The Irish forward has been named alongside some of the world’s best youngsters in this year’s GOAL NXGN Awards.
Ferguson has been a revelation since breaking into the Brighton team. The 18-year-old has netted six goals in 14 appearances for the Seagulls, and marked his first senior start for the Republic of Ireland with a debut goal against Latvia.
He is joined on the list by Brighton teammate Facundo Buonanotte. The Argentine joined Albion from Rosario Central in January and has so far made four appearances for the Seagulls.
But who else has made this list of the game’s brightest stars of the future?
The 50 unranked nominees feature talents from across European football’s biggest clubs – including FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester United.
This year, instead of selecting a sole award winner, GOAL chose an elite group that they believe are the very top of the class – known as the NXGN Nine.
Here is part two – looking at the next 25 nominees for the NXGN award.
You can view the first 25 nominees here.
9. Evan Ferguson - Brighton & Hove Albion
Evan Ferguson has been a revelation since making his full Premier League debut for Brighton & Hove Albion at Southampton on Boxing Day. The teenager came off the bench to score his first career league goal in Albion’s 4-2 home loss to top-of-the-table Arsenal on New Year’s Eve. His goal against the Gunners saw Ferguson become both the Seagulls’ and the Republic of Ireland’s youngest ever goal scorer in the Premier League. He has since taken his tally to six goals in 14 senior appearances for Brighton this season. The 18-year-old marked his first senior Republic of Ireland start with a goal in the 3-2 home friendly victory over Latvia on March 22 Photo: GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images
10. Gavi - FC Barcelona
Midfield maestro Gavi has quickly established himself as one of world football's top talents. The 18-year-old lifted the Supercopa de España with FC Barcelona in January, and looks certain to add the 2022/23 La Liga title to his trophy collection come the end of the season. Individually, Gavi has won the 2022 Golden Boy award and the Kopa Trophy, which was awarded during the 2022 Ballon d'Or ceremony. The teenager has also broken a number of Spain national team records. His first senior goal in June's UEFA Nations League win in Czechia saw Gavi become the youngest player to ever score for Spain at senior level. Gavi was named in Spain's 2022 FIFA World Cup squad, and his goal against Costa Rica in the group stages saw the midfielder become the third-youngest player to score in a FIFA World Cup match Photo: David Ramos/Getty Images
11. Ismaël Gharbi - Paris Saint-Germain
Versatile midfielder Ismaël Gharbi has only made nine senior appearances for Paris Saint-Germain, but has already attracted the interest of Chelsea and Liverpool. The 18-year-old, who recently switched his international allegiance from France to Spain, signed his first professional contract with PSG in June. The new deal will keep Gharbi at the Parc des Princes until June 2025 Photo: BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images
12. Jorrel Hato - Ajax
Big things are expected from Ajax defender Jorrel Hato (left). The 17-year-old's excellent performances as captain of Jong Ajax earned him a call-up to the Ajax first team in January. The Netherlands under-16 captain became the third-youngest player to debut for Ajax in the Eredivisie at the age of 16 years and 335 days, coming off the bench in a 5-0 win at SC Cambuur on February 5. Hato, who has since made four senior appearances for Ajax, netted his first professional goal just five days later Photo: Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC via Getty Images