Men's Olympic soccer 2016: 20 young players to watch

Much of the interest in Olympic soccer is fixated on the women’s game, and rightly so. On the women’s side, the Olympic competition is right up there with the World Cup as a crown jewel of the sport, and the United States are favored to win it.

Men’s soccer is different — much different. It’s an under-23 competition, with three over-age players allowed on each 18-man roster, and it plays second-fiddle, or even third-fiddle, to other major international tournaments.

But every four years, men’s Olympic soccer is an opportunity to scout the Messis and Ronaldos of tomorrow — the rising young stars who will seem to incessantly pop up in transfer rumors over the next few years. So here are the 20 youngsters — 23 years old and under — you should be keeping an eye on over the next few weeks:

1. Gabriel Barbosa, 19, forward, Brazil

Billed as the next Neymar, “Gabigol” is a silky-smooth left-footed playmaker who will likely start for Brazil on the right wing. The 19-year-old has already appeared 82 times for Santos, and has been the subject of interest from a glittering list of top European clubs.

2. Gabriel Jesus, 19, forward, Brazil

Nope, this isn’t a typo. The top two under-23 players in the tournament are 19-year-old Brazilian forwards named Gabriel. The difference? Jesus has just signed for Manchester City, as of Wednesday, when he was officially sold by Brazilian club Palmeiras for €32 million. He’s also more of a center forward, though he can play on either wing too. The two Gabriels will partner with Neymar up front for the hosts.

3. Marquinhos, 22, defender, Brazil

Marquinhos is the most established under-23 player at the tournament. PSG spent €31 million on him three years ago, and the Brazilian has played 75 times for the French champions since. A technical and athletic center back who can also play fullback, he’ll play centrally for Brazil and anchor the back line.

4. Felipe Anderson, 23, winger/midfielder, Brazil

You might be starting to sense a theme here… Yeah, Brazil is pretty good. Felipe Anderson is a well-rounded winger who will trouble opponents whether he’s carrying the ball at pace in transition, creating from a No. 10 position or drifting wide. He’s been doing so for Lazio for three years now, and he’ll do so from some sort of fluid attacking position at the Olympics.

5. Max Meyer, 20, midfielder, Germany

Germany didn’t name a single player from its Euro 2016 squad in its Olympic squad, meaning even its top under-23 players won’t be in Brazil. But that doesn’t mean there’s not talent up and down this 18-man roster. Meyer is evidence of that. The 5-foot-8 attacking midfielder has been a Schalke regular since he was 18, and could use the Olympics to take the next step on an international level.

6. Angel Correa, 20, forward, Argentina

The Atletico Madrid youngster can play through the middle or out wide, and is one of three or four talented playmakers that make up the next wave of Argentine attackers.

7. Julian Brandt, 20, winger, Germany

Brandt, who plays for Bayer Leverkusen, was named in Germany’s preliminary 27-man roster for Euro 2016, but was one of the four players cut from the final 23-man squad. He’s 6-foot-1 and has a versatile attacking game coming in off the left wing, which is where he’s likely to feature for Germany.

8. Jonathan Calleri, 22, striker, Argentina

Calleri isn’t necessarily a classic No. 9, but he’s a pure goal scorer who will lead the Argentinean line in Brazil. He’s had success at both Boca Juniors and Sao Paolo in South America. The rumor mill says he’s on Barcelona’s radar.

9. Matthias Ginter, 22, defender, Germany

Ginter hasn’t seen the field regularly for Borussia Dortmund since breaking into the first team in 2014, but he’s another physically impressive defender who can play on the right or in the middle.

10. Hirving Lozano, 21, winger, Mexico

Lozano — who was reportedly very close to sealing a move to Manchester United earlier this summer — impressed for El Tri at the Copa America Centenario in June. He’s quick and slick with the ball, prefers the left wing, and will be Mexico’s top playmaker at the Olympics.

11. Leon Goretzka, 21, midfielder, Germany

Goretzka’s stock has steadily been on the rise over the past 12 months. He made 34 appearances for Schalke in 2015-16. He’s a balanced, rangy, box-to-box midfielder who is also a threat in the air on set pieces.

12. Miguel Borja, 23, striker, Colombia

Borja hasn’t been courted by many big European clubs, but he’s been on an absolute tear in Colombia. He scored 19 goals in 21 appearances for Cortulua after joining in January, then moved to Atletico Nacional in June and scored five goals in the Copa Libertadores, including the winner in the second leg of the final.

13. Giovani Lo Celso, 20, midfielder, Argentina

Another young Argentine talent, Lo Celso will be the creator behind the likes of Calleri and Correa. He was recently bought by PSG for €10 million, though he was immediately loaned back to Rosario Central until the end of December.

14. Rafinha, 23, midfielder, Brazil

A year ago, many would’ve pegged Rafinha as the player to watch at this tournament — if he wasn’t either starring for Brazil at Copa America or preparing for the 2016-17 La Liga season with Barcelona. But the creative midfielder tore his ACL for Barcelona in a Champions League game against Roma last fall, a major impediment on his path to stardom. He might not even start at the Olympics, but his talent is undeniable.

15. Carlos Mane, 22, winger, Portugal

As a 19-year-old, Mane was the subject of reported interest from Manchester United and Manchester City. He hasn’t really exploded onto the scene at Sporting like some expected him too, but he’s still an exciting player with a ton of pace and 1-v-1 ability.

16. Timo Horn, 23, goalkeeper, Germany

Just to satisfy all you keepers out there. Horn is the best of the 32 (two per team) at the Olympics, regardless of age.

17. Takuma Asano, 21, forward, Japan

Arsene Wenger saw enough in Asano to buy him earlier this summer. Maybe Wenger thinks he’s the solution to Arsenal’s striker problems? Probably not, but given the Arsenal move, Asano is probably worth keeping an eye on in Brazil.

18. Serge Gnabry, 21, winger, Germany

Another Arsenal kid who has shown flashes in his four years with the senior team, but has often been relegated to the reserves. Gnabry went on loan to West Brom this past season, but didn’t get time with the Baggies either. Maybe he can show something at the Olympics — though he might have trouble breaking into this Germany side.

19. Alberth Elis, 21, striker, Honduras

Perhaps a budding star in CONCACAF, Elis scored two goals for Honduras in a 2-0 win over the U.S. that effectively sent the Americans on their way out of Olympic qualifying.

20. Bruno Fernandes, 21, midfielder, Portugal

Fernandes is an influential midfielder who has made 95 appearances for Italian club Udinese over the past three years. He’ll be Portugal’s midfield general.