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Lionel Messi has named the 10 players he sees as future stars, with youngsters from Chelsea and Liverpool getting the nod. As part of an Adidas campaign, the Argentine icon was asked to name the prospects he deems the next big thing in the game.
It’s not the first time that Messi has picked his 10 future stars in football, having done so for Adidas in 2024 to coincide with the release of the ‘Messi+10’ F50 football boot. Lamine Yamal, Antonio Nusa, and Kenan Yildiz were among the 10 players the five-time Ballon d’Or winner mentioned in his Messi+10 team last year.
The Inter Miami talisman has done the same this year, partnering once again with Adidas Football for the ‘Messi+10: Season 2’ campaign. Four out of Lionel Messi’s top 10 youngsters were Premier League players, with two from Chelsea and one from Liverpool.
Liverpool sensation Rio Ngumoha was featured on the list. The 17-year-old, who came through the ranks at the Merseyside club, scored on his senior team debut in August.
Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos was one of the two Blues players namechecked by Messi, while the other was Kendry Paez, currently on loan at Ligue 1 side Strasbourg. Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Brajan Gruda completed the Premier League contingent.
The other prospects include Nico Paz (Como), Rodrigo Mora (Porto), Mika Godts (Ajax Amsterdam), and Kader Meite (Stade Rennes). The remaining two are female players—Barcelona’s Clara Serrajordi and Olympique Lyon’s Lily Yohannes.
Each of the abovementioned players will undoubtedly get a confidence boost from being recognized as football’s future stars by one of the greatest footballers of all time. However, being mentioned by Lionel Messi hasn’t always translated into great careers.
In 2015, La Pulga picked out 10 players, and they didn’t turn out to reach th heights he had envisioned. The 10 he chose were: Accursio Bentivegna, Marcos Lopes, Kenedy, Maxwel Cornet, Jeremie Boga, James Wilson, Timo Werner, Gyasi Zardes, Khiry Shelton, and Aleksey Miranchuk.
Lionel Messi creates new tournament; invites Chelsea and one other PL team
Lionel Messi on Tuesday, October 14, announced a brand-new tournament called the 'Messi Cup,' a competition scheduled to be held in Miami this December among the U-16 sides of select teams.
The inaugural edition of the tournament will run for one week, from December 9 and 14. 18 matches will be played in total and will feature eight clubs. The clubs include Inter Miami, Barcelona, River Plate, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Newell’s Old Boys, and Manchester City.
The competition will feature two groups of four teams, with participants facing each other in a round-robin-style phase over the first three days of the competition. A playoff match will follow to determine final positions before the third-place match, and the final, which will be played at Inter Miami’s home ground, Chase Stadium.
Chelsea’s inclusion in the tournament, however, came as a surprise to many, who felt Lionel Messi has no direct affiliation with the west London club. In 2014, Messi was linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, but nothing materialized. Surprisingly, the Blues are one of the two Premier League clubs that Messi currently follows on Instagram.
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Ezekiel Olamide
Ezekiel is a European football journalist who covers breaking news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting and has a work experience of around 3 years, having previously worked at the likes of Opera News Hub and Extratime Talk. He is a proponent of factual accuracy, meticulous research, verification of sources and journalistic ethics and standards.
An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel's journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles' fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium's incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.
Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.
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