South America has produced some of the brightest stars in football.Great players such as Lionel Messi, Angel Di María and Neymar have come from the continent.
In the making of the stars, the under-20 South American Championship has played a significant role.
The 2025 edition of the tournament, which concludes on 16 February in Venezuela, serves as a vital launch pad for young talents towards senior football for the continent’s starlets.
On that note let us have a look at young players from South America who can rule football.
1. Estêvão Willian (Brazil)
The most promising youngster right now from South America is Estêvão Willian, who has already earned a marquee move to English side Chelsea for the 2025/26 season.
The 17-years-old played a key role in helping Palmeiras to the Brazilian league title and the Campeonato Paulista. His calibre even landed him his senior international debut in September 2024.
Although Estêvão was not selected for this year’s under-20 South American Championship (in fact, he has never represented Brazil’s under-20 side), he will surely be a name to look out for in the near future.
2. Kendry Paez (Ecuador)
Ecuadorian midfielder Kendry Paez is another South American star joining Chelsea next season. He is a player who has grabbed attention at the continental competition in Venezuela.
Paez is being seen as the future of Ecuador and someone who could lead the next generation. He has already played at the international level having started at the 2024 Copa America. Paez has been captaining the under-20 national team aged just 17.
3. Néiser Villarreal (Colombia)
Néiser Villarreal is the top scorer at the tournament. The 19-year-old scored six goals in seven matches, including a superb hat-trick against Paraguay and the winner versus Brazil.
Colombia qualified from the group stage with the best record of the tournament in which Villarreal played a huge role.
4. Claudio Echeverri (Argentina)
Claudio Echeverri has been having a sensational campaign with Argentina, scoring four goals and registering three assists as captain.
A nifty midfielder who came through the River Plate setup, Echeverri signed for English Premier League champions Manchester City in 2024 before returning on a year-long loan to Buenos Aires.
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5. Alfonso Montero (Uruguay)
Alfonso Montero has been a star defender for Uruguay. A 17-year-old is a centre-back in Juventus’ academy.
Montero comes from a footballing family with his father and grandfather both having played for the Uruguayan national team. His father Paolo won four Italian league titles across almost a decade with Juventus.
