Vicky López, Lily Yohannes, Michelle Agyemang — these are all names you may have heard before. They are the best and brightest of the next generation; youngsters already logging consistent minutes at the largest clubs in the world. They are the future – but what about the rest? Where are the talents that have yet to make big moves and are still, slowly but surely, carving out their space on the global stage?
Here are three teenagers that could be earning themselves major moves in the near future.
Kaylee Hunter, Canada, 18
When AFC Toronto signed Kaylee Hunter last January, just two weeks after her 17th birthday, the club’s sporting director, Billy Wilson, called her “undoubtedly one of the best emerging players in the country.” Wilson’s words are already out of date. Hunter is no longer a prospect, she is already one of her country’s best players. She has debuted for the senior national team, helped Toronto win a Supporters’ Shield in the Northern Super League (NSL), scored 16 goals in 21 starts, and won the NSL’s Rookie of the Year award.
Hunter, who recently secured her first start for Canada in the SheBelieves Cup, has taken every opportunity placed in front of her. After coming on as a sub in AFC Toronto’s first two games, she quickly worked her way into the starting rotation and stayed there, amassing over 2,000 minutes throughout the season. She was efficient on the field, too: the teenager logged 0.76 goals per 97 minutes, which puts her in the 91st percentile when compared with attackers who have played a minimum of 500 minutes in major leagues. Her composure in front of goal helped her scoring rate; it’s one thing to make the right run and receive the pass, but it requires something entirely different to beat the keeper. Hunter showed confidence in such moments, and was rewarded with goal after goal.
“Remarkably consistent” is how Wilson described Hunter to the Toronto Star in Augusttwo weeks after she had scored in four straight games. This was Hunter’s modus operandi in 2025 – a coolness that permeated everything she did on the pitch.
She was given a contract extension that ties her down until 2027, but this deal is likely to be temporary. Now that she is 18, Hunter is free to sign with teams outside Canada, and there will be plenty of interest. While an adjustment period should be expected if she makes the jump elsewhere, Hunter is one of the most talented teenagers in the world. She will excel wherever she plays, be it in Canada or elsewhere.
Justine Rouquet, France, 18
Rouquet played just 174 minutes in the Première Ligue last season, spread out over 10 substitute appearances for Montpellier. Still, she scored twice and managed to gain confidence from the coaching staff moving into the 2025-26 season. By November, the teenager had already managed four goals and won Montpellier’s player of the month award, continuing an upward trajectory that took her from academy player to locked-down starter in just one year.
Roquet, frequently deployed on the wing, provides just about everything you could want from an in-behind threat. She dribbles well, plays cutting balls into the center of the penalty area, and creates shooting opportunities from thin air.
Even Rouquet seems to be surprised by her meteoric rise: “We’re not even halfway through the season yet, and even though I hoped for it, I didn’t expect to play this much,” she said in December.
Although she still shows the growing pains of a newcomer – particularly a tendency to turn the ball over – Rouquet is already holding her own against France’s biggest clubs. The forward scored Montpellier’s lone goal in a 5-1 November loss to Lyonnes, and registered an assist in a 2-2 draw with PSG in December. Rouquet also plays for the French U-19s, and had a goal and assist in their most recent European Championship match against Wales.
Rouquet has more room to grow at Montpellier, but her rapid improvement this season will put her on plenty of scouting shortlists this summer.
Ayara Agirrezabala, Spain, 17
Agirrezabala is only 17 but has already played more minutes than Rouquet, Yohannes, and López. A product of the Real Sociedad academy, Agirrezabala made her debut last season at the age of 16 and became a starter almost immediately. In Sociedad’s first game this season, the teenager made her presence known with a brace in a draw with Madrid CFF. Since then, she’s added three more goals and two assists, an impressive tally for a player whose normal position is full-back. Over the course of the season, she’s steadily worked her way to starting on the wing, and the transition has paid dividends; Agirrezabala is already an integral part of Sociedad’s attack, mainly because of her passing.
She averages just 30.54 completed passes per game, but over a third of those are progressive, meaning they advance the ball 25-plus% closer to the goal and begin in the attacking 60% of the field. Many of these passes push the ball up the left wing, but as soon as Agirrezabala reaches the corner, her attention turns towards the box. This knack for playing difficult but rewarding passes puts the teenager in the 91st percentile among all midfielders.
As evidenced by her goal tally, Agirrezabala is also an attacking threat. She frequently crashes the box as crosses come in and can often be found lurking at the back post, ready to slot one home with her head. Thanks to her propensity for finding the net and importance in the final third, the Spaniard’s long-term position will likely lie in midfield or attack. That being said, her versatility could be a key difference maker, especially when it comes to the international stage. Agirrezabala recently got her first senior international call up, a promising sign, although she did not play.
At 17, Agirrezabala is still limited to Liga F, but with plenty of playing time under her belt, her stock can only rise.
