2025-2026 La Liga Young Stars to Watch: Promising Talents Poised for a Breakthrough

The 2025-2026 La Liga season has unleashed a youth storm, with post-2000 players gradually becoming core forces on the field. There are not only "mass-produced" talents from La Masia’s youth academy, but also "potential stocks" in the transfer market, as well as "dark horses" discovered by mid-table and lower-tier teams. These young stars have gained more opportunities in tactical systems, transitioning from potential to strength and reshaping La Liga’s competitive landscape.

I. Core Youth Academy Products of Giants: Born with System Adaptability

The comprehensive youth training systems and tactical environments of giants provide fertile ground for young stars to grow rapidly, and most of them already have the ability to gain a foothold in the first team.

Yamal (17, Barcelona): The pinnacle of La Masia’s youth academy, with a transfer value of €200 million, second only to Jude Bellingham. He contributed 17 goals and 22 assists last season, becoming the youngest player in La Liga history (in 70 years) to "participate in 40+ goals". Equally skilled with both feet and sharp in dribbling, he completes 6 successful dribbles per game. He also has high shooting accuracy, with threatening cut-in shots and long-range shots, and a broad passing vision with balanced ground and aerial passing abilities, capable of delivering precise crosses or threatening passes after cutting inside. Possessing excellent tactical awareness, he can choose to pass or shoot according to the game situation, serving as the core engine of Barcelona’s high-pressing system. He has scored in three consecutive La Liga matches recently, marking the third time in his career that he has scored in three consecutive games for Barcelona’s first team. So far this season, he has scored 6 goals and provided 5 assists for Barcelona in various competitions.

Gonzalo García (19, Real Madrid): A center-forward who emerged from Castilla, he scored 25 goals for the youth team last season and bagged 4 goals in 6 Club World Cup matches to win the golden boot, forcing his way into the first team. He possesses both hold-up play and high-intensity pressing abilities, with 32.6 high-pressure presses per game, perfectly adapting to Xabi Alonso’s tactical requirements and once taking over Real Madrid’s No. 9 jersey. Standing at 185cm, he has the physical attributes of a standard center-forward, with excellent jumping and aerial duel abilities, giving him certain dominance in the penalty area. He also has outstanding running ability, covering a long distance per game, and actively participates in frontcourt pressing and defense, showing a good professional attitude. His dribbling skills are exquisite, enabling him to get rid of defenders through feints and direction changes in the penalty area to create shooting or passing opportunities for himself. In terms of passing, he has a broad vision and can accurately pass the ball to teammates in better positions, possessing certain organizational offensive capabilities. His current transfer value on Transfermarkt is €15 million.

Kubarsi (18, Barcelona): He played 31 La Liga games in his debut season, boasting an 89% long pass success rate and 3.2 interceptions per game. He has excellent defensive awareness and anticipation, able to accurately position himself to intercept opponents’ passing routes and reduce their offensive opportunities. Standing at 184cm, he has strong jumping and aerial abilities, excelling in header duels and making up for some physical shortcomings. In terms of defensive enthusiasm, he is highly involved, with excellent tackling and stealing abilities to effectively disrupt opponents’ attacks. He also has a quick recovery speed and outstanding mobile defensive abilities, able to quickly track back and cover positions, adapting to the fast-paced offensive and defensive transitions of modern football. He is hailed by the club as a rising defensive star "surpassing Piqué at the same age". Tall and agile in turning, he is the future cornerstone of Barcelona’s defense. So far this season, he has started 8 La Liga games, with a Transfermarkt value of €80 million.

Giuliano Simeone (22, Atlético Madrid): An Argentine international and son of Diego Simeone, he is the core of the team’s reconstruction plan. He scored 5 goals and provided 9 assists for the team last season, the best statistical performance of his career to date. He skipped a grade to enter Atlético Madrid’s U19 in 2019, then gained experience at Zaragoza (La Liga 2 in the 22/23 season) and Alavés (La Liga in the 23/24 season) before returning to the team last season. Capable of playing multiple positions including second striker, attacking midfielder, and winger, he has excellent dribbling and long-range shooting abilities, creating 2.1 offensive opportunities per 90 minutes, and is expected to fill the creative void left by Antoine Griezmann. This season in La Liga, he has scored 2 goals and provided 4 assists, and also delivered an impressive performance of 1 goal and 1 assist in the Champions League. His current transfer value on Transfermarkt is €35 million.

II. Rising Stars in the Transfer Market: Seizing Breakthrough Opportunities After Changing Teams

Some young players have gained more playing time through transfers and quickly fulfilled their potential in the tactical systems of their new teams.

