With the release of FM26 now tantalisingly close, we thought we would take a look at one of our favourite areas of FM and see which players could be possible wonderkids in the latest edition of the game.
Here are the players we believe could be possible wonderkids on FM26:
Givairo Read (Feyenoord)
The Amsterdam-born right-back enjoyed a debut campaign in the 2024/25 season, making 33 appearances in all competitions. That included featuring 26 times in the Eredivisie.
The 19-year-old also showed his attacking talents, scoring twice, but maybe more importantly, producing six assists. His performances reportedly led to interest from clubs in more high-profile leagues.
Read could well be a good young signing for most clubs in European football’s highest-profile leagues, especially if his in-game stats match his potential in real life.
Axel Tape (Bayer Leverkusen)
The young Frenchman first came on the European football scene by making three first-team appearances for French giants PSG last season in all competitions.
Despite being highly regarded in Paris, the versatile starlet left PSG for German club Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2025 in search of regular first-team football. Though early in the season, the signs are promising for the 18-year-old, who has already made three competitive appearances for Die Werkself.
Tape has benefited from the summer exit of Bayer stalwart Jonathan Tah to German giants Bayern Munich, as he has played mainly as a centre-back for Leverkusen. However, he can also play as a box-to-box midfielder, which is the sort of versatility that always benefits anybody when trying to build a squad in FM.
Marc Bernal (Barcelona)
The 18-year-old is yet another potential star player to come off the seemingly endless conveyor belt of young talent from Barcelona’s La Masia academy.
Bernal has impressed in Barcelona’s B team and made three first-team appearances for the Blaugrana’s first team. This season, he has also made a substitute appearance for Hansi Flick’s team.
With the plethora of talent available at the Catalan club, especially in central midfield, Bernal may be available to sign on loan in the first summer transfer window. However, depending on his stats and performances in the first few seasons, he may well be costly to sign if his in-game stats match his real-life potential.
Ethan Mbappe (Lille)
The younger of the two Mbappe brothers, Ethan, is just 18, but has already shown enough to prove that he isn’t in the game just because of his brother.
Mbappe left PSG in the summer of 2024 as a free agent and joined their Ligue 1 rivals Lille shortly afterwards. The young midfielder made just 12 appearances for LOSC last season, starting twice, including in the Champions League.
He has yet to start this season. However, he scored in his only substitute appearance of the campaign, which could kick-start his career with Lille.
Considering he is just 18, he still has time to develop, and he has already shown flashes of his ability in his limited appearances for LOSC.
Josh King (Fulham)
Another 18-year-old, King initially broke into Fulham’s squad in season 2024/25, making 11 appearances in all competitions. He showed enough signs of promise to be considered an option for this season.
In fact, King has become a first-team regular for the club from south west London, appearing four times in the Premier League and once in the Carabao Cup. He has yet to produce any attacking returns for the Cottagers, but he has immense potential and could be a Fulham player for years to come, which could be reflected in his FM26 stats.
Can Uzun (Eintracht Frankfurt)
The 19-year-old has been one of the early shining lights in the Bundesliga this season, scoring three goals and producing two assists in the opening three gameweeks of the German top-flight.
Uzun started his career at FC Nürnberg, where he was prolific in the 2023/24 season, when he scored an impressive 16 goals in the 2. Bundesliga before a 2024 summer switch to Frankfurt.
In his debut campaign with the Eagles, he showed some promise, scoring five times in 31 competitive appearances. However, the young Turkish international has started the season on fire in the German top-flight. Hopefully, his in-game stats will reflect his real-life quality and promise.
George Ilenikhena (Monaco)
The Lagos-born 19-year-old forward broke into Monaco’s first team last season after a 2024 summer move from Belgian club Antwerp. The pacey forward made 32 appearances in all competitions for the club from the principality, scoring six times.
So far in the current campaign, he has made three substitute appearances for Monaco in Ligue 1, scoring once. The forward is the latest of a long line of forwards developed by Monaco, dating back to the likes of Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet. In contrast, more recently, the club developed Kylian Mbappe into a world-class performer.
The forward has talked about Mbappe being one of his role models. The forward may never reach the same heights as Mbappe, but he certainly has the potential to become a very talented player at the top level of the European game.
Who are the wonderkids you are hoping to see in FM26?
