Back in 2015, Lionel Messi picked 10 young players who he backed to become superstars in the future. The campaign was sponsored by Adidas and tagged 'Backed by Messi'.
Every player picked by Leo also received custom boots from the Argentine legend who encouraged fans to follow the progress of the players he selected.
It's been seven years since Messi handpicked these 10 young talents across Europe to excel. Let's see how each of those players is faring today.
1. Kenedy. The Brazilian joined Chelsea in 2015 as one of the most promising talents of his generation. However, he failed to succeed at Chelsea and was loaned to five different clubs in six years. He currently plays in La Liga with Valladolid but is unfortunate to be injured almost all season.
Potential fulfilment rating: 3/10
2. Max Cornet. The Ivorian attacker impressed in the French Ligue 1 with Metz and Lyon, but his career seems to have plateaued after he moved to England to play for Burnley. He now plays for West Ham after a €20m transfer last summer.
Potential fulfilment rating: 5/10
3. Jeremie Boga. The attacker started brightly after graduating from Chelsea's Academy but struggled to break into their first team. He was sent to multiple loans before being sold to Sassuolo in 2018 where he excelled with dribbling being his forte. “Only Messi dribbles better than Boga!” said Sassuolo’s then-coach Roberto De Zerbi at the time.
At one point, he was even linked to Barca. He currently plays for Atalanta and is finding his feet again with five assists and a goal in 19 games.
Potential fulfilment rating: 6/10
4. Accursio Bentivegna. The winger has had a nomadic career since 2015 being loaned to six different clubs since. He currently plays for Juventus Stabiae in the Italian Serie C - Italy's third their.
Potential fulfilment rating: 0/10
5. James Wilson. The English striker started brightly in the Premier League with Manchester United but his career never got a lift and he now plays in England's third tier and gets regular playing time with Port Vale.
Potential fulfilment rating: 1/10
6. Timo Werner. The German striker can easily be remembered after he helped Chelsea win the Champions League in 2021. His London spell may not have been ideal as his name became a synonym for wasted tap-ins but he is still fondly remembered by their fans for his jard work and dedication. He’s now back at RB Leipzig where he is scoring regularly again..
Potential fulfilment rating: 8/10
7. Aleksey Miranchuk. Now 27, Miranchuk is one of the most talented Russian footballers of his generation. Injuries, however, did a number on him, disrupting any rhythm he may have had when playing for Atalanta.. Now, however, he plays for Torino regularly in Italy's Serie A, scoring four and assisting five this season.
Potential fulfilment rating: 5/10
8. Gyasi Zardes. The American striker has never played in Europe but he's had a fairly decent time playing in the MLS. He has 68 caps for the United States. He currently turns out for Austin although he's yet to score in the new season after 6 games.
Potential fulfilment rating: 4/10
9. Rony Lopes. The Portuguese forward is doing okay in France where he plays for relegation-threatened Troyes. He has so far registered five goals and as many assists this season. The 27-year-old is owned by Sevilla but has been on the books of 10 other clubs during his career.
Potential fulfilment rating: 4/10
10. Khiry Shelton. The Kansas City striker is the second American named by Messi in 2015. Shelton has bagged three goals and three assists for his club this season in 28 games. Like Zardes, he never left the US but unlike Zardes, he’s never played for his country.
Potential fulfilment rating: 2/10
Barring a few exceptions, all the guys selected by Messi went on to have decent professional careers playing for different clubs.