Arda Güler (20, Real Madrid): A talented midfielder transferred from Fenerbahçe in Turkey, he has turned a corner in recent years with new coach Xabi Alonso promising "the right to make mistakes". Having only started 18 games in the previous two seasons, he will play a key role in midfield formation changes in the new system, with exquisite skills and a strong overall perspective. Since joining Real Madrid, Güler has shown extraordinary talent. With his help, the team can improve its ability to play through balls, especially his distinctive passing, which is a major manifestation of his personal strength. Regarding problems in small, narrow spaces, he has unique ideas and can always convert offensive opportunities, a feature almost irreplaceable by anyone else in Real Madrid and exactly what Xabi Alonso desperately wants. After the departure of Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos, Xabi Alonso has successfully transformed Güler into a more tactical, responsible, and practically valuable newcomer, effectively filling the gap. This season, Güler has scored 3 goals and provided 6 assists for Real Madrid, with most of the assists coming for star player Kylian Mbappé, showing a very high degree of connection. His current transfer value on Transfermarkt is €60 million.

Jan Virgili (19, Mallorca): Transferred from Barcelona’s youth academy, Barcelona retains 50% ownership in the €3.5 million transfer fee. He performed excellently for Barça Atlètic and Spain’s U19, with fast speed and sharp dribbling. Mallorca coach Javier Aguirre has high hopes for him, and he will become the main choice on the wing. The Catalan talent has already shown some bright spots this season against Real Madrid and Espanyol, but his real highlight came against Atlético Madrid, where he threw Diego Simeone’s defense into chaos in just eight minutes. He effortlessly broke through Nahuel Molina’s defense and finally provided an assist for the equalizer with a wonderful individual dribble. In La Liga this season, the 19-year-old rising star has earned 2 assists, and his first goal in the first team is believed to be coming soon. His current transfer value on Transfermarkt is €10 million.

III. Dark Horse Players: Seizing Growth Opportunities in Turbulent Times

The reconstruction or relegation needs of mid-table and lower-tier teams have provided more practical opportunities for young players, and many rising stars have become key variables for their teams.

Nico Williams (22, Athletic Bilbao): A product of Athletic Bilbao’s own youth academy and the team’s brightest star in recent years, he possesses extremely fast speed and excellent explosive power, able to quickly break through defenses on the wing and create one-on-one opportunities. His acceleration is outstanding, often getting rid of defenders through sudden direction changes or sprints, making him a wing threat that is difficult for opponents to mark. His sprint speed of 34.8km/h is the fastest in La Liga. He also has exquisite dribbling skills, excelling in completing breakthroughs using his body and rhythm changes. With a broad passing vision, he can both deliver precise crosses and create scoring opportunities for teammates. His ability to pass after breaking through on the wing is strong, enabling him to supply ammunition to central players, and he can play both left and right winger positions, adapting to different tactical systems. He contributed 11 goals and 7 assists last season and even scored a winning goal against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey. The "dual-core drive" formed with Oihan Sancet was the key to Athletic Bilbao’s qualification for European competitions. This season, he has started 6 out of 9 La Liga games, contributing 2 goals and 1 assist, with a current transfer value of €70 million.

Karl Etta Eyong (22, Levante): The Cameroonian center-forward has started all 9 La Liga games this season, successfully securing the team’s main center-forward position, and has scored 5 goals and provided 1 assist in these 9 games. Currently, 4-5 Premier League clubs are looking to sign him. He has a keen sense of goal in the penalty area and comprehensive skills. He initially started as a midfielder and was discovered by scouts from Cádiz’s youth academy in Cameroon. After staying there for a few years, he successfully transferred to Villarreal last summer. Playing as an all-round No. 9 for Villarreal B, he scored 19 goals in 30 league games. He made his first-team debut in April and scored a dramatic winning goal away to Girona a few weeks later. He scored another goal and provided two assists in his first three games for Villarreal this season. Despite such an impressive start, on the transfer deadline day in September, news broke that Villarreal had agreed to a permanent transfer—to newly promoted La Liga side Levante, with a transfer fee of only €3 million. Today, his transfer value on Transfermarkt has reached €20 million.

Alberto Moleiro (22, Villarreal): He has taken on more offensive responsibilities after the departure of Alex Baena and Yeremy Pino. Last season, he played for Las Palmas in La Liga, contributing 6 goals and 1 assist in 37 games. With comprehensive skills and flexible movement, he partners with Mikautadze in the team’s front two this season, and his offensive efficiency is expected to further improve. The player was even named the Best U23 Player of the Month in La Liga for October. So far in La Liga, he has scored 4 goals and earned 2 assists. His transfer value on Transfermarkt is €25 million.

Core Logic Behind the Rise of La Liga’s Young Stars

Tactical adaptation is key: Barcelona’s possession-based system has activated technical players like Yamal and Kubarsi, while Atlético Madrid’s defensive system has provided room for Giuliano Simeone to shine. A suitable tactical environment can accelerate the growth of young stars.

Guaranteed playing time: The reconstruction needs of mid-table teams and the youth training support policies of giants have allowed young players to gain more practical opportunities, avoiding the predicament of "sitting on the bench".

Alignment with league style: La Liga’s focus on technical skills and possession highly matches the technical characteristics of young players, providing a stage for breakthrough-oriented and creative rising stars to showcase themselves.

In this season’s La Liga, these young stars will continue to grow in the competition between giants and the battle for mid-table teams to break through. Their performances are not only crucial to their personal careers but will also affect the season trends of various teams, injecting new vitality into La Liga.