#IBWM100 FOR 2018
As always, we’ve stuck with the format that served Don Balon so successfully for decades; 100 names and details of where each player is from. We’ll revisit the list next December to assess how 2018 has panned out for each of the players concerned.
The process we use for selection remains exactly the same: We identify players born on or after 1/1/1996 and talk to scouts, coaches, players, journalists, fans and bloggers from around the world to get a clear a picture of exactly who we should be watching and why. This information forms our long list.
Across the year we monitor each player on our long list and consider what the future is likely to hold for them - i.e. will they play regularly? is a move imminent? Eventually our long list refines to become the #IBWM100 – nothing definitive, just the players we believe will truly soar over the next twelve months.
We don't expect you to agree with all our choices, but we love to be involved in the debate. Leave your comments below the line or hit us up via Twitter using the #IBWM100 tag. As a small independent website we cannot function without your support, so please share the list far and wide. Over to you.
| Nation | Player | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Ezequiel Barco | Independiente | Midfielder |
| Santiago Ascacibar | VfB Stuttgart | Midfielder | |
| Santiago Cáseres | Vélez Sarsfield | Midfielder | |
| Aruba | Denzel Dumfries | SC Heerenveen | Defender |
| Austria | Sandi Lovric | SK Sturm Graz | Midfielder |
| Belgium | Mile Svilar | Benfica | Goalkeeper |
| Brazil | Arthur | Grêmio | Midfielder |
| David Neres | Ajax | Striker | |
| Eder Militão | São Paulo | Defender | |
| Everton | Grêmio | Striker | |
| Gabriel Jesus | Manchester City | Striker | |
| Guilherme Arana | Corinthians | Defender | |
| Jorge | AS Monaco | Defender | |
| Malcom | Bordeaux | Striker | |
| Murilo Cerqueira | Cruzeiro | Defender | |
| Paulinho | Vasco da Gama | Striker | |
| Richarlison | Watford | Striker | |
| Vinicius Júnior | Flamengo | Striker | |
| Wendel | Fluminense | Midfielder | |
| Burkina Faso | Boureima Hassane Bande | KV Mechelen | Midfielder |
| Chile | Gabriel Suazo | Colo-Colo | Midfielder |
| Colombia | Cucho Hernández | Huesca (on loan from Watford) | Midfielder |
| Davinson Sánchez | Tottenham Hotspur | Defender | |
| Croatia | Duje Ćaleta-Car | FC Red Bull Salzburg | Defender |
| Lovro Majer | NK Lokomotiva Zagreb | Midfielder | |
| Nikola Moro | GNK Dinamo Zagreb | Midfielder | |
| Czech Republic | Jakub Jankto | Udinese | Midfielder |
| Denmark | Mathias Jensen | FC Nordsjælland | Midfielder |
| Ecuador | Billy Arce | Independiente del Valle | Midfielder |
| England | Dele Alli | Tottenham Hotspur | Midfielder |
| Harry Winks | Tottenham Hotspur | Midfielder | |
| Joe Gomez | Liverpool | Defender | |
| Marcus Rashford | Manchester United | Striker | |
| Phil Foden | Manchester City | Midfielder | |
| Ryan Sessegnon | Fulham | Defender | |
| Tammy Abraham | Swansea City (on loan from Chelsea) | Striker | |
| France | Abdou Diallo | 1. FSV Mainz 05 | Defender |
| Alban Lafont | Toulouse | Goalkeeper | |
| Benjamin Pavard | VfB Stuttgart | Defender | |
| Dan-Axel Zagadou | Borussia Dortmund | Defender | |
| Dayotchanculle Upamecano | RB Leipzig | Defender | |
| Houssem Aouar | Olympique Lyonnais | Midfielder | |
