AGE 22: Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior

Brazilian footballer

What makes him powerful: No other player in the 2014 World Cup will be under as much scrutiny as Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior — known around the world simply as Neymar — a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Brazilian national team. He's proved he can handle the pressure in international competition, winning the Golden Ball award as MVP in the 2013 Confederations Cup.

While Neymar has had trouble finding his footing at Barcelona, on a team that already features Lionel Messi, he still earns 3.8 million pounds per goal.