10 wonderkids 'backed by Messi' in 2015 and where they are now

Back in 2015, Lionel Messi was at the peak of his powers and Adidas came up with an idea.

Together, the pair launched the 'Backed by Messi' campaign, with the Argentinian superstar endorsing 10 young players from around the world.

All 10 players received pairs of the new Messi15 football boots, which Adidas described as the "ultimate weapons, designed for his own unique style and talent."

It was reported at the time that Messi made his own choices regarding the players involved, with players from Chelsea, Manchester United and various countries around the world included.

But, after regular updates early on as the 'Team Messi' prospects pushed for stardom, things fizzled out over time.

Here's a look back at the 10 players backed by Messi six years ago and what happened next - including current Premier League stars and some who failed to make the grade at the highest level.

Who would you choose as today's top young prospects? Have your say in the comments section here.

Kenedy

After bursting onto the scene for Fluminense in Brazil, Kenedy was hot property back in 2015.

Chelsea eventually won the race for his signature in a £6.3 million deal and he made his debut against Crystal Palace soon afterwards.

Kenedy scored one goal in 14 Premier League appearances in his debut season having been instantly integrated into the first-team only to be loaned out the following year.

Spells at Watford, Newcastle, Getafe and Granada have led to little success with Kenedy's chances of making it at Chelsea looking slim.

However, he signed a new contract at the club before joining Flamengo on a year-long loan in the summer where he will hope to find some form back in Brazil.

Maxwel Cornet

Maxwel Cornet rose through the ranks at Metz before joining Lyon in January 2015, shortly before being selected by Messi.

The attacking full-back made over 250 appearances for the club over the course of six years and also made his international breakthrough for the Ivory Coast having played age-group football for France.

In the summer, he joined Burnley in a club-record £12.9million deal to test himself in the Premier League.

He has scored four goals in just six Premier League games and enjoyed an impressive start to life in Lancashire.

Jeremie Boga

A highly-rated Chelsea youth prospect, Jeremie Boga was on the verge of the first-team back in 2015.

That summer, he joined Stade Rennais on loan where he played 27 Ligue 1 games and enjoyed a strong campaign.

Loans to Granada and Birmingham City followed over the next two seasons, before Chelsea opted to sell him to Sassuolo on a permanent deal for £3.5million in July 2018.

He has been a regular for the Serie A side and is closing in on 100 appearances in his fourth season at the club.

On the international stage, Boga has now returned to the fold for Ivory Coast and won six caps.

Accursio Bentivegna

Italian teenager Accursio Bentivegna was 18 when he was added to 'Team Messi'.

Enjoying a breakthrough season with Palermo, he looked set for the top but is now playing in the Italian third tier.

He was unable to sustain a first-team place with the Series A side and made just eight appearances in two and a half years.

Having joined Ascoli and Como in Serie B, he is now in his second season with Serie C side Juve Stadbia.

He remains, however, desperate to climb back up the ladder with injuries having played their part.

"Before the season began, I bet with myself," he said in August in an interview in Italy.

"I want to take back everything I lost along the way in these unfortunate years."

James Wilson

James Wilson was tipped for the top when he enjoyed a dream debut for Manchester United.

Wilson scored twice against Hull City at Old Trafford after being handed a start by Ryan Giggs at the end of the season.

That led to 13 more Premier League appearances the following year as well as a four-year deal at Old Trafford.

But after heading out on loan to Brighton and Derby, he suffered a serious knee injury which ruled him out for 15 months and ultimately spelt the beginning of the end of his United career.

However, Wilson is now rebuilding in League Two having scored eight times in 17 games for Port Vale this season.

Manager Darrell Clarke recently said: "He is a great lad, he is a model pro. He has been at some big clubs and is enjoying his football.

"That is the remit I gave him when I brought him here - enjoy his football, work hard for the team, which he has done on every occasion, get his training plan right, which I think is very important for him, and we know he has that ability to score goals."

Timo Werner

Timo Werner is having a tough time at Chelsea - but it's fair to say he is the biggest success from Messi's selection of youngsters.

The German forward was at VfB Stuttgart at the time and making a name for himself in the first-team.

Eventually, he left for RB Leipzig in 2016 after his boyhood club were relegated from the Bundesliga.

Werner kicked-on at Leipzig and was a prolific goalscorer before Chelsea won the race for his signature in a £47.5million deal in June 2020.

It has not all been plain sailing at Stamford Bridge with Werner's finishing coming under fire after some glaring misses.

But the 25-year-old, with 47 caps for Germany under his belt, remains one of the most highly-regarded forwards in the game and has a bright future ahead.

Aleksey Miranchuk

Aleksey Miranchuk made his debut for Lokomotiv Moscow aged just 17 before becoming part of 'Team Messi' two years later.

It was in the weeks that followed that he really kicked-on, winning back-to-back player of the month awards and netting an extra-time winner in the Russian Cup final.

Over the course of nine seasons Miranchuk made 178 appearances for Lokomotiv Moscow whilst also breaking into the Russia side.

In August 2020, he completed a £12.6million move to Atalanta in Serie A where he has scored seven goals in 39 games.

Miranchuk, 26, has achieved plenty in his career so far but will be hoping to kick-on and reach new heights in Italy.

Gyasi Zardes

Gyasi Zardes was already 24 when Messi picked him out amongst his future stars.

Whilst the centre-forward has had a successful MLS career, he has never made the move to Europe to test himself at a higher level.

Zardes made a name for himself at LA Galaxy as a homegrown player as they won the MLS Cup in 2014 and made his USA debut in 2015.

After 134 appearances for LA Galaxy, he left in 2017 having fallen out of favour.

A move to Columbus Crew revitalised his career, however, and Zardes ended the 2018 season with 19 goals, earning the 2018 MLS Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Still at Columbus Crew, he has netted 53 goals in 103 games for the club as well as scoring 14 goals in 65 international caps.

Rony Lopes

Signed from Benfica as a 15-year-old, Rony Lopes became Manchester City 's youngest ever goalscorer when he found the net on his debut in the FA Cup aged just 17 years and 9 days.

Despite being in the first-team squad and making regular cup appearances, Lopes never played a Premier League game before heading on loan to Lille in 2014/15.

After an impressive season, he was 'backed by Messi' and joined Monaco on a permanent basis in the summer of 2015 for £9million.

He spent another spell at Lille on loan and made 82 appearances for Monaco before leaving for Sevilla in 2019.

He has played just five LaLiga games, however, and spent last season on loan at Nice before joining Olympiacos on loan this season.

Khiry Shelton

Khiry Shelton featured in the Messi campaign shortly after he had been selected 2nd overall by New York City in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft.

Shelton was being tipped for stardom but scored only six goals in 56 MLS games for City.

He was traded to Sporting Kansas City in December 2017 and joined German side SC Paderborn in January 2019.

But after just five appearances in Bundesliga 2, Shelton went back to Sporting Kansas City and has made 50 appearances and counting in his second stint.