Top 8 Wonderkids That The Media Has Said To Be The Next Messi

Lionel Andres Messi is probably the most famous Argentine football player in recent times. He plays for FC Barcelona and Argentina's national team. 

He is well known all over the world for his incredible football skills and techniques. During the FIFA World Cup, Messi was among the highest scorers. 

The professional football player started his career back in 1995 when he played for the Newell's Old Boy. Five years after, he went to Barcelona to try his luck and joined the Under 14s club. 

There, he polished his skills and techniques.

His success in the football industry has inspired many other players. Aside from comparing odds, before Messi’s matches, football punters make sure that they also get the latest updates about him and his team.

Punters, sports bloggers and football fans try to look for someone who can possibly inherit his throne. 

Here are the top 8 current and former football wonderkids that could potentially reach Messi’s status or have been said to reach it at some point. 

Top 8 Wonderkids That The Media Has Said To Be The Next Messi

1.  Erik Lamela:

Lamela started playing football when he was seven years old. Barcelona wanted Lamela to train in the La Masia Academy.

However, Lamela's family chose to stay in their home country, Argentina. At 17, he played for River Plate. 

Eventually, he became famous in Europe. He signed a deal with Roma after he wowed football fans with his 15 goals during the 2012/13 season.

After a great time at Roma, the Argentine wonderkid signed for Tottenham Hotspurs. Unfortunately, his time in London hasn't produced the stellar numbers that people expected of him. 

It wouldn’t be harsh to say that Lamela hasn’t reached the potential that most pundits said he would. But time will tell if he could get everything back on track. 

2.  Bojan:

Bojan trained at the La Masia Academy. He was able to turn heads when he was still training because he scored more than 900 goals for the youth team of the club.

He became the youngest player of Barcelona who broke the record set by Messi. During his debut, he consistently scored double figures for three seasons. 

While the future seemed bright for Bojan because of his innate football skills, he failed to reach his full potential due to his severe anxiety attacks.

Today, Bojan plays for the Stoke City FC as the forward or winger. 

3.  Juan Manual Iturbe:

Iturbe is dubbed as the Paraguayan Messi. He is best known for his fast dribbling skills and low centre of gravity. 

He made his first appearance in the football industry when he was just 12 where he played for Sportive Trindense. At 16, he played for Cerro Porteño. 

However, he didn't sign up as a professional player with the team. Hence, he proceeded to train with Quilmes. 

A few months after, he got signed with Porto, a Portuguese football club.

From here on he played for other notable clubs such as the Hellas Verona, AFC Bournemouth,   and Tijuana.

Currently, he plays as forward for the UNAM. 

4.  Claudio Nancufil:

The child prodigy played for the Martin Guemes club in a ski resort in the Andes. The fans immediately noticed how he plays like Lionel Messi, so they gave him the moniker, Snow Messi.

He was only 8 years old when he made the headlines. Right now he plays for the Bariloche junior club. 

He became famous for his remarkable dribbling technique and solid control. 

Nancufil mostly uses his left foot when he plays. When asked how he manages to play games even without proper training, he just said that he knows how to do it. 

Many fans remark that Nancufil looks quite small and short for his age. 

5.  Marko Marin:

Marin debuted in Germany, his adopted country. He was 20 years old when he first showcased his talent. 

Although he is short compared to most players, he is a fast dribbler. This is probably why football fans call him the German Messi.

The German player joined the Werder Bremen back in 2009. Then, he started looking for opportunities to join professional leagues in Europe. 

Although he bravely moved to Chelsea three years after, he only played 16 times throughout the season. Instead, the young player was loaned to Sevilla, Fiorentina, Trabzonspor and Anderlecht. 

This situation prompted him to move to Olympiakos in 2016.

Today, Marin plays for the Red Star Belgrade. Just recently, their team defeated Liverpool in the UEFA league.

6.  Pietro Pellegri:

Pietro one of many young players who face immense expectations from football aficionados. He just started playing in the Serie A back in 2016 when he was only 15 years old.

The young soon-to-be football star has a long way to go. With the proper guidance from his mentors, he can make definitely make a mark in the football business. Who knows? He might even outshine Messi's career.

7.  Kylian Mbappe:

Everyone is expecting Kylian to join the list of the most expensive professional football players in the world. 

Moreover, many believe that he will follow in the footsteps of Messi. He was only 19 when he moved to Paris Saint Germain. Mbappe is a son of a former handball superstar. 

He has appeared in six matches, scored three goals in the recent Champions League. For the Ligue 1 cup, he made 11, contributed 12 goals and provided four assists. 

8.  Gabriel Jesus:

Neymar might be the celebrated leader of the Selecao, but it's Gabriel Jesus who's been contributing a lot to help the club advance in the World Cup. 

In total, Gabriel has managed to score seven goals from the 10 matches of the team during the cup. 

Currently, the dashing 21-year-old plays for Manchester City FC and the national football team of his homeland, Brazil.

How about you? Who is your favourite football player? Do you think he can play better than Messi?