UEFA Under-20 Men’s ‘Team Of The Year’ Features Three English Players

The IFFHS have announced their UEFA men's under-20 'Team of the Year' - and England has three players in the XI, more than any other nation.

Put together by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics, the team stars Europe's best players born in the year 2000 or later.

Norway's unstoppable machine Erling Haaland leads the line-up in attack, unsurprisingly, having already scored 20 Champions League goals at age 20. Astonishing.

However England's resurgence of young talent is recognised by the fact that Haaland's Borussia Dortmund's teammate, Jadon Sancho, on the right side of attack, while Manchester City's lavishly gifted Phil Foden takes a spot in midfield.

Less high-profile but still deserving, Brighton's Tariq Lamptey takes the right-back spot. The exciting 20-year-old may be out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury but he is still interesting Europe's biggest clubs.

Ansu Fati, also currently injured, is one of the two youngest players in the XI. The Barcelona prodigy has already played - and scored - for Spain, despite only turning 18 in October.

The other 18-year-old in the team is Rennes talent Eduardo Camavinga, who's in midfield alongside Italian playmaker Sandro Tonali - compared by some to a young Andrea Pirlo. No pressure, Sandro lad.

The centre-backs have a distinctly Premier League look. Leicester's Wesley Fofana, who made an instant impact this season before his injury, and Man City's Spain international Eric Garcia are the partnership.

Check out the all-European under-20 XI below and let us know who is unlucky to miss out.

Mason Greenwood? Pedri? Bukayo Saka? Or have the IFFHS got this spot on?

GK: Ersin Destanoglu (Besiktas)

RB: Tariq Lamptey (Brighton)

CB: Eric Garcia (Man City)

CB: Wesley Fofana (Leicester)

LB: Mitchel Bakker (PSG)

MF: Sandro Tonali (AC Milan)

MF: Phil Foden (Man City)

MF: Eduardo Camavinga (Rennes)

RW: Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund)

FW: Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)

LW: Ansu Fati (Barcelona)

All imagery: PA Images/IFFHS

Topics: Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, UEFA, Ansu Fati, Jadon Sancho, Champions League

Alex Reid

Alex Reid is a writer at SPORTbible who’s previously strung words together for FourFourTwo, Boxing News, The Guardian and, yes, Cruise International (it’s about big ships, not Tom). Interests range from football and boxing to real sports like WWE and darts. He is not a cage fighter.

@otheralexreid