There was a time when Ansu Fati looked destined to be a standout star at a for both Barcelona and Spain.
These days that role belongs to Lamine Yamal, the teenage sensation who shone at Euro 2024, while Fati's name barely comes up in conversations about the national team anymore.
Fati's most recent Spain cap dates back to October 2023, and he wasn't in contention to be picked for this summer's World Cup. Yet the player once tipped as the successor to Lionel Messi hasn't disappeared from the spotlight entirely.
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He's simply found a very different way of grabbing attention, one that has left plenty of supporters doing a double take. At 23, with his football career still very much alive, Fati appears to be getting started on a second career.
Ansu Fati’s Early Promise at Barcelona
Ansu Fati
Fati arrived at Barcelona at 10-years-old and quickly tore up the club's record books, becoming their youngest ever goalscorer and the youngest player to score in the Champions League, a mark that still hasn't been beaten. Messi himself once praised the youngster, insisting he "has everything to be a great player."
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But fitness problems repeatedly halted his rise. A serious meniscus injury in 2020 kept him out for nine months and a string of hamstring and calf issues that disrupted his development for years. He's went on loan to the Premier League with Brighton two seasons ago, then endured a frustrating return to Barcelona under Hansi Flick, before he rediscovered some rhythm last season on loan at Monaco, scoring 12 goals in 30 outings.
He's now closing in on a permanent move there, with the French club expected to trigger their €11 million buy option.
Ansu Fati’s Surprise Move
Ansu Fati Monaco
Away from the pitch, Fati has been busy in the music industry. He recently shared a clip of his debut single, "Sea Como Sea," with his 2.2 million TikTok followers, and the post has already pulled in more than three million views.
The comments section soon filled up. "How do I explain to my kids that this was supposed to be the next Messi?" one fan wrote, while another joked: "Wonder Kid to Wizkid." A third added: "Future Ballon d'Or winner now looking for Grammy."
Fati has signed a global distribution deal with Music Brokers, part of Sony Music, recording the track in Nice with former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, and producer Gambinoalaprod. His sound mixes Afrobeats Latino, reggaeton and Amapiano, and on Spotify.
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