| Kingsley Coman | FC Bayern München | Midfielder | |
| Kylian Mbappé | Paris Saint-Germain | Striker | |
| Nordi Mukiele | Montpellier HSC | Defender | |
| Tanguy Ndombele | Olympique Lyonnais (on loan from Amiens SC) | Midfielder | |
| Georgia | Beka Mikeltadze | Dinamo Tbilisi | Striker |
| Germany | Julian Brandt | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | Midfielder |
| Kai Havertz | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | Midfielder | |
| Leroy Sané | Manchester City | Striker | |
| Timo Baumgartl | VfB Stuttgart | Defender | |
| Timo Werner | RB Leipzig | Striker | |
| Greece | Panagiotis Retsos | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | Defender |
| Honduras | Alberth Elis | Houston Dynamo | Striker |
| Hungary | Dominik Szoboszlai | FC Liefering (on loan from FC Red Bull Salzburg) | Midfielder |
| Italy | Federico Chiesa | Fiorentina | Midfielder |
| Gianluigi Donnarumma | Milan | Goalkeeper | |
| Nicolò Barella | Cagliari | Midfielder | |
| Ivory Coast | Franck Kessié | Milan (on loan from Atalanta) | Midfielder |
| Jamaica | Leon Bailey | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | Midfielder |
| Japan | Kento Misao | Kashima Antlers | Midfielder |
| Mali | Amadou Haidara | FC Red Bull Salzburg | Midfielder |
| Yves Bissouma | Lille OSC | Midfielder | |
| Mexico | Omar Govea | Royal Excel Mouscron (on loan from Porto) | Midfielder |
| Moldova | Vitalie Damașcan | Sheriff Tiraspol | Striker |
| Netherlands | Donny van de Beek | Ajax | Midfielder |
| Frenkie de Jong | Ajax | Midfielder | |
| Justin Kluivert | Ajax | Midfielder | |
| Matthijs de Ligt | Ajax | Defender | |
| Nigeria | Wilfred Ndidi | Leicester City | Midfielder |
| Paraguay | Blás Riveros | FC Basel | Defender |
| Portugal | Diogo Jota | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Midfielder |
| Romania | Florinel Coman | FCS Bucharest | Midfielder |
| Russia | Aleksandr Golovin | CSKA Moscow | Midfielder |
| Scotland | Kieran Tierney | Celtic | Defender |
| Senegal | Krepin Diatta | Sarpsborg 08 | Midfielder |
| Spain | Fabián Ruiz | Real Betis | Midfielder |
| Marco Asensio | Real Madrid | Midfielder | |
| Mikel Merino | Newcastle United | Midfielder | |
| Mikel Oyarzabal | Real Sociedad | Striker | |
| Rodri | Villarreal CF | Midfielder | |
| Sweden | Pontus Dahlberg | IFK | Goalkeeper |
| Turkey | Abdülkadir Ömür | Trabzonspor | Midfielder |
| Berke Özer | Altinordu | Goalkeeper | |
| Yusuf Yazici | Trabzonspor | Midfielder | |
| Ukraine | Viktor Tsygankov | FC Dynamo Kyiv | Midfielder |
| Uruguay | Federico Valverde | Deportivo de La Coruña (on loan from Real Madrid) | Midfielder |
| Juan Manuel Boselli | Defensor Sporting | Striker | |
| Lucas Torreira | Sampdoria | Midfielder | |
| Maxi Gómez | Celta de Vigo | Striker | |
| Rodrigo Bentancur | Juventus | Midfielder | |
| USA | Christian Pulisic | Borussia Dortmund | Midfielder |
| Tyler Adams | New York Red Bulls | Midfielder | |
| Weston McKennie | FC Schalke 04 | Midfielder | |
| Venezuela | Jefferson Savarino | Real Salt Lake | Striker |
| Wuilker Faríñez | Millonarios | Goalkeeper | |
| Yangel Herrera | New York City FC (on loan from Manchester City) | Midfielder | |
| Yeferson Soteldo | Huachipato | Midfielder | |
| Wales | Ben Woodburn | Liverpool | Striker |
| Ethan Ampadu | Chelsea | Midfielder |