Who will be the next Messi?
Messi is forever a legend. However, in 2024, he is already 37 years old, and although he seems to be enjoying his time with the Miami team, time spares no one.
Recently, I had a chat with a friend who also loves soccer, and we both wondered, “In the coming years, will there be another Messi? And if so, who might that be?”
To find the answer, I thoroughly examined young attacking players under the age of 23 across Europe’s top five leagues: the Premier League (England), Bundesliga (Germany), La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy), and Ligue 1 (France) for the 2023/24 season. I’ve identified what I consider the top 10 players from this list:
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, Premier League)
Ansu Fati (Barcelona, La Liga)
Erling Haaland (Chelsea, Premier League)
Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga)
Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid, La Liga)
Dusan Vlahovic (Fiorentina, Serie A)
Karim Adeyemi (RB Salzburg, Bundesliga)
Rodrigo Riquelme (Girona, La Liga)
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich, Bundesliga)
Amine Gouiri (Lyon, Ligue 1)
These players have immense potential, and only time will reveal who might follow in Messi’s footsteps. As to this list, please Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions!
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, Premier League)
Nationality: English
Age: 21
Position: Versatile winger
Notable Features: Creative, influential, excellent work rate.
Ansu Fati (Barcelona, La Liga)
Nationality: Spanish
Age: 20
Position: Forward
Notable Features: Explosive pace, clinical finishing.
Erling Haaland (Chelsea, Premier League)
Nationality: Norwegian
Age: 23
Position: Striker
Notable Features: Prolific goal-scorer, strong physical presence.
Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga)
Nationality: English
Age: 19
Position: Central midfielder
Notable Features: Box-to-box dynamo, mature beyond his years.
Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid, La Liga)
Nationality: Brazilian
Age: 21
Position: Winger
Notable Features: Dribbling skills, flair, improving end product.
Dusan Vlahovic (Fiorentina, Serie A)
Nationality: Serbian
Age: 22
Position: Striker
Notable Features: Tall, powerful, excellent finishing.
Karim Adeyemi (RB Salzburg, Bundesliga)
Nationality: German
Age: 20
Position: Forward
Notable Features: Pacy, eye for goal.
Rodrigo Riquelme (Girona, La Liga)
Nationality: Spanish
Age: 21
Position: Winger
Notable Features: Quick, goal-scoring threat
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich, Bundesliga)
Nationality: German/English
Age: 18
Position: Attacking midfielder
Notable Features: Versatile, mature decision-making.
Amine Gouiri (Lyon, Ligue 1)
Nationality: French
Age: 21
Position: Striker
Notable Features: Prolific scorer, clinical finishing.
🙋 MORE FOR YOU
