NXGN has selected the best American players born on or after January 1, 2004 – but will they go on to fulfill their potential in the coming years?
The U.S. men's national team was the second-youngest team at the 2022 World Cup but, somehow, that may only be the tip of the iceberg. Youth development has been taken to a whole new level in the U.S. after years of playing catch-up with the rest of the world.
And after decades of laying the foundation for a true soccer culture, the process is starting to bear fruit as academies have churned out a conveyor belt of young talent.
Players like Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah and Gio Reyna have all been named to NXGN lists in the past before becoming USMNT superstars. Names like Ricardo Pepi and Gaga Slonina have too as they await their big breaks on the international stage. And who knows who's up next? At this point, it's hard to keep track of all of the Americans capable of making the leap to stardom.
Although there aren't any Americans on the 2023 NXGN Nine list of world football's most talented teenagers, there are plenty that could be fighting for such an honor in the years to come.
With all that in mind, check out the USMNT's NXGN Nine for 2023…
Getty ImagesMatai Akinmboni (D.C. United)
You have to be doing something right to be earning praise from Wayne Rooney at just 15 years old…
That's exactly what happened for Akinmboni when he made his debut last season for D.C. United, becoming the third-youngest player to ever feature in an MLS match.
“He’s 15 and I have to protect him. But I just felt he was ready to come in and play," Rooney said after handing Akinmboni his debut. "Is he going to play every game? Of course not. He’s still a very young boy. But for him and for us to see him playing in an away game in difficult circumstances and performing the way he did as a 15-year-old – he’s got a very bright future."
The now-16-year-old central defender has featured four times in total for D.C., having trained with Bayern Munich prior to signing on with his local club. His stint at Bayern likely came about due to his uncle, former Bayern and Ghana star Sammy Kuffour, but it's clear that there's plenty of talent there.
Akinmboni, who was born in Maryland, has played for the U.S. at the Under-17 level, but is still eligible to play for Nigeria or Ghana.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesKeyrol Figueroa (Liverpool)
The son of a Honduran legend, Figueroa is already making waves in the U.S. and in Europe.
His father, Maynor, played for Wigan and Hull in England before ending his career in MLS, but Figueroa doesn't look set to follow in his footsteps with Honduras. While Maynor earned 181 caps and legendary status with the Honduran team, his son is a regular with the U.S. U17s, and he looks set to stay with the U.S. long-term.
At club level, Figueroa is already making waves in the Liverpool academy after arriving at the club as an U14 player. A pacey striker, Figueroa is a much different player than his dad, who made his name as a reliable defender for years.
He's just 16 now and is playing for Liverpool's U18s as he looks to follow in his father's footsteps by making it in England and, ultimately, at international level.
Getty ImagesKobi Henry (Reims)
USMNT fans are constantly keeping an eye on one starlet at Reims, Folarin Balogun, but he may not be the only American-eligible starlet at the French side worth looking out for.
Henry joined the club in June 2022, becoming one of several USL starlets to make the leap to Europe. He had broken through with Orange County SC in the years prior and even earned his first USMNT call-up in December 2021 at the age of 17.
Primarily, though, he's featured for the youth teams, playing at U17, U19 and U20 level. Still, that 2021 USMNT call-up was a sign that those at U.S. Soccer are high on him as he matures as a central defender.
Henry hasn't yet made his first team debut for Reims, featuring exclusively for the club's reserve team.
GettyCruz Medina (San Jose Earthquakes)
Medina looks to be the first player to truly emerge from MLS' new developmental pathway, MLS Next Pro.
The San Jose Earthquakes midfielder featured heavily in the new competition in its 2022 debut season, and it's been all up from there. He signed his first professional contract with the Earthquakes last June, having already completed a training stint with Bayern Munich a few months prior.
Internationally, Medina has absolutely dazzled with the U.S. U17s. He scored against Argentina and Portugal in 2022 and was then dominant during the U.S. team's run through the CONCACAF U17 Championships.
Up next will be his MLS debut, and there are few better coaches to play under than Luchi Gonzalez, who is renowned for his ability to develop talent.
Medina is one of his big projects in San Jose as the Quakes look to nurture a midfielder that has the talent to reach the top.