The contrasting situation of the 2020 'child prodigies'

Haaland is on the rise.

Five years later, the list is a clear reflection of the harshness of football: there are names that rise to become superstars, but many others sink into oblivion.

A special year for world football

2020 marked a tumultuous chapter. The Covid-19 pandemic forced football around the world to stop from March to May. The Bundesliga (Germany) was the first league to return in May, before Bayern Munich won the Champions League after defeating PSG in Lisbon in August.

In England, Liverpool ended a 30-year wait with their first Premier League title in the modern era. In Spain, Real Madrid won their 34th La Liga. Notably, the Ballon d'Or was not awarded in 2020, the first time since the award was created. A year later, Lionel Messi stood on the top step again, surpassing Robert Lewandowski - who was considered the biggest "victim" of the decision to cancel the award.

Gazzetta's list at that time quickly attracted attention. In second place was Erling Haaland, when he had just joined Dortmund in January 2020. In just a short time, Haaland proved his killer instinct and laid the foundation for a brilliant career later at Man City, where he won the Champions League and Premier League.

The top of the list, Jadon Sancho, was shining brightly in the Bundesliga with 17 goals and 16 assists in the 2019/20 season. However, his career went astray after joining Man United. Sancho is currently trying to rebuild at Aston Villa on loan.

Sancho is in a slump.

In third place is Bayern Munich left-winger Alphonso Davies, who has maintained his consistent form. Real Madrid teammates Vinicius Junior (4th) and Rodrygo Goes (5th) have developed significantly, becoming the backbone of Los Blancos' journey to conquer the Champions League. Phil Foden (6th) has also proven his worth in Pep Guardiola's Man City squad.

On the contrary, Ansu Fati (7th) suffered a heavy blow from a serious knee injury at the end of 2020. Now, instead of reaching superstar status, he has to find himself again at Monaco on loan from Barcelona.

In 10th place, Eduardo Camavinga, then playing for Rennes, is now an important link for Real Madrid.

In the top 20, English football also has many faces. Rayan Cherki (14, now Man City), Sandro Tonali (15, Newcastle) and Dominik Szoboszlai (16, Liverpool) are all playing in the Premier League. Bukayo Saka (26) and Gabriel Martinelli (31) have become two pillars of Arsenal.

Surprisingly, Pedri - now the conductor of Barcelona - is only ranked 36th, but still above his Spanish teammate William Saliba (39), currently Arsenal's number one center-back.

Jude Bellingham used to play very well for Real Madrid.

Another typical case is Jude Bellingham. In 2020, he was only 16 years old and playing for Birmingham City, ranked 42nd by Gazzetta. Since then, Bellingham has risen rapidly, shining at Dortmund and becoming a new icon at Real Madrid. Currently, he is a strong candidate for every noble individual title.

The list also has other “accurate predictions” such as Vitinha (then at Porto, now at PSG) or Amad Diallo (from Atalanta to Man United).

Painful falls

However, not all have been successful. Reinier (13), a 30 million euro contract from Real Madrid, was once expected to be the “new number 10 of Brazil”. But after a series of failed loan contracts, he was released by Real in the summer of 2025, returning home to play for Atletico Mineiro.

Giovanni Reyna (25) has yet to reach his potential, despite playing for Dortmund, Nottingham Forest and AC Milan. Meanwhile, Mohamed Ihattaren (27) has become a typical example of the tragedy of youth football: he signed a contract with Juventus in 2021 but never played a game, then wandered back to the Netherlands to play for Fortuna Sittard. In July 2025, he was also sentenced to 60 hours of community service after admitting to charges related to threatening and assaulting his ex-girlfriend.

Looking back at the 2020 list, it is easy to see that youth football is always a big gamble. There are names that shine brightly, reaching superstar status like Haaland, Vinicius or Bellingham. But there are also cases of decline or early elimination from the game.

Football is cruel in that talent is not enough, but also requires courage, the right environment and luck. The list of prodigies of that year by Gazzetta has now become clear proof that the road from prospect to the top is never smooth - and not everyone reaches the destination.

Source: https://znews.vn/tinh-canh-trai-nguoc-cua-dan-than-dong-2020-post1588269.html