The end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 needed to be celebrated in a significant way, and at MARCA we have produced the most promising XI of talents throughout world football that aren't necessarily household names.
These talents are young, highly talented and set to explode in 2022, whether or not they get a move away to a top club or are already in the perfect environment to continue their development.
We've looked to stay away from the obvious names, so you won't see Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Mason Mount on this list. Also, it is a varied selection with nine leagues and nine different nationalities represented.
With all the players born either on or after January 1, 2000, this XI is set to define the next era of the sport.
Gavin Bazunu - Portsmouth (on loan from Manchester City)
DOB: 20/2/2002
Position: Goalkeeper
International team: Ireland
Manchester City loaned the Irish shot-stopper out to Portsmouth and he has proven to be way too high a quality player for the third tier of English football.
He is strong, makes fine reflex saves and is already a full international with Ireland, with whom he has saved a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty.
Tino Livramento - Southampton
DOB: 12/11/2002
Position: Right-back
International team: England (U21)
After being awarded the 'Best Academy Player' award at Chelsea for 2020/21, Livramento chose to sign for Southampton after becoming acutely aware his game time would be limited behind Reece James and Cesar Azpilicueta in the senior team.
He has since been one of the revelations of the Premier League season, shining in a struggling team as he provides incisive runs from the right.
Kaiky - Santos
DOB: 12-1-2004
Position: Centre-back
International team: Brazil (U16)
The teenage defender is one of Brazil's most promising defenders and is almost guaranteed a future within the Selecao. What he lacks in speed he makes up for in physical momentum, and his passing across the ground is incredibly reliable.
Kaiky developed at Santos, honing his skills, and became the youngest-ever scorer for the club in the Copa Libertadores, finding the net at just 17 years and one month old.
Goncalo Inacio - Sporting CP
DOB: 25-08-2001
Position: Centre-back
International team: Portugal (U21)
He may well be a young defender, but Goncalo Inacio has the touch of a veteran and is one of the very rare naturally left-sided centre-halves. At Sporting he has played on the right of a defensive unit, being a star performer in a team that has conceded just five goals in 16 league games this term.
Aaron Hickey - Bologna
DOB: 06-10-2002
Position: Left-back
International team: Scotland (U17)
Scotland have a vast array of left-sided defenders now, and Aaron Hickey is set to be the next off the production line.
He is the second-highest scoring defender in the top five major European leagues, netting five for Bologna in Serie A this term, and his athletic prowess is what makes him so effective. Many have compared him to a young Gareth Bale.
Aurelien Tchouameni - Monaco
DOB: 27-1-2000
Position: Central midfield
International team: France
Perhaps the highest-profile player on this list, Aurelien Tchouameni is a complete midfielder, having already attracted the interest of Real Madrid and Chelsea.
He can't be placed as a natural holding midfielder, but rather a box-to-box talent who has formed a dynamic pairing with Youssouf Fofana at Monaco this season. His height at 6-foot-2 is incredibly domineering and allows him to dominate the midfield from a physical standpoint.
Florian Wirtz - Bayer Leverkusen
DOB: 3-5-2003
Position: Attacking Midfielder
International team: Germany
Wirtz is destined to break all the Bundesliga records if he stays in the German top flight. At just 18 years old he has already played 68 matches for Bayer Leverkusen, in which he has scored 17 goals and contributed 19 assists.
He has already earned four senior caps with Die Mannschaft and will inevitably be sold for more than the 80 million euros that Kai Havertz cost.
Conor Gallagher - Crystal Palace (on loan from Chelsea)
DOB: 6-2-2000
Position: Central Midfield
International team: England
Chelsea are already thinking of another star name they can either add to their own team or sell for a huge profit next season.
Gallagher has been a revelation with Crystal Palace this season and has scored six goals and added three assists. His finesse has seen him compared to Jack Grealish and he does a little bit of everything in midfield.
Noni Madueke - PSV Eindhoven
DOB: 3-10-2002
Position: Right wing
International team: England (U21)
PSV Eindhoven have been a surprisingly strong challenger to Ajax's Dutch crown this season, and Noni Madueke is one of the key reasons why.
He scored six goals and added one assist in the first seven league matches of the campaign, although a muscle injury has kept him out since September.
Madueke's direct play was rewarded by Roger Schmidt and he is inevitably set for a move back to the Premier League.
Kamaldeen Sulemana -Rennes
DOB: 15-2-2022
Position: Left wing
International team: Ghana
After breaking through in Denmark with Nordsjaelland, Sulemana has continued his development in Ligue 1 with Rennes, often being compared to Neymar.
His style is so unique and fluid to watch, and you genuinely don't know what he is going to produce next. Natural pace is such a key part of Sulemana's game and it's not a surprise he has been linked to Manchester United.
Julian Alvarez - River Plate
DOB: 31-1-2000
Position: Striker
International team: Argentina
2022 will be the year of Julian Alvarez. Nicknamed 'The Spider', the Argentine forward has been scoring goal after goal with River Plate, proving to be a key part of the team which won the first Argentine championship in the Marcelo Gallardo era.
He spent a month on trial with Real Madrid when he was 11, and Alvarez's talent has been clear even since then. He is incredible mobile and can score with both feet.
Domestic football in Argentina is rapidly becoming too small for him, and at 21 he is ready for a move to Europe this year.
Torino 
Lazio 
Rangers 
Hibernian 
Toulouse 
Lyon 
Roma 
Venezia 
Modena 
Sampdoria 
Holstein Kiel 
Eintracht Frankfurt 
Athletic Bilbao 
Sevilla 
Waalwijk 
Ajax 
Dynamo Kyiv 
Manchester Utd 
Tottenham 
1899 Hoffenheim 
Werder Bremen 
Empoli 
Fiorentina 
Betis 
Espanyol 
FC Porto 
Arouca 
AZ Alkmaar 
Utrecht 
Strasbourg 
Marseille 
Napoli 
Monza 
Atletico Madrid 
Real Madrid 
Lokomotiv Moscow 
Orenburg 
Nizhny Novgorod 
CSKA Moscow 
Arsenal 
Paris Saint Germain 
Barcelona 
BSC Young Boys 
Bayer Leverkusen 
AC Milan 
Borussia Dortmund 
Celtic 
Inter 
Crvena Zvezda 
PSV 
Sporting CP 
Slovan Bratislava 
Manchester City 
Dinamo Moscow 
Spartak Moscow 
Girona 
Feyenoord 
Shakhtar Donetsk 
Atalanta