shooting.
Low/low workrates are a problem at first and indicate he might not be a great prospect forever, but they are easily fixed with training plans that will finish quickly due to his likely goal output.
Cade Cowell – 19 – San Jose Earthquakes – £3m value – 69 OVR/83 POT
On the wing is Cade Cowell, another instant buy.
I was taken aback by how much he stood out in-game despite having a low overall rating thanks to his good dribbling and agility, 93 pace, and 86 strength. He can pop off Trivela Play Style shots cutting in from the wing with great accuracy and leaves everyone in his wake when playing in the Rapid Play Style.
An outstanding wonderkid acquisition for practically any Career Mode, either as a starter or for impact off the bench.
Mathys Tel – 18 – Bayern – £3.5m value – 71 OVR/86 POT
Given his participation and scoring in the Champions League, Mathys Tel might seem like an obvious choice, but his enormous potential growth makes him still worth taking into account. You probably would have said that when Moise Kean joined Everton from Juventus a few years ago that it wasn’t the most realistic signing.
He is a strong asset due to his quickness, dribbling, and shooting, and his 6 feet tall frame allows him to shield the ball better than his 67 strength would indicate.
Youssoufa Moukoko – 18 – Dortmund – £19m value – 77 OVR/87 POT
The reigning career mode king is back, this time with an updated overall rating.
There isn’t much to say about Youssoufa Moukoko besides the fact that he is still only 18 years old. Even though he is now much more expensive than he was previously, his great pace, finishing, and dribbling ensure that he is still the same fantastic Road to Glory wonderkid.
Julian Hettwer – 20 – Dortmund 2 – £1m value – 64 OVR/74 POT
Check out Julian Hettwer at Dortmund’s B team for a more under-the-radar recommendation from their lauded academy who is actually – funny enough – older than Moukoko.
In addition to his excellent finishing and dribbling, his 90 pace and strong stamina make him a really great choice for lower league teams in need of a dependable front man.
Ricky-Jade Jones – 20 – Peterborough – £1m value – 63 OVR/75 POT
Ricky-Jade Jones, who is listed as a winger in EAFC 24 but is still the same beloved wonderkid, brings extreme pace and athleticism at a reasonable cost for a variety of Career Mode saves.
A striker rated at 63 has a good combination of 91 pace, 61 shooting, 63 dribbling, and 63 physicality, and he still has plenty of room and potential to develop.
Benjamin Sesko – 20 – RB Leipzig – £10.5m value – 75 OVR/85 POT
Look at Benjamin Sesko for a different type of striker. As you may recall, Sesko was heavily linked to Manchester United before they spent big on Rasmus Hojlund.
He is an absurdly skilled target man at 6’4″ and 89 jumping, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. His technical dribbling Play Style and 84 sprint speed make him a threat on the ground as well.
Mohamed-Ali Cho – 19 – Real Sociedad – £4.5m value – 72 OVR/83 POT
Mohamed-Ali Cho has a big name to live up to, but he appears to be a really capable forward, especially given that his overall makes his price available to so many teams.
The left-footed and explosive player’s 80 pace and 81 dribbling demonstrate how tricky he is, but since he already has a respectable 74 short passing, using his high potential growth to concentrate training on his shooting is the really tantalizing prospect.
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens – 19 – Borussia Dortmund – £3.5m value – 71 OVR/86 POT
With English winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Dortmund is hoping to follow Jadon Sancho’s path, while Jamie himself is hoping to emulate Sancho’s performance for Dortmund and draw lessons from what happened next.
Welcome him to your squad to ensure that his subsequent move is the right one. You won’t go wrong if you take advantage of his lightning-quick pace and skillful dribbling.
Ernest Poku – 19 – AZ Alkmaar – £2m value – 66 OVR/82 POT
Ernest Poku, an AZ wonderkid, has shown tremendous potential growth in the last few FIFA games.
He now has a little more stamina in EAFC 24, which greatly improves his usability right away in Career Mode. He also has many other intriguing qualities that will catch your attention.
His 85 agility really helps him put that speed down and get past opponents, while his 92 pace combined with the Quick Step and Rapid Play Styles give him the impression of being extremely fast in-game.
He’s cheap and entertaining. There isn’t much of a drawback to that!
Nestory Irankunda – 17 – Adelaide United – £1m value – 62 OVR/83 POT
Nestory Irankunda, a talented young player, appears to be the next wonderkid to emerge from the Australian A-League.
He can make an impact off the bench thanks to his exceptional pace, agility, and shot power, which is definitely what he’ll be doing initially given his 36 stamina.
He can be a real asset to your team, though, once you can give that a little attention, which you still have plenty of time to do.