What happened to the 11 players with highest potential on FIFA 07
A list of under-21 players with the highest potential in FIFA 07 makes for interesting reading, almost two decades on.
For those unaware, a FIFA title was often released in late September-early October, with the launch aligning with the start of the real-world season for many teams after, in some cases, a busy World Cup.
Ahead of the FIFA 07 release, for example, the World Cup gave us some of the most talked-about moments this century, including Cristiano Ronaldo's wink after Wayne Rooney was sent off in a heated quarter-final between Portugal and England.
The tournament also played host to some of the most talented youngsters in the game, including several players who were handed high potential ratings on the EA Sports release, including a young Theo Walcott.
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So, what happened to those talented few? Did they become true greats of the game?
Lionel Messi — 94 rated
At the time, a young Messi was one of the most talked about players in world football after bursting onto the scene at Barcelona.
He has since cemented his status as one of the all-time greats, winning eight Ballon d'Ors. four Champions Leagues, ten La Liga titles. six European Golden Shoe awards and, of course, a World Cup.
The 38-year-old, who currently plays his club football for MLS side Inter Miami, will be hoping to lift another World Cup at this summer's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Theo Walcott — 93 rated
After enjoying a breakthrough campaign at Arsenal following his inclusion in England's World Cup squad, Walcott was one of the highest rated players in FIFA 07.
He went on to make 397 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners, scoring 108 goals across his 12-year spell at the Premier League club between 2006 and 2018.
The 37-year-old, who went on to play for Everton and Southampton, retired from professional football in 2023. He will be on punditry duty with the BBC at this summer's World Cup.
Salomon Kalou — 93 rated
Perhaps the biggest surprise in this list is Salomon Kalou, who had just signed for Chelsea from Feyenoord for around £8 million when he handed 93 potential on FIFA 07.
Kalou scored 60 goals in 254 appearances for Chelsea during a six-year spell with the club and went on to play for Lille, Hertha Berlin, Botafogo and Djibouti Premier League side Association Sportive d'Arta.
The 40-year-old former Ivory Coast international retired in 2024 and is now the owner of his own chocolate brand, Oume, which was the name of the town he grew up in.
Sergio Agüero — 93 rated
After joining Atletico Madrid from boyhood side Independiente in 2006, Aguero was widely regarded as one of the best young talents in world football, so his inclusion in this list is hardly a surprise.
The Argentine striker scored 73 goals in 175 games for the Spanish side and earned himself a big-money move to Manchester City, where he became the club's all-time top scorer, netting 204 goals in 299 appearances.
He was forced to retire in December 2021 at the age of 33 following a diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmia. The 38-year-old has since become an esports entrepreneur and streamer.
Wayne Rooney — 93 rated
Another predictable name on the list, Rooney was fresh from his exploits at the 2006 World Cup when EA Sports decided to hand him 93 potential.
He went on to become Manchester United's all-time top scorer (253 goals) after overtaking Sir Bobby Charlton's long-standing record in 2017. He ended his career at Derby County following spells at Everton and DC United.
The 40-year-old joins Theo Walcott on the BBC's punditry line-up for the upcoming World Cup.
Sergio Ramos — 92 rated
At the time, a 20-year-old Ramos was a regular in Real Madrid's first-team, a year after joining the Spanish giants from Sevilla in a deal worth £18.5 million.
Almost two decades on and the Spaniard is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders in Los Blancos. He made 671 appearances for the club across a 16-year spell that featured four Champions League wins.
Ramos, who last played for Mexican side Monterrey, is actively looking for a new club after his proposed takeover of boyhood club Sevilla collapsed in May.
Cristiano Ronaldo — 92
After a superb campaign for club and country, then-Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo was given a potential rating of 92 by those behind the scenes at EA Sports.
Alongside the previously mentioned Messi, he has gone on to cement his name into football history, winning five Ballon d'Ors, five Champions Leagues and seven league titles across England, Spain and Italy.
At the time of writing, the 41-year-old Al Nassr forward is just 27 goals away from 1,000 career goals, a record that will stand for a very, very long time if he manages to achieve it.
Yoann Gourcuff — 92
Following a move to Italian side AC Milan, Gourcuff was hailed as the heir to Zinedine Zidane. Clearly, EA Sports believed the hype and handed him the same potential rating as Cristiano Ronaldo.
Unfortunately, his career path never lived up to expectation. He made just 36 league appearances across a two-season spell in Milan before joining Bordeaux on a permanent deal. Spells at Lyon, Rennes and Dijon followed.
With 31 caps for France to his name, the former AC Milan and Lyon man retired in October 2020 at the age of 33. He has since enjoyed life out of the spotlight with his family in Brittany.
Lukas Podolski — 92
In the summer of 2006, Podolski won the young player of the tournament award after an impressive World Cup with Germany, beating off competition from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo to win the prize.
He made his debut for Bayern Munich following a transfer from FC Koln, but ultimately, the striker failed to make his mark in Bavaria and returned to Koln in 2009.
Of course, Podolski went on to sign for Arsenal in 2012 and spent three years at the North London club, where he went on to score 31 goals in 82 appearances.
He went on to play for Galatasaray, Vissel Kobe, Antalyaspor and Polish side Gornik Zabrze, where he still plays to this day.
The 40-year-old forward also owns a kebab chain with 30 franchises across Germany. He is said to be worth nearly £180 million after building his own business empire.
Vincent Kompany — 92
After earning a move to German outfit Hamburg in the summer of 2006, those behind the scenes at EA handed Kompany an impressive 92 potential on FIFA 07.
He would go on to make 39 appearances for the Bundesliga side before making a switch to Manchester City ahead of the 2008-09 campaign.
Kompany cemented his status as one of the Premier League's greatest defenders across an 11-year spell in Manchester, winning four league titles and over 300 appearances.
The 40-year-old is currently the head coach of Bayern Munich and is widely regarded as one of football's most talented young coaches.
Nilmar — 92
An instantly recognisable name in the FIFA community, then-Corinthians forward Nilmar was tipped for great things after winning the top scorer award in the 2006 Copa Libertadores.
He went on to play for Internacional, Villarreal, Al Rayyan, El Jaish, Al-Nasr and Santos before hanging up his boots in 2017. In total, he made 24 appearances for Brazil between 2003 and 2011.
Jack Kenmare