10 players Lionel Messi said were destined for stardom in 2015 and how careers panned out

Back in 2015, identified 10 footballers he believed were destined for greatness. The Argentinian superstar, renowned for his remarkable achievements with , and , will be remembered as one of the greatest players in history.

Throughout his illustrious career, Messi has won 12 league titles, 17 domestic cups, four , a , and eight . However, while his ability to read the game is unparalleled, his talent for predicting future stars - based on his predictions from a decade ago - leaves something to be desired. In 2015, Messi collaborated with Adidas on the 'Backed by Messi' campaign, where he selected a top 10 list of players he believed would follow a similar career trajectory to his own.

While some have indeed gone on to win the Champions League and achieve national honours, others have fallen short of the expectations set by the now 37-year-old. Here are the names that he picked, and how their careers have unfolded over the last 10 years....

Kenedy

At the time of Messi's selection, Kenedy was playing for Fluminese, emerging as an exciting left winger known for his impressive skills. Although he secured a £6.3million move to Chelsea that year, he never quite managed to establish himself in the English Premier League.

During his seven-year spell at Stamford Bridge, the Brazilian only managed to play 30 games for Chelsea. Instead, he spent time on loan with Watford, Newcastle United, Getafe, Grenada, and Flamengo, before transferring to Valladolid in 2022.

Now aged 29, Kenedy has scored just two goals and provided one assist in 44 appearances for the team, who will compete in La Liga 2 in the 2025/26 season after finishing last in Spain's top division this term.

Aleksei Miranchuk

Two years into a seven-year stint with Lokomotiv Moscow, Aleksei Miranchuk caught the eye of Messi. The promising attacking midfielder, now 29, had an impressive record in his home country, scoring 43 goals and providing 46 assists in 228 matches.

In 2020, he moved to Serie A side Atalanta, before transferring to MLS club Atlanta four years later, where he continues to showcase his skills. Last season, the Georgia-based team finished ninth in the league, and they currently sit 12th in the Eastern Conference in 2025, having played ten games so far.

James Wilson

Messi had high expectations that James Wilson would emulate the likes of Gary Neville, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs by progressing through the Manchester United academy to become a world-class player. However, destiny had different plans for the 29-year-old.

Wilson was with Manchester United from 2014 to 2019, but only made a total of 20 appearances for the first team - instead, he spent most of his time on loan at clubs such as Brighton, Derby, Sheffield and Aberdeen. In 2019, he made a permanent move to Aberdeen, followed by stints at Salford City and Port Vale.

Fast forward to May 2025, Wilson is now playing for Northampton Town, who are currently sitting 19th in the League One table. However, with his contract with The Cobblers set to expire this summer, he could be on the move again soon unless he decides to activate the 12-month extension in his contract.

Gyasi Zardes

Gyasi Zardes, who has spent his entire career in the United States, was playing for LA Galaxy when Messi made his predictions. However, after a promising start with the MLS side, injuries began to take their toll and he moved to Columbus Crew in 2018.

Four years later, he transferred to Colorado Rapids, before joining Austin FC in 2023. However, he was let go by the club last December and is currently without a club for the 2025 season at the age of 33.

Timo Werner

Messi was certainly not alone in anticipating great things from Timo Werner after seeing his remarkable speed and accuracy at VfB Stuttgart. The striker, who broke through the club's youth system in 2013, spent three years with the Bundesliga side before moving to RB Leipzig.

After netting 78 goals in 128 Bundesliga games, Chelsea decided to bring the German to the Premier League in 2020 in a deal thought to be worth around £45m. Despite winning a Champions League and an FA Cup with the Blues, Werner struggled to make his mark in the English top flight on a personal level, scoring just 23 times in two seasons before returning to Leipzig for roughly £20m less.

Werner came back to the Premier League with Spurs last January, but has once again failed to find the net for the struggling north London side, scoring just three goals in 41 matches.

Rony Lopes

Manchester City acquired Rony Lopes from Benfica during his early years with the aim of shaping him into the next big star, but the right-winger made only five appearances for the Blues before being sold to Monaco in 2015. However, he certainly began to find his stride in Ligue 1, accumulating 21 goals and 14 assists for the team during his four-year contract.

Lopes transferred to Sevilla in 2019, where he spent four years with the La Liga club before moving on to Braga and then Alanyaspor. In 2025, Lopes is currently on loan with Farense, who are languishing at the bottom of the Lia Portugal standings, having made 11 appearances for the club this season.

Jeremie Boga

Jeremie Boga made a splash when he debuted with Chelsea in 2015 after spending six years of his youth with the club. However, like other players on this list, the Blues didn't quite utilise him as he might have hoped - loaning him out to Rennes, Grenada, and Birmingham City before eventually selling him to Sassuolo in 2018.

Boga spent four years with the club before a loan to Atalanta became a permanent deal in 2022. Nice then snapped up the attacking midfielder for a reported £13m in 2023, and the 28-year-old has thrived in Ligue 1 since.

While Boga, who was born in Marseille, initially represented France at international level in his youth, he switched allegiance to the Ivory Coast in his senior career - a move that may have proved beneficial, given that he lifted the 2023 African Cup of Nations with the country.

Khiry Shelton

After being selected as the second overall pick of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft by New York City FC, expectations were certainly high for Khiry Shelton. However, his stint with the club didn't quite go as planned.

Shelton, who scored just six goals in 57 appearances, moved to Sporting Kansas City in 2018. He then transferred to SC Paderborn the following year, hoping to make his mark in Europe.

However, he struggled to establish himself, making only six first-team appearances before being relegated to the B-side. The 31-year-old returned to Sporting Kansas City in 2020 and has since found his form in the MLS with the franchise. Despite this, he is yet to earn his first senior call-up for the US national football team.

Accursio Bentivegna

Accursio Bentivegna emerged from Palermo's youth ranks in 2015, and Messi chose him over his Argentinian teammate Paulo Dybala, a World Cup winner who has played for Juventus and Roma. The pressure on Bentivegna to succeed was immense, given Dybala's own successful career.

However, it seems Messi may have made a mistake in choosing the Italian. Bentivegna struggled to find success in the Italian top flight, leaving Palermo for Carrarese and Juve Stabia, before joining Delfino Pescara 1936 in 2024, a Serie C team.

Maxwel Cornet

Maxwel Cornet, handpicked by Messi for greatness, made waves with his move from Metz to Lyon in 2015. Unlike other players on this list who didn't get many opportunities at bigger clubs, Cornet was instrumental to Lyon's success in Ligue 1 during his six-year stint.

The Ivorian netted 51 goals and provided 29 assists in 252 appearances for the club before transferring to Burnley in 2021. Unfortunately, the move proved disappointing for the 28-year-old as Burnley were relegated from the Premier League after finishing 18th in the league table.

In 2022, Cornet moved to West Ham where he remains today, although he is currently on loan at Genoa in Serie A. His time in East London has also been marred by various injuries.