As tradition dictates, Christmas is also a time for assessments and judgments, and so, right on schedule as every year, the OneFootball editorial team pauses to look at what happened in Serie A in 202...
As tradition dictates, Christmas is also a time for assessments and judgments, and so, right on schedule as every year, the OneFootball editorial team pauses to look at what happened in Serie A in 2025.
It's time to make our choices and celebrate those who truly made a difference by awarding the prestigious OneFootball Award. Let's start with the best young player.
1️⃣ Francesco Pio Esposito (Alessandro De Felice)
The year 2025 was undoubtedly the year of Pio Esposito. The forward, born in 2005, found himself at just 20 years old first leading Spezia towards a near-promotion to Serie A, only to fall short at the final stretch, and then handling the intense leap to San Siro, between Inter and the National team. But the young forward was ready and demonstrated technical, physical, and character qualities, but above all, a great knack for scoring goals.
In sequence came his first with Inter and at the Club World Cup (against River Plate), in Serie A (against Cagliari), in the Champions League (with Union SG), in the National team (against Estonia), at San Siro (against Norway with Italy and with Inter against Venezia), and in the Coppa Italia (again with the lagoon team). A pure-bred striker, with a frightening knack for goals and a strong and determined character: 2025 was undoubtedly the year of the sparkling talent of Pio Esposito.
2️⃣ Nico Paz (Alessio D'Errico)
Nico Paz is probably one of the few players in this Serie A on whom thoughts of a bright and top-level future in world football can be made. Crystal-clear class combined with impressive tactical growth, the Argentine is the beacon of an ambitious team like Como. With numbers of a European top player, the Real Madrid academy graduate has shown to be more than just a "simple" class 10.
Paz is a complete player, physically equipped to withstand the pace of the great European teams and beautiful to watch. His numbers between goals and assists place him steadily among the best in Serie A, and the feeling is that in a big European team, even now, he would make his mark with the number 10 on his back. From Real Madrid to play and not just to enrich the curriculum.
3️⃣ Marco Palestra (Diego D'Avanzo)
Sure, Nico Paz and Kenan Yildiz or Pio Esposito are by far the most decisive young players in Serie A, but let's give credit to the real revelation of this Serie A: Marco Palestra. The winger from Cagliari - owned by Atalanta - came with an excellent pedigree and great references from youth sector insiders (picked in Fantasy at 1, I'm last) but no one expected this impact.
The performances are impressive, and the numbers confirm it: only 2% of his peers in Europe have completed more dribbles and "forward ball carries". In every respect, Palestra is already a European-level player, and Pisacane confirms it: "Palestra is a boy with very high qualities". If he's not yet the best young player overall, he is certainly the surprise of 2025 in Serie A.
4️⃣ Kenan Yildiz (Emanuele Garbato)
In a Serie A where there is always a complaint about the lack of talent, Kenan Yildiz is a wonderful exception. The 2005-born player is the brightest product of the successful combination of youth sector and Next Gen applied by Juventus in recent years, the only great talent the club has decided to retain. He is repaying with goals, assists, and increasing consistency within matches.
Perhaps he is not the most ready young player in the league, also because the competition is remarkable, but he is certainly the boy capable of pulling off the most important plays even in a club like the Bianconeri, which brings pressures that wouldn't exist elsewhere. In the most challenging context possible in Italy, the Turk is already the uncontested top player of the team. Now he needs to be secured with a contract renewal.
5️⃣ Francesco Pio Esposito (Marco Alessandri)
The indecision was between Esposito and Bartesaghi, but since the Rossonero only exploded in this last part of 2025... I say Francesco Pio Esposito. The year of the Inter striker is one to remember: 17 goals in Serie B with Spezia, then the Club World Cup with Inter and the debut in the National team, with a goal. Too often the term "predestined" is overused, but perhaps this time it's appropriate to use it. Well done Inter for raising such a strong boy and integrating him into the team at the right time, when behind Thuram and Lautaro there was a need for hungry people ready to do anything to honor the jersey. Future assured, but already the present is not bad at all.
6️⃣ Kenan Yildiz (Matteo Rimoldi)
Taking on the legacy of Alessandro Del Piero at just 19years old was not easy at all, but Kenan Yildiz has long lived with the label of predestined. He didn't grow up in the Juventus youth academy, yet his arrival on a free transfer in 2017 was enough to absorb and fully embody the Bianconeri values, which he proudly represents today.
The captain's armband, worn on several occasions, is no coincidence: Yildiz, despite his young age, is already a recognized leader in the locker room. A status built especially thanks to an outstanding 2025. With Thiago Motta, he secured the position of permanent starter and never let it go, delivering a series of high-level performances even in a context that was anything but simple, marked by three coaching changes in a season and a half.
Now, with the arrival of Luciano Spalletti, the Turkish talent has the opportunity for a definitive leap in quality. “He doesn't know how strong he is,” said the Tuscan coach to praise him. But in truth, Yildiz is fully aware of it. He earns too little to be the cover man of Juventus. The renewal could become the cherry on top of a 2025 to frame or the best way to start a 2026 as a proclaimed protagonist.
7️⃣ Kenan Yildiz (Vincenzo Visco)
For Kenan Yildiz, this was the year of consecration, not only at Juventus but in world football. The Turkish talent made the definitive leap in quality, becoming a technical and emotional reference for the Bianconeri. Goals, assists, and decisive plays marked a year often lived on his insights, even in the most complex moments of a Juve with alternating currents. Yildiz knew how to take responsibility, make an impact in crucial matches, and raise the level when needed. Consistent in performance, decisive in key matches, he confirmed himself among the best in the group and, at times, simply indispensable.
8️⃣ Nico Paz (Damiano Benzoni)
It is undeniable, Nico Paz has reconciled us with football and Serie A: an exciting talent who has forcefully captured the attention of the football world, fueling continuous market rumors about when he will return to his home club Real Madrid, which from Spain watches and rubs its hands, despite the abundance in the role. It is certain that the young talent from Como has given us plenty of football magic, with that educated left foot and that vision of the game capable of leaving us speechless.
Above all, however, he has demonstrated the head on his shoulders of a player already mature despite his age, the ability to carry the team on his shoulders, and a tenacity that leads him to play all over the field, fight for every ball, and be always decisive. Whether this will be enough to secure a starting spot at Real (and who knows, the Argentine number 10 one day), is yet to be seen. What is certain is that Paz has found the right stage to grow and shine.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.
📸 PABLO PORCIUNCULA - AFP or licensors
Category: General Sports
