What Happened To 10 South American Wonderkids FourFourTwo Tipped For Greatness
The 10 players have had vastly different careers.
FourFourTwo's choices for the top 10 South American wonderkids back in 2016 have gone on to have much different careers.
The year prior to the list, Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia all represented South America in the knockout stages of the 2015 U20 World Cup.
Though Uruguay and Colombia were knocked out in the last 16, Brazil made it all the way to the final, eventually losing 2-1 to Serbia.
Argentina, meanwhile, surprisingly failed to get out of a group which also contained Ghana, Argentina and Panama, despite the likes of Angel Correa, Emiliano Buendia and Giovanni Simeone all playing for them.
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Two stars of that tournament made FourFourTwo's list, with one of them now playing regularly for a Premier League giant.
One player now plays in Peru's top division, another is a member of the esteemed Udinese-to-Watford club, while one player failed a drugs test shortly after being included in the list.
Let's take a look at where all 10 players are now:
Giovani Lo Celso
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Giovani Lo Celso joined French giants Paris Saint-Germain months after FourFourTwo's list, and broke into the first team before being loaned out and later sold to Real Betis.
The Argentinian moved to Spurs on loan in 2019 before making the move permanent for £55 million in 2020, but although he was an initial favourite of Jose Mourinho, he slowly fell out of favour and was sold back to Betis in 2024.
Edwin Saavedra
Bolivia winger Edwin Saavedra was tipped for big things in 2016, though has spent much of his career in his home country.
He had a brief stint at South African side Mamelodi Sundowns between 2022 and 2024 but had little playing time and returned to first club Bolivar, where he has now made over 300 appearances in all competitions.
Jose Angulo
Ecuador forward Jose Angulo has had a somewhat nomadic career across North and South America, representing nine different clubs.
He was signed by Granada in 2016 but never made a senior appearance, with the club cancelling his contract after he failed a drugs test for cocaine.
Angulo was handed a four-year ban by FIFA in late 2017, and he is now back in Ecuador with Emelec.
Nahitan Nandez
Nahitan Nendez captained Uruguay at the aforementioned U20 World Cup and was one of their key players during the tournament.
He moved from Penarol to Argentine giants Boca Juniors in 2017, before moving to Europe to join Serie A side Cagliari two years later.
The midfielder was a key player at the Italian club for five seasons, but decided to leave as a free agent in 2024 and joined Al Qadsiah of the Saudi Pro League.
Saul Salcedo
Paraguay defender Saul Salcedo has enjoyed a successful career in both his home country and Argentina.
The 29-year-old centre-back currently plays for and captains Argentine giants Newell's Old Boys, alongside having received two caps for his country.
Francisco Sierralta
Chile centre-back Francisco Sierralta spent the first part of his career in the Watford ownership vortex, having failed to make an appearance for Granada or Udinese before being sold to the Hornets in 2020.
He did find a home in English football, making 109 league appearances across five seasons for Watford, before then moving to Ligue 1 side Auxerre ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Yefferson Soteldo
Having become a key player for Venezuelan side Zamora, winger Yefferson Soteldo sealed a high-profile move to Santos in 2019.
Alongside a brief spell in the MLS with Toronto FC, Soteldo has also played in Mexico and Chile, and is currently back in Brazil with Fluminense, where he has spent the last two seasons. He also has 53 caps for Venezuela.
Edwin Cardona
Edwin Cardona was likened to Colombia's James Rodriguez by FourFourTwo, and subsequently developed a reputation as a goalscoring midfielder across North and South America.
He scored 18 goals in a single season for Mexican giants Monterrey in 2015/16, and also enjoyed spells in Argentina with Boca Juniors and Racing Club.
Now 33, Cardona has returned home to Colombia and is a key player for Atletico Nacional.
Gabriel Jesus
Gabriel Jesus is comfortably the most successful player in this list, having won four Premier League titles and a further six trophies with Manchester City.
The Brazil forward is now, of course, playing for City's Premier League rivals Arsenal, and is looking to help the Gunners secure their first domestic title since 2004.
Luiz Beto da Silva
Luiz Beto da Silva signed for Eredivisie side PSV in 2016, though never made a senior appearance.
The Peruvian winger has since represented 11 clubs, and now plays for Deportivo Garcilaso of the Peruvian Premier Division. He has collected eight caps for his country, but hasn't played for them since 2019.
Topics: Arsenal, Brazil, Gabriel Jesus, Watford, Uruguay, Colombia, Argentina, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City
Ryan Smart