Arsene Wenger, a highly respected manager in Premier League history known for his ability to identify young talent, remains involved in football in his prominent role at FIFA.
Wenger's contributions to English football are significant, and he was even considered as a potential manager for the England national team on multiple occasions.
In 2020, he expressed his belief in the bright future of English football, predicting that a player from the new generation would surpass Lionel Messi and become the world's best.
Wenger previously told talkSPORT: "Lionel MessI... we’ve never seen players like that who can absolutely be creative in any tight situation. These players are now getting to an end – Ronaldo and Messi.
"It’s now about the next generation and the next generation may be French. At the moment, the leader could be Mbappe. Of course Neymar, we know. But England I believe has a good chance."
"Now they are doing very well at youth level. They have done well with Gareth Southgate at the World Cup. I was hoping at the European Championship they would be one of the contenders."
However, many of the young stars who were part of Gareth Southgate's promising squad in the delayed 2020 tournament have not fulfilled Wenger's lofty prediction. Jadon Sancho, once highly regarded has struggled to replicate his previous form from his time at Borussia Dortmund.
Marcus Rashford, another player with potential superstar status, has not reached the level of Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, and it seems unlikely that he will in the future, even as he approaches his prime.
Nonetheless, new names have emerged since Wenger's prediction. Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, and Jude Bellingham are three of England's brightest young talents, with Saka and Bellingham impressing in the previous World Cup tournament.
