Goal counts down the top 10 female talents born on or after January 1, 2001 from all across the world
Goal/Getty composite10Linda Caicedo | Deportivo Cali
In Linda Caicedo’s first season in senior women’s football, she top-scored in Colombia’s top-flight and led America de Cali to their first-ever Championship title.
But as her team reached the semi-finals of the Copa Liberatores, she couldn’t play – because she was too young.
The youngest player to play in Colombia’s Liga Aguila, its youngest-ever scorer and the youngest to be nominated for Player of the Year, Caicedo didn’t turn 15 until February 2020!
The Copa Libertadores rules, however, state a player must be 16 years old, which means she will be too young to play in the competition again this season – when she turns out for America’s biggest rivals, Deportivo Cali.
The controversial transfer is part of a deal that will see Caicedo, who has already made her senior Colombia debut, move to Barcelona further down the line.
“From the moment she arrived, we noticed that Linda had something different,” Rafael Murillo, president of America de Cali, said.
It’s a lot of pressure for a player so young – but she is taking everything in her stride brilliantly, continuing to justify the hype.
AdvertisementGoal/Getty composite9Yuzuki Yamamoto | NTV Beleza
With four goals to her name already, Yuzuki Yamamoto made a bold prediction ahead of the 2019 AFC Under-19 Championship final.
"I'm always searching for a goal and I will score one in the next match,” she said – and she didn’t disappoint.
As Momo Nakao went on a mazy run down the right, Yamamoto peeled away from her marker and screamed for the cut-back – slotting home to put Japan 1-0 up and on their way to victory over North Korea.
It was her fifth goal of the tournament in just her fourth game.
Asked about her ambitions, Yamamoto said: "I want to be selected for the senior national team, participate in the World Cup and be champions."
Again, her words are bold, but with her knack for goal-scoring, such hopes are certainly not unrealistic.
Goal/Getty composite8Kate Wiesner | Penn State
Penn State’s women’s soccer programme has constantly produced top talent in the United States.
Alyssa Naeher and Ali Krieger, World Cup winners in both 2015 and 2019, are just two examples – and now, they have another coming through.
"Kate Wiesner is a world-class player and she’s going to show it throughout her four years here," Erica Dambach, who has seen plenty of top talent during her 13 years as a coach at Penn State, said. “She’s going to be a big-time player in this program.”
A player who can operate as a left-back or on the left wing, Wiesner may only be 19, but she's already played at her fair share of international tournaments at youth level and even made the USWNT Under-19s roster at the age of 16, such is her ability.
Named in the Best XI after winning the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship in 2018, she certainly has the potential to be part of the USWNT’s next generation of stars – and, at Penn State, she’s in the perfect place to realise that.
Goal/Getty composite7Gift Monday | FC Robo
When Gift Monday made her senior international bow for Nigeria in September, it marked the start of what promises to be an excellent career at the top level.
The 18-year-old was the Falconets' star player at the 2018 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, showcasing her fine dribbling abilities and power on the ball as her team reached the quarter-finals.
One year later, she scored the first goal of Nigeria’s successful African Games campaign, again proving to be a key player as they won gold at the competition for the first time in 12 years.
Coach Christopher Danjuma dubbed her contributions “outstanding” while Monday herself has spoken with maturity beyond her years throughout all their success.
A fantastic finisher and a threat in the air, the teenage forward is now getting the chances to make an impact at senior level – but, first and foremost, will be a crucial player for Nigeria Under-20s as they set their sights on qualifying for this year’s World Cup.