List of multiple “successors” of Messi who failed to succeed at Barcelona

Lionel Messi On October 16, 2004, he made his debut in the 87th minute of the city derby between Barcelona and Espanyol, and caused a sensation on his debut. From the moment I turned 17, His performance didn’t stop growing, eventually becoming the institution’s greatest icon. kulehe won 34 titles between the league, Super Cup, Copa del Rey, Champions League and Club World Cup.

At the same time, during his tenure Worked at the club for over 20 yearsThe Argentinian star has witnessed the growth and emergence of lower-level prospects, including some Listed as his “heir apparent” by Spanish and world media. However, no one could overtake him, and one by one they were left on the road.

The last one on the list is the Spanish attacker born in Guinea-Bissau. Ansu Fatihe is lucky enough to wear the No. 10 jersey flea He went to Paris Saint-Germain.The 20-year-old, like others on the list detailed below, knows firsthand what it’s like He bears the nickname “New Messi” Like the rest of his companions, this ultimately hurt him.

“For me, there’s no pressure on “10” because no one can match what he does Leo. “I have to continue on my path,” the forward said after Rosario’s departure in 2021 and his return to action after suffering a serious meniscus injury in his left knee in November 2020 that put him in trouble for several months .

until that episode The footballer doesn’t stop leaving good feelings Every time it was his turn to take the field, even Messi himself recognized his incredible talent in 2019 at the age of just 16: “He is a great football player who has everything he needs to succeed. I want to take it slowly, like they did to me when I started. Little by little, no pressure. You have to keep enjoying and “Noise doesn’t have a negative impact on it because the quality is one of the best.”

The following year, a month before the injury, as the impact of his performance made the Spanish coach Luis Enriquerefer to the comparison between the two: “I was lucky enough to meet Messi when I was 14 or 15 years old and he had something different. I don’t know if Ansu Fati is coming, he has the potential to achieve important things. It’s hard to judge such a young boy. He is not an adult yet. It’s clear that what he does and how he conducts himself will have a media impact. “

Ansu Fati, who carries the No. 10 jersey, only played 15 games in the 2021-22 season after returning from recovery (two of them participated in the 2022 Qatar World Cup), and this season (2022-23) He was loaned to Brighton in the Premier League. Although at only 20 years old, he still has a long way to go, assuming he returns to Barcelona, ​​it seems difficult for him to become the “heir apparent”.

Bojan Krkic

“In my first year I scored ten goals in the league. People started calling me the ‘new Messi’. You can’t do anything with it. Finally, I know my quality, I know that I am not Messi, I am Bojan. If people end up saying ‘this boy is not the new Messi’, then yes, I am not. “

Former Spain striker Bojan Korkic is one of the most talked about players. He suffers from being categorized as the “new Messi” Following his debut for Barcelona on September 24, 2007, when he was only 17 years old, he became the third youngest player to make his debut in the first team and the youngest league goalscorer in the club’s history (17 years old 51 years old). ).

He spent four seasons at Barcelona Have intermittent performancethe anxiety disorder really interfered with his career. “At that age, it’s hard to accept what they say about you. You can only control what you can do. I knew from day one that I was not Messi. I have no one. There is no one like Messi”

explaining the forward 2022 Optus SportsPlaying for Vissel Kobe in Japan, it was his last team after 14 years of traveling to different teams and countries.

Gerard Deulofeu

“I don’t usually read newspapers, but I remember that title compared me to Messi very well and it hurt mewhich gave Barcelona fans too much expectations. “There is only one Messi”. Gerard Deulofeu announced in March 2017 Forza Milanduring his time with the Italian team.

This promising football player is another He struggled with becoming the “new Messi” at Barcelona. Like Bojan, the right winger has excelled in the lower leagues since the age of nine and made his first-team debut on 29 October 2011. By the following season, he had become a permanent member of Guardiola’s side. However, after a year in which he failed to distinguish himself, he began training on his own before eventually ending up at Udinese, a team for which he currently plays at the age of 29.

Munir Haddadi

The Moroccan winger, of Spanish nationality, arrives in the FC Barcelona first team as a promise that he can compete at the level of Lionel Messi. He made his debut on August 24, 2014 and scored one goal On his debut, he became the club’s youngest player to score on the first day of the league, aged 18 years and 357 days.

From that moment on, with his outstanding performances in the lower leagues and even in his first pre-season with Luis Enrique’s home team (he scored four goals in five games and was Announced as the top scorer in that friendly match), major Spanish media They did not hesitate to classify him as the “new Messi”The nickname gradually faded away during his years at the club.

“As for Messi, I think he is better than any player. There is no one and there will never be anyone like him.it is unique“There are no possible comparisons and no stopping,” he admitted in 2018, upon his return to the team after two-year loan spells at Valencia and Alaves. Finally, after his poor season in 2018-19 (31 games and 9 goals), he moved to Sevilla permanently. Today, the 28-year-old is active in Las Palmas.

Giovanni Dos Santos

Another person who has been compared to the Argentinian star is Giovanni dos Santos. The Mexican, who joined the first team in 2007 after spells at La Masia, assured the newspaper the same year sports That “Comparisons with Messi have been around for a long time but he is a star, he has already achieved a lot and I am just getting started, but one day I want to be like him. “

Unfortunately for the Monterey native Unable to shine in Barcelona The following year he went to Tottenham Hotspur. His non-sporting issues, such as alcoholism and indiscipline, left a mark on him for the rest of his career, moving him from one team to another until his contract with América in 2021 After it was over, he left the team.

These names join a list made up of many other players who were classified as the successors to the Argentinian star from the outset.Among them, Croatians stand out Helen HalilovichKorean Li Chengyou or japanese Kubo Constructionthrough the Barcelona affiliate, and others appearing around the world (Ryan Gold In Scotland, Martin Odegaard in norway and Sardar Azmoun Iran, are some examples).

the fact is Finding the ‘new Messi’ will be an almost impossible task For the club. flea Over time, he managed to forge an unparalleled career not only because of his athleticism but also because of his ability to reinvent himself. From the beginning, his individual performances went from little to great, until after winning it all at club level, At 35, he led Argentina to the topwinning the World Cup, and the Most Valuable Player award of the prestigious tournament.