To land on our top 25 we enlisted the expertise of FC Insiders Alejandro Moreno, Tor-Kristian Karlsen and Adrian Melville. Each was given an initial list of 60-plus players and, beyond assessing the list, was asked to further research the candidate pool for any outliers while putting together their ranks. The parameters: a player had to be 24 years or younger as of Feb. 18, 2015, with ranks to be determined by current level of play and upside.

Our final rank represents the game's global talent reach and draw of Europe's top leagues. In total, 12 countries are represented, with Belgium, Brazil and France leading the way with four players apiece. Every player on the list is employed by a club in one of Europe's top five leagues, with the Premier League (10) and La Liga (six) boasting the most. Midfielders were well-represented -- though some of the 13 players categorized as such play hybrid roles -- followed by forwards (seven).

Here's our panel's aggregate rank of the world's top 25 players under age 25, followed by player-by-player analysis. We'll update the ranks throughout the year, so keep an eye out for who rises and drops. And let us know your thoughts by getting involved in the discussion via Twitter at #FC25Under25.

(espnfc.com)