GOAL selected the 20 best talents in women’s football born on or after January 1, 2004 – but where are they now?
Every year, GOAL releases its NXGN lists, highlighting the best young talents in world football. After starting with the men’s game in 2016, the first women’s list was published in 2020, with many of its alumni having already gone on to achieve incredible things.
And so after the NXGN 2025 list was revealed, here’s a look at where the wonderkids of 2023 are today:
Every NXGN list
Dembele, Tielemans & 2016's best wonderkids
Mbappe, Donnarumma & 2017's best wonderkids
De Ligt, Kluivert & 2018's best wonderkids
Haaland, Sancho & 2019's best wonderkids
Saka, Rodrygo & 2020's best wonderkids
James, Oberdorf & 2020's best women's wonderkids
Pedri, Ansu Fati & 2021's best wonderkids
Le Tissier, Bennison & 2021's best women's wonderkids
Bellingham, Musiala & 2022's best wonderkids
Dumornay, Fowler & 2022's best women's wonderkids
Gavi, Garnacho & 2023's best wonderkids
Yamal, Mainoo & 2024's best wonderkids
Caicedo, Moultrie & 2024's best women's wonderkids
GettyJulia Bartel (Barcelona)
2023: Bartel was a key part of the Spain team that won the UEFA U19 Women's Championship, scoring the only goal in the semi-final win over the Netherlands.
2024: After struggling for first-team opportunities in one of the best squads in the world, the teenager left Barcelona in the summer, though joined a Chelsea team that also has plenty of competition for places. She took some time to come into the first-team frame, too, having featured for Spain's U20s in the World Cup that ran through September.
2025: Having made just two appearances for Chelsea in the first half of the 2024-24 season, Bartel left to join Liverpool on loan for the second half of the campaign.
AdvertisementGettyChiara Beccari (Juventus)
2023: During a promising season on loan at Como, Beccari made her Italy debut in April and was named to her nation's World Cup squad just a few months later, starting all three group games.
2024: Spending the 2023-24 season on loan at Sassuolo, Beccari showed glimpses of her promising talent and earned herself a regular role at Juventus at the start of the next campaign as a result. She also grew in stature on the international stage, scoring her first senior goals for Italy.
2025: After a slow start to the 2024-25 season in terms of goals, with just one in all competitions before the winter break, Beccari will hope for better success in the build-up to the European Championships, where she'll hope to help Italy enjoy a memorable tournament.
GettyHaley Bugeja (Orlando Pride)
2023: After struggling for game time in the U.S., Bugeja returned to Italy in the summer and joined Inter. With Malta, she had a fantastic year, finishing the inaugural Women's Nations League campaign as the second-top-scorer.
2024: Bugeja enjoyed a more fruitful 2024 as she looked to work towards rediscovering the goal-scoring form in Serie A that made her such a hot property in the game, netting three in the second half of her first Inter season.
2025: Bugeja has struggled for starts in the 2024-25 season though, and will hope that changes through 2025.
Dudinha (Sao Paulo)
2023: Dudinha's opportunities with Sao Paulo grew significantly, with her starting 14 league games in 2023 and scoring three times.
2024: Dudinha played more games than ever before in Sao Paulo's first team in 2024, helping them finish runners-up in the league. For her country, she scored two vital goals to fire Brazil into the quarter-finals of the U20 World Cup, though they were then beaten by eventual champions North Korea. However, Dudinha's performances didn't go unnoticed further up, with her called up to the final two senior camps of the year and able to make her international debut in October, aged 19.
2025: Dudinha will hope she can continue to impress the national team staff throughout 2025, in the hopes of making Arthur Elias' squad for Copa America. Towards the end of the year, the teenager will get the chance to play in the Copa Libertadores for the first time, too, having helped Sao Paulo qualify for the competition.