What happened to 21 players tipped to become the ‘next Lionel Messi’

Highlights

• Despite being dubbed as ‘the next Messi’, many players have failed to match his talent and impact, with their careers falling short of expectations.
• Martin Odegaard and Mohamed Salah are considered the closest players to Messi on this list, but even his biggest fans admit he’s still far from being as good as the GOAT.
• The players on this list, including Lee Seung-woo and Mateusz Musiałowski, have struggled to fulfill their early potential, highlighting the dangers of placing too much pressure on young players.

Few names in football echo as loudly as Lionel Messi. His legacy of countless trophies, ungodly goals and his presence alone is one few can match, with his unique blend of dribbling, pace, and deadly finishing leading to many fearing that no one will ever be able to match his output and impact on the game.

The Argentine has dominated football ever since his Barcelona debut in October 2004. The sport will be a strange place without him once that day comes – and in truth, who could possibly replace Messi? The very simple answer is nobody. Every football fan is desperate for the diminutive ace to stay in our lives forever – but that hasn’t prevented fans dubbing talented youngsters as ‘the next Messi.’

Though, none have been able to match what the Argentinian wizard could do with the ball at his feet. At the end of the day, the World Cup-winning Argentine, in the eyes of many, is not only the best player of the 21st century, but even the best player of all time.

So, you can’t really blame any of the players on this list for, whatever reason, failing to be as good as the Barcelona legend, and have a career as decorated as his. It’s nothing against the players, many of whom are incredibly talented, as it’s no easy feat to even be half as good as the Argentinian wizard has been throughout his career.

However, the fact that many of the players on this list failed to make a real impact in any real way, and have had disappointing careers, serves as a warning against putting pressure on players too early on. So, join GIVEMESPORT as we look at 21 players who, at some stage in their career, were dubbed as ‘the next Messi’ at some point during their respective careers, specifically diving into where they are now.

Martin Odegaard

Current club: Arsenal

Probably one of the better players on this list who got the closest to becoming on the same level as Messi is Martin Odegaard. Despite that, even Odegaard’s biggest fans will admit that he’s a considerable way off being even nearly as good as The GOAT. Touted as ‘the next Messi’ at a tender age, the now-Arsenal captain’s path has not been straightforward.

Odegaard is now viewed as one of the best midfielders in the English top flight, a position that many people thought he’d fill when he joined Real Madrid at the age of just 15. However, despite that big move, it took the Norwegian a while to get going, with many fearing that it just wouldn’t work out for him.

Lee Seung-woo

Current club: Suwon FC

Once hailed as the ‘Korean Messi’, Lee Seung-woo’s career has seen him play in Italy, Holland and Portugal, but – of course – just like the rest of the names on this list, never managed to reach the heights of the goalscoring great Messi.

With less than 20 career goals to his name, the 26-year-old who came through at Blaugrana is now playing Suwon FC in Korea after enjoying a one-month hiatus at the end of 2021. Despite playing for Barcelona’s B team, he never manged to earn an appearance for the senior side – and it seems highly unlikely that the 1998-born ace will ever reach the heights that his early potential promised.

Mateusz Musiałowski

Current club: Liverpool Under-21

Mateusz Musiałowski joined Liverpool with a lot of excitement, but just a few years after being called ‘the Polish Messi’, the winger is yet to make his mark. A few of the goals Mateusz scored, as well as his overall play, led to pundits and fans claiming that his style mirrored Messi’s, although it seems like his career definitely will not.

Musiałowski has struggled to even break into Liverpool’s various youth teams, so a shot in the first team looks some way off, while him emulating Messi looks even more far-fetched. Still just 20 years of age, the winger has time aplenty to master his craft – but Messi was already bamboozling some of the greatest defenders on the planet at that age.

Gelson Martins

Current club: Olympiacos

After an impressive spell at Sporting CP, Gelson Martins was compared to Messi and even Cristiano Ronaldo, given the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s affinity to the Portuguese giant – but he’s been unable to emulate the work and output of either man thus far in his career.

Martins was a key player for Monaco in Ligue 1, having registered 30 goal involvements in 129 games, but has struggled to find his feet at Olympiacos. So, while he might not have gone on to become the ‘next Messi’, the 28-year-old has still had an admirable career at some great clubs around Europe, Atletico Madrid included.

Iker Muniain

Current club: Athletic Bilbao

Iker Muniain, once called ‘the Spanish Messi’, has remained a one-club man, staying loyal to Athletic Bilbao throughout the entirety of his career. Having emerged as one to watch in the club’s youth set-up, the 31-year-old has totted up 552 games for Los Leones – recording 75 goals and 70 assists in the process.

