Not Lamine or Mastantuono: Lionel Messi reveals his top 10 rising stars in world football

Despite his 38 years, Lionel Messi still ranks among the world’s elite players, surprising with his all-around impact. Yet, the Inter Miami star is vocal about the top 10 rising talents in soccer, notably excluding Lamine Yamal and Franco Mastantuono.

After clinching the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina, Lionel Messi continues to dominate, shattering records and astonishing fans with stellar play. Emerging talents like Benjamin Cremaschi, now excelling in the U-20 World Cup, and more rising stars have developed impressive skills, drawing comparisons to his prowess. Amid this rising talent, the Inter Miami star unveils his picks for the world’s 10 most promising players, omitting Lamine Yamal and Franco Mastantuono.

Great potential in world football does not ensure a successful career, with factors like injuries and discipline significantly influencing a player’s journey. Consequently, selecting future stars who will lead the new era is not straightforward. In a video with Adidas called ‘Messi +10’, the Argentine star confidently named ten young players he believes possess the greatest potential, notably omitting Lamine Yamal and Franco Mastantuono.

Although Lamine and Mastantuono, regular starters for Barcelona and Real Madrid, were unexpectedly omitted, Lionel Messi likely sees them as established stars rather than emerging talents. Having consistently praised their abilities, Messi chose to spotlight lesser-known figures instead. Clara Serrajordi of Barcelona Femeni received special attention, highlighting Messi’s intent to shift focus to promising players deserving of recognition.

Lionel Messi has been the ultimate benchmark for rising stars

Since joining Barcelona, Lionel Messi has set the standard for young talents to emulate. Among those, Bojan Krkic shone brightly in his early days with the Culers, drawing comparisons to the Argentine star. However, Bojan, like others such as Takefusa Kubo, Alen Halilovic, and Ansu Fati, never fully realized that immense potential, highlighting the challenging path to stardom at Camp Nou.

In a 2020 interview with Topp Cards, Lionel Messi foresaw players like Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Jadon Sancho, and Phil Foden as future leaders of the game. Yet, only Ousmane Dembele has emerged as a top-tier talent from the group, underscoring the untapped potential in the others and the challenging path to achieving global stardom.