With a host of young
players poised to make it big over the next 12 months,
FIFA.com introduces you to a clutch of the stars
set to shine in 2009.
Jozy Altidore, 19, forward,
Villarreal (Spain)
Having just started to make his
way in the US national team with two goals in five appearances so
far, Altidore could come into his own in the final phase of the
CONCACAF qualifying competition for South Africa 2010. The powerful
striker is also something of a pioneer, becoming the first American
player to join one of Spain's leading clubs.
Michel Bastos Fernandes, 25,
midfielder, Lille (France)
The hugely versatile Brazilian has established himself as a firm
favourite with the Lille fans this season. Capable of slotting in
as a right or left-back, in left midfield or as a centre-forward,
Bastos can do the lot and do it with style. Thanks in no small part
to his perfectly executed free kicks, he has become the undisputed
leader of the Lille pack, amassing nine goals and seven assists in
19 games so far this season. Should he continue that form,
LOSC could scale new heights in the year ahead.
Scott Brown, 23, midfielder, Celtic
(Scotland)
2009 begins with this dynamic box-to-box midfielder widely regarded
Celtic and Scotland's most important and valuable player. Direct,
athletic and combative, Brown has thrived after successfully
curbing a reckless streak that blighted last season, his first at
Celtic since winning a £4.5 million move from Hibernian. So
influential has the 23-year-old become, in fact, that the Scottish
champions have reportedly turned down a £9 million bid from
Portsmouth to take their midfield general south of the border
during the January transfer window.
Jaime Cordoba, 20, midfielder,
America de Cali (Colombia)
Having made his debut in
July 2007, American de Cali's physically imposing youngster went on
to become the star turn in the club's championship triumph, his
sterling work in the midfield holding role lending balance to the
side. After serving an eight-year apprenticeship with local rivals
Deportivo Cali, Cordoba was on the point of giving up the game when
he was released two seasons ago. However, Deportivo's loss has
proved to be America's gain.
Douglas Costa de Souza, 18,
midfielder, Gremio (Brazil)
Having drawn comparisons with Ronaldinho and Robinho, the
left-footed free-kick specialist is already attracting the
attentions of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United. Equally
effective as an attacking midfielder or as an out-and-out striker,
the Brazilian tyro should be appearing at a major European club
near you before too long. First up for Douglas, however, comes the
South American U-20 Championships in January, where he will team up
with fellow midfield sensations Marquinhos (19, Palmeiras) and
Rafael Carioca (19, Spartak Moscow) as the Auriverde go in
search of a place at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Egypt 2009.
Pedro Tonon Geromel, 23, defender,
Cologne (Germany)
The towering Brazilian has impressed so far in his first term in
the Bundesliga, helping his recently promoted employers into the
relative comfort of 11th place. Should he continue to impress at
the RheinEnergieStadion, it will surely not be long before the
members of the German and European elites come calling.
Guillaume Hoarau, 24, forward,
Paris St-Germain (France)
The second-top scorer in
Ligue 1 before the winter break with 11 goals in 19 matches, the
man from the island of Reunion has wasted little time in adapting
to life in the French top flight. Formerly with Gueugnon and Le
Havre, the rangy centre-forward learned his trade exclusively in
the second division, where an impressive haul of 28 goals last
season earned the modest Hoarau a close-season move to the Parisian
giants. His selfless play and finishing skills have made him a
worthy successor to the newly retired Portuguese front man Pauleta,
and his partnership with 24-year-old midfielder Stephane Sessegnon,
another promising recent acquisition, is flourishing fast.
Keirrison, 20, forward, Coritiba
(Brazil)
The main architect of his club's return to Brazil's Serie A in
2007, this versatile striker has since confirmed his potential at
the highest level. Keirrison netted 21 times in the
Brasileirão last year, finishing joint-top scorer along
with Washington of Fluminense and Santos' Kleber Pereira and was
named Emerging Player of the Season by the Brazilian FA.
Marko Marin, 19, midfielder,
Borussia Monchengladbach (Germany)
This gifted
offensive midfielder has belied his youth with some mature
performances for Gladbach in the Bundesliga. With 49 appearances in
the German first and second divisions already behind him, not to
mention four outings with the national team, the
Bosnia-Herzegovina-born midfielder has proved his worth with a
number of assists during the current campaign. It can only be a
matter of time before Marin secures a permanent place in the
Mannschaft.
Martin Morel, 28, midfielder, Club
Atletico Tigre (Argentina)
It was only three years ago that the No10 was plying his trade in
the depths of the Torneo Argentino, the country's fifth division.
After joining Tigre in 2006, where he turned professional at the
relatively late age of 25, Morel was a regular sight on the bench
before gradually forcing his way into the starting XI and making a
major contribution to Tigre's promotion to the first division. A
key component of the side, the chances are he will be bidding
farewell to Argentinian football within the next few weeks.
Carlos Darwin Quintero, 21,
forward, Club Santos Laguna (Mexico)
The young
Colombian learnt the ropes at Deportes Tolima, for whom he scored
24 goals in 52 games, before heading off to Russia for a short
spell with Krylia Sovetov, based in the city of Samara. Failing to
adapt to such chilly climes, Quintero decided to return home at the
start of 2008, signing for perennial first division strugglers
Deportivo Pereira. But after finishing the season as the
second-highest scorer in the league with 13 goals, the striker was
snapped up by Santos Laguna of Mexico, a move that should allow him
to serve further notice of his finishing prowess.
Rafael Pereira Da Silva, 18,
defender, Manchester United (England)
Rafael arrived from Fluminense last winter with the sole intention
of making the United right-back slot his own. And with Wes Brown
struck down by a serious knee injury and the stalwart Gary Neville
now well into his 30s, the multi-faceted Brazilian has already made
eight appearances this season and got his name on the scoresheet
once. Boasting the flair for which his countrymen are renowned and
a desire to get forward at every opportunity, the teenager
seemingly has what it takes to become an Old Trafford legend.
Aaron Ramsey, 17, midfielder,
Arsenal (England)
The Welsh prodigy was a major factor in Cardiff City's surprise run
to the English FA Cup final last year, and his invention in the
heart of midfield has been rewarded by Arsene Wenger with a number
of first-team outings this season, five of them in the UEFA
Champions League. Destined to become the linchpin of the Wales
team, Ramsey - for whom Arsenal paid £5 million during the summer -
can expect more opportunities at the Emirates following Cesc
Fabregas's recent injury.