Such a successful career in Spain’s top division is no easy feat and Muniain has enjoyed one of the better playing careers – but being hailed as a player to replicate the exploits of Messi was a far cry. Back in 2018, Premier League side Liverpool were keen to snare his signature, but a move never came to fruition – but a transfer to the Reds would’ve certainly helped his case to achieve greatness.

Ryo Miyaichi

Current club: Yokohama F. Marinos

Once coined the ‘Japanese Messi’, Ryo Miyaichi, is currently playing for Yokohama F. Marinos in the Japanese first division. Premier League aficionados might remember that Arsenal clearly saw the potential in Miyaichi, who many thought could go on to become a world-beater, when he was signed by Arsene Wenger in 2011.

Miyaichi clearly wasn’t as good as the scouts thought he was going to be though, and after having just one league appearance for Arsenal, left the Gunners back in 2015. Now the wrong side of 30, the Okazaki-born gem has just five caps for his native Japan – and has no way of becoming the next Messi, unfortunately for him.

Ryan Gauld

Current club: Vancouver Whitecaps

A name that people that play Football Manager will know, Ryan Gauld, who was nicknamed the ‘Scottish Messi’ during the embryonic stages of his career, has – no doubt – failed to live up to his potential. Gauld was linked with some high-profile moves while at Dundee United but opted to join Sporting CP in Portugal.

Gauld’s coaches had high hopes for him as a youngster, but the move from Sporting really hampered his development, and he now plays in the MLS, at the age of 27, with the Vancouver Whitecaps. Uncapped by Scotland, many really thought that he could become football royalty – but how wrong were they.

Marko Marin

Current club: Retired

Once dubbed the “German Messi”, Marko Marin‘s career hasn’t quite lived up to that tag. After a series of transfers and loans, which even saw him join Chelsea in 2012, Marin has been without a club for the past year, and clearly hasn’t been able to meet the expectations that were placed on him as a youngster.

So much so that he played for the west Londoners on just 16 occasions – and he was duly noted down as another player who failed to make an impact at Chelsea during four years at the club. Marin was capped 16 times by Germany, scoring the solitary goal in that sequence, but was last seen playing for Ferencvaros in Hungary before retiring.

Juan Iturbe

Current club: Cerro Porteno

Juan Iturbe was often compared to Messi due to his dribbling and low centre of gravity, but unfortunately, he hasn’t come close to emulating the Argentian’s career. The winger has enjoyed a semi-decent career in Italy with Roma, as well as Torino and Hellas Verona.

The Paraguayan even had a loan spell with Bournemouth in the Premier League, but has ultimately failed to meet expectations, despite clearly being a delayed player. Since arriving on the scene as a fresh-faced youngster with Cerro Porteno, Iturbe has gone full circle and – aged 30 – is enjoying the latter stages of his career with his first employers.

Alen Halilovic

Current club: Fortuna Sittard

Alen Halilovic was once compared to Messi after his move to Barcelona in 2014, but the ‘Croatian Messi’ has fallen off since then. Halilovic failed to make a single appearance in the league during his two years at Barcelona, and found himself playing at Reading in the Championship during the 2021/22 season.

Signed by Barcelona from Dinamo Zagreb, Halilovic was a player destined for greatness. It didn’t work out and now, aged just 27, the midfielder now plays for Fortuna Sittard in Holland, and unfortunately for him, hasn’t been able to be anywhere near as good as Barcelona hoped he’d be when they signed him.

Jean Marie Dongou

Current club: Without club

At one point, Jean Marie Dongou, another La Masia graduate, was compared to Messi. Dongou, who came through the ‘Samuel Eto’o‘ academy before joining Barcelona, is now without a club, having left second-division Greek side Anagennisi Karditsa FC last year.

Dongou can always say he was a Barcelona player, having made just three appearance in all competitions during his spell at the Nou Camp – but simply cannot say he was even close to being as good as the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi. The majority of his games (132) came for Barcelona B, where he notched 29 goals and 11 assists.

Giovani Dos Santos

Current club: Retired

A product of La Masia, Giovani dos Santos, was also dubbed ‘the Mexican Messi’ whilst coming through the Spainish giants academy. Things initially seemed quite promising for the Mexican, who scored three goals in 26 league games for Barcelona, before securing a move to England with Tottenham Hotspur in 2008.

The tricky midfielder then bounced around Spain, Turkey and even the USA with LA Galaxy, but had been without a club since 2021 when his spell with America, a top club in Mexico, came to an end. The ex-Barcelona wonderkid called time on his career in the summer of 2023 after his career wandered into the depths of obscurity.

Gerard Deulofeu

Current club: Udinese

Having graduated from Barcelona’s academy, Gerard Deulofeu was one of many tipped to follow in Messi’s footsteps – quite literally. But after spells in England with the likes of Watford and Everton, and Italy with AC Milan and Udinese, even Deulofeu would admit that that hasn’t happened. He said back in 2020 that being labelled the next Messi was “difficult.”

