True sporting superstars are something of a rarity, and they’re even more rare in their teens. Even the legendary Tiger Woods was 21 before he won his first golf major.
Times have changed though, and sports stars are reaching the highest level at younger and younger ages these days.
From cricket to rugby to athletics, there is seemingly a conveyor belt of emerging young talent every year.
Here are five of the best teenage sportsmen on the world stage at the moment.
Lamine Yamal
At just 17-years-old, the talented winger is already a fixture in the Barcelona team, having already made over 70 appearances for the Spanish football giants. Long touted as a future star, Yamal made his debut for the senior national team at the age of 16. He is also the youngest ever player to play in a UEFA Champions League match.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi
One of the biggest breakthroughs in all of sport in 2025, Vaibhav Suryavanshi is the name on every Indian cricket fan’s lips. The youngest player on this list at just 14-years-old, he scored a century in just his third match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Rajasthan Royals. That feat made him the youngest ever centurion in T20 cricket, as the left-hander reached the three-figure mark off just 35 deliveries. When he was bought by the Royals at the age of 13, it also made him the youngest player to ever sign an IPL deal.
Lhuan Dre Pretorius
Another southpaw batsman on this list, Lhuan de Pretorius, is one of the brightest prospects in South African cricket at the moment. Having made a name for himself with the Paarl Royals in the SA20 with three 50s and a highest score of 97 in his debut season this year, the wicketkeeper batsman has also been signed by the Rajasthan Royals. Though he is yet to make his IPL debut with players like Suryavansh in the side, there’s no doubting Pretorius’s time will come sooner rather than later.
Luke Littler
Another incredibly talented 18-year-old, England’s Luke Littler has set the world of professional darts on fire. Despite his young age, he is already ranked number two in the world. In the 2025 World Championship earlier this year, Littler became the youngest world champion in darts history.
Bayanda Walaza
Already an Olympic silver medallist in the men’s 4x100m relay at the Paris Olympics last year, Bayanda Walaza is one of the top sprinting talents not just in South Africa but on the globe as well. Having celebrated his 19th birthday in February, Walaza has already added two World Under-20 Championship golds to his name in both the 100m and 200m. Having already gone sub-10 in the men’s 100m, there’s no telling just how quick Walaza will go in what should be a long career.
@Michael_Sherman
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