What happened to the 10 wonderkids Lionel Messi tipped for greatness in 2015
Lionel Messi tipped 10 youngsters for greatness back in 2015, but did they manage to reach the top level?
Argentina legend Messi will forever be remembered as one of the greatest footballers of all time, having played for the likes of Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain and Inter Miami.
The forward has won the Ballon d'Or a record eight times and has over 750 goals in more than 900 club appearances.
Nearly a decade ago, Messi hand-picked 10 youngsters who he thought had the potential to make it to the top of the game.
Advert
As reported by the Daily Mail, the 'Backed by Messi' project was done as a marketing campaign alongside Adidas but the Argentina legend did make his own choices when it came to the players involved.
The report stated: "Each young player was sent a pair of Messi's new, specially designed Messi 15 boots and became part of 'Team Messi'.
"The campaign was accompanied by a barrage of breathless PR promising updates and analysis of the young pros, who were then pushing for a start in the first team, but the progress reports and the publicity quickly dried up."
So, what has happened to the 10 players Messi picked to go all the way?
Jeremie Boga - OGC Nice
Back then, Boga was one of Chelsea's top talents along with the likes of Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount.
However, the forward never made it at Stamford Bridge, going on to play for the likes of Rennes, Birmingham City, Sassuolo and Atalanta before joining Nice in 2023.
Accursio Bentivegna - Pescara
Then-Palermo young star Bentivegna was picked for success by Messi but only managed seven matches in Serie A before leaving to play for the likes of Carrarese, Juve Stabia and Pescara.
Kenedy - Real Valladolid
Robert Kenedy Nunes do Nascimento, better known as Kenedy, made over 50 Premier League appearances for the likes of Chelsea, Watford and Newcastle United but ultimately left English football in 2019.
The winger is currently playing for La Liga side Real Valladolid, continuing his career in a top European league.
Timo Werner - Tottenham Hotspur
Perhaps the most successful player on the list, Werner went on to win the Champions League with Chelsea, as well as the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
The German is now playing for Chelsea's rivals Spurs.
Maxwel Cornet - Genoa (On loan from West Ham United)
After impressing Messi in Lyon, Cornet earned a move to the Premier League when he signed for Burnley in 2021.
On the back of scoring nine goals in 28 matches, the Frenchman joined West Ham a year later and played for Southampton in the Premier League before joining Genoa in 2025.
Aleksei Miranchuk - Atlanta United
Russian Miranchuk was highly rated when he was at Lokomotiv Moscow, the player then moved to Italian side Atalanta where he made 98 appearances.
Currently, the 29-year-old plays for MLS side Atlanta United.
Rony Lopes - Farense
29-year-old former Manchester City youngster Lopes became a journeyman since leaving England, playing in France, Spain, Greece and Portugal before joining Turkish side Alanyaspor in 2024. He was loaned to Farense at the start of this year.
James Wilson - Northampton Town
The once highly-rated Manchester United star is currently playing for Northampton Town having spent his entire career in England and Scotland.
Gyasi Zardes - Austin FC
America Zardes left LA Galaxy for Columbus Crew in 2018 and has since played for Colorado Rapids and Austin FC.
Khiry Shelton - Sporting Kansas City
Another American tipped for glory by Messi, the 31-year-old is currently at Sporting Kansas City.
Topics: Lionel Messi, Football
Marcus Chan