The winger has still had a decent career, though, scoring 79 goals in – at the time of writing – 350 club games, as well as having made four appearances for the Spanish national team, where he has notched the solitary goal. To hit the 350-game milestone is no simple achievement, and it’s a testament to his ability. What Deulofeu has lacked over the years, however, is a place to call his long-term home.

Bojan Krkic

Current club: Retired

Once hailed the proper heir to Messi’s throne, even while the Argentinian was still relatively young, Bojan Krkic was catapulted into the limelight when he made his debut for Barcelona at just 17. He’s no longer playing professional football, having called time on his playing days while at Vissel Kobe in Japan, the club that fellow former Barcelona star Andres Iniesta also used to play for.

Prior to his move to Japan, Bojan played for the likes of Stoke, Ajax and Roma, and enjoyed a decent career, but the pressure of being compared to Messi probably didn’t help his development, and he didn’t go on to do the things that many thought he’d do. Bojan actually broke Messi’s record of being the youngest player to play for Barcelona, but failed to make his icon proud.

Gai Assulin

Current club: Without club

Gai Assulin also came through La Masia at Barcelona but didn’t get many first-team opportunities at neither Camp Nou nor Manchester City, who he joined afterward. As such, Assulin became quite a journeyman and was seen dotted around the globe playing for the likes of Granada, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Crema throughout his playing days.

Hailed as ‘the Israeli Messi‘ in his early days, he was last seen playing in Serie D – Italy’s fourth tier with Unipomezia Virtus. After just six months, he’s now 32 and without a club. Whether his career can receive a last-ditch revival is yet to unfurl – but it’s fair to say that becoming the next Messi is not on the agenda.

Humam Tariq

Current club: Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya

Still only 28 years of age, Humam Tariq has been capped 74 times by Iraq, which shows his standing in his own country – but will he ever make the move across to Europe, where his talent will be front and centre for millions?

Tariq has played for an array of Middle Eastern clubs since emerging onto the senior scene in 2010 for Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya. He’s now gone full circle and is back playing for the club with just as little as 96 domestic outings and four goals under his belt. He may be considered football royalty by his native Iraq, earning the nickname the Iraqi Messi, but the comparison to one of the sport’s undeniable greats was a far stretch, wasn’t it?

Takefusa Kubo

Current club: Real Sociedad

Takefusa Kubo is still only 22 and had spent every season since 2019 on loan in La Liga before earning a permanent move, proving he’s capable of playing in Spain’s top tier with the likes of Mallorca, Villarreal and Getafe. Real Madrid may have not seen a spot for the 34-cap Japanese international – but Real Sociedad definitely did.

Now an established member of Erreala, Kubo still has years on the clock to improve and develop into one of football’s biggest stars with the likes of Manchester United monitoring his day-to-day proceedings. Whether ‘the Japanese Messi‘ has the ability to reach Messi-type levels, however, is a conversation for another day.

Mohamed Salah

Current club: Liverpool

As we’ve established, matching the footballing exploits of Messi is, well, impossible. Mohamed Salah has given it his best shot with multiple seasons donning the Liverpool strip, notching goals like its second nature. The Egyptian, arguably the best winger in the Premier League, has become an immovable object for Jurgen Klopp in England – but his promise started way before that, with him dubbed the Egyptian Messi before arriving in England.

Looking beyond a troubled spell at Chelsea, Salah impressed at Roma before earning his move to Merseyside. At points during his Anfield spell, many believed that Salah was the best player in the world – even better than Messi. Of course, his career as a whole can’t be compared to Messi’s.

Christian Atsu

Current club: N/A

Sadly no longer with us, Christian Atsu was a Newcastle United great, having chalked up 121 appearances for the Magpies. Goals and assists may not have been his forte – but he was a likable member of the squad wherever he went, whether that be Al-Raed in Saudi Arabia or Hatayspor in Turkey.

Emerging into the game as a fresh-faced youngster with Feyenoord, Ghana and, then, Porto, ‘The Ghanaian Messi’ enjoyed a myriad of loan stints after joining Chelsea in the summer of 2013. Spells at Everton, Bournemouth and Malaga came and went as the Ada Foah-born ace struggled to find a place to call home.

Xherdan Shaqiri

Current club: Chicago Fire

Xherdan Shaqiri had incredible technical ability and can say he won trophies at Bayern Munich and Liverpool during his career – but flopped after leaving the watchful eye of Jurgen Klopp. The Alpine Messi has never been consistent – or fit enough – to be considered one of the best players in Europe.

Best known for his pack-a-punch left foot, the 119-cap Switzerland is remembered fondly by the Anfield faithful, while he also proved to be a relatively shrewd coup for Stoke City, too. Now on the wrong side of 30, Shaqiri is now earning his corn in the MLS with Chicago Fire.