FIFA 22 Wonderkids : The highest potential young players to sign in Career Mode

With the start of a brand-new game cycle comes a brand-new cohort of FIFA 22 wonderkids ready to take charge of world football. One of the most rewarding parts of FIFA Career Mode is uncovering hidden gems and nurturing their potential until you have a team full of superstars to dominate domestically and internationally.

Despite improvements in sports science, football is still a young person’s game. Ex-pros often describe the moment they started to find the next generation’s talent ‘frightening’ as the moment they knew they had to retire, and the key to long-term success in FIFA 22 is knowing when to swap out your most-reliable performers to train their successor.

As the kings Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo enter the twilight of their career, we’re in an interesting position where some of the hottest prospects looking to take on their crown are still very young.

But you don’t need us to tell you that this Kylian Mbappe kid is pretty good, or to look out for a plucky youngster called Erling Braut Haaland. This list will go over not only the high-potential wonderkids who already have an overall worthy of a top European side, but the lesser-known young players on the brink of a breakout season.

Also, a few of the youngest players with high potential are making their debut in professional football, meaning you can’t lure them away to your team in the first season. After the main table, we’ll go over some of the best FIFA 22 Wonderkids you can sign straight away.

Highest Potential Wonderkids in FIFA 22

While they might not be ready to take on the world quiet yet, these are the brightest young talents in FIFA 22.

Give them game time, and they’ll turn into the best players on the planet.

We’re counting young players as 22 and under.

Low Overall, High Potential FIFA 22 Wonderkids

Not everyone likes playing as teams with huge budgets. To afford top talent, you need to pay top dollar, but for clubs with less cash in the kitty, here are some lower overall players with huge potential growth.

You should be able to afford these guys whoever you’re playing with. We’ve tried to pick players who at least have a real picture in-game, and are available in the first season.

Best FIFA 22 Wonderkids to sign in the first season

There are so many awesome wonderkids in FIFA 22, it’s tough to know which who pick. Below are just a few who’re available to sign straight away.

• Ansu Fati – Barcelona – £17.5m Value – With Barcelona’s dire financial situation, it’s no longer realistic to suggest that any player is completely off limits. Despite inheriting Messi’s number 10 shirt following his return from injury, Ansu Fati can be lured away from the Nou Camp for less than you might expect and is one of the highest rated talents you can add to your squad.

• Jamal Musiala – Bayern – £17.5m Value – An even less realistic signing than Fati, but no less hyped, Jamal Musiala is an awesome young CAM with awesome dribbling and movement stats at just 18 years old. Not only that but he starts with 76 finishing and 5 star skill moves too, making him a useful member of any attack from the start of Career Mode. Focus on training his stamina quickly, and he’ll suit any advanced midfield position.

• Gabriel Martinelli – Arsenal – £18m Value – Arsenal might not be in as much of a crisis now as during their winless start to the Premier League season, but the fact remains: Martinelli has Saka and Pepe above him in the pecking order on the wing, Smith Rowe and Odegaard able to play wherever they’re needed, and Aubameyang and Lacazette to dislodge through the middle. With solid stats already across the board and a starting potential of 88, he’ll grow into a great attacking player with regular minutes.

• Rayan Cherki – Lyon – £7m Value – For a slightly cheaper option at just 17 years old, Rayan Cherki is one of the few players in FIFA to boast a natural pairing of 5 star skills and 5 star weak foot. With 84 dribbling and a starting potential of 88, Cherki can grow into a flair player worthy of being the talisman for any team.

• Ryan Gravenberch – Ajax – £33m Value – He’s expensive, but at just 19 years old Ryan Gravenberch has all the tools to be a Pogba-esque all-round midfielder with a bit of training. Standing at 6ft 3”, you could train his defending to make him an impassable wall, or lean into his already good dribbling and passing to mould him into an unstoppably powerful attacking midfielder.

• Jurrien Timber – Ajax – £11.5m Value – Gravenberch’s Ajax teammate Jurrien Timber is an interesting player. He’s listed as a CB, with great stats for the position. However, at 179cm – about 5ft 9” – you might find him losing too many headers in dangerous areas, despite a good jumping stat of 82. This makes him a prime target for retaining as a RB or CDM, where you can make use of his decent passing and dribbling without exposing his weaknesses.

• Leonidas Stergiou – FC St. Gallen – £2.5m Value – Despite a low starting overall of 67, Stergiou is another shorter centre-back who makes up for it with a massive jumping stat of 86. He’s a really cheap option, making his accessible to a wide range of teams, and with a starting potential of 86, will grow into a top player fast with good performances.

• Daniel Braganca – Sporting – £12.5m Value – A nippy, technically gifted all-rounder, isn’t the most powerful option in FIFA 22, but makes up for his lack of strength with pace, a good touch, and passing acumen. Capable of playing at CM, CAM, or even deeper at CDM, you can use Braganca’s 84/85 potential to focus either on growing his incisive passing or rounding out his solid defence.

• Maarten Vandevoordt – Genk – £4.3m Value – If you’re looking for a cheap goalkeeper with high potential either for your bench or Road to Glory save, it’s hard to look past Maarten Vandevoordt. With 87 starting potential and an affordable fee, he ticks pretty much all of the boxes.