FIFA 20 best young players: Career mode’s top strikers, midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers

Career Mode has been revamped and upgraded for FIFA 20, with the player database also getting a refresh for the launch of the new game.

This will give FIFA fans the chance to start a new career with their favourite team, turning them into league and continental champions thanks to clever moves on the transfer market and astute management to develop young players into superstars.

Goal has compiled a list of the best young players in FIFA 20, selecting those aged 20 or under who have the highest potential rating. The lists below are sorted by potential and current ability and also divided by position.

Each player is listed by their primary position, but all the positions they can play in are shown. This means that Chelsea’s Ethan Ampadu, currently on loan at RB Leipzig, is in the defenders section but can play both centre-back and as a defensive midfielder.

Every player with a high potential rating is shown here, including many lesser-known stars who may be willing to move to smaller clubs if you are playing a long career by starting outside the top flight. Players will need plenty of gametime to develop and reach their full potential. Substitutes and reserves are unlikely to improve if they are not playing.

PO. = Position(s)

CR = Current Rating

PR = Potential Rating

VA. = Value

*Clubs listed are the clubs the players are assigned to in FIFA 20 Career Mode, while ages shown are the age at the start of Career Mode

FIFA 20: Best Young Goalkeepers

Gianluigi Donnarumma starts FIFA 20 as an excellent shot-stopper but can develop into the world’s best after a few years. His potential rating of 92 is higher than the best current ability of any other goalkeeper in the game, with Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak rated 91 in this year’s version.

Porto’s Diogo Costa had been one of the best bargains at the goalkeeper position as he could become 86 rated at the launch of FIFA 20, but recent database updates have seen him receive a downgrade to his potential ability, meaning 83 overall is his target potential. An excellent option could be Manchester City’s Gavin Bazunu, who may be available to teams outside the top division due to his low current ability and age.

FIFA 20: Best Young Defenders

New Piemonte Calcio signing Matthijs de Ligt has a current and potential ability to match his real-life price tag and is unlikely to be put up for sale by the Old Lady in FIFA 20 Career Mode.

The Serie A side is referred to Piemonte Calcio in FIFA 20 due to an exclusive naming rights deal the club has with EA Sports’ rivals Konami for Pro Evolution Soccer. 

RB Leipzig centre-back pairing Ibahima Konate and Dayot Upamecano may be more willing to move clubs in Career Mode, while Dan-Axel Zagadou’s versatility makes the Borussia Dortmund defender an interesting target.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Panagiotis Retsos is similarly appealing as he can play anywhere across the backline, but is the same price as Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot and may be out of some club’s budgets. Benfica’s Nuno Tavares is a more affordable option with a value of £3 million.

Monaco’s Jonathan Panzo has received a boost to his current and potential ratings since the release of FIFA 20 and can now reach an overall rating of 85. He is on loan at Cercle Brugge during the first season of Career Mode, but could be a bargain buy during the next transfer window.

FIFA 20: Best Young Midfielders

The Bundesliga’s top two young players are also FIFA 20’s best midfield prospects. Both Kai Havertz and Jadon Sancho can reach 92 overall, but have pricetags to match their high ceiling and clubs will need to break the bank to sign them.

Thiago Almada was linked to Man City in real life as one of South America’s most exciting young players. He will also be hugely in demand in FIFA 20 as the 18-year-old midfielder can also play up front and on the wing and is valued at less than £6m at the start of Career Mode.

Rennes’ Eduardo Camavinga is a new addition to the FIFA 20 database, having turned 16 in November. The French teenager has one of the highest potential ratings of any player in the game and is worth over £3m at the start of the game despite his age.

FIFA 20: Best Young Forwards

Once again, Kylian Mbappe is one of the best players in the game and has the potential ability to match. He’s rated 89 overall at the start of Career Mode, so will be expensive or almost impossible to buy for nearly every club.

Joao Felix is a new arrival at Atletico Madrid and thus they will not be willing to sell him during the first transfer window, but Manchester United’s Mason Greenwood may be available for a reasonable fee and can be developed into one of the best strikers in FIFA 20.

When FIFA 20 was launched, Erling Haaland was a Career Mode bargain and had an asking price of less than £2m, but recent database changes have seen his current and potential ability improve massively and he’s now worth almost £13m.

There is great value to be had in many of the strikers with 86 potential ability, especially if you are willing to throw them in at the deep end early in the game despite their relatively low current ratings.