Messi Announces 10 Young Talents in Messi+10 Program, Including Arsenal Wonderkid and Chelsea Player

Lionel Messi is back in the spotlight after announcing ten young players he believes will dominate the world football stage. The list was released through the third season of the Messi+10 program, titled The Next Chapter, a collaboration with Adidas, and was announced shortly after Messi's farewell match with the Argentina national team against Benin.

The 38-year-old is no stranger to spotlighting young talent. In previous editions, he included Rio Ngumoha, who now shines at Liverpool, and Andrey Santos, who was still at Chelsea before moving to Manchester United. That means this list is not just a marketing gimmick, but a curation worth paying attention to.

Two names from England immediately caught the eye: Max Dowman and Chloe Sarwie. Dowman, an Arsenal player, has only recorded 15 senior team appearances, but has already experienced the Premier League atmosphere with six matches. He even won the Premier League Home Grown Debutant of the Season award. Meanwhile Sarwie, a 17-year-old Chelsea player, has made seven senior appearances and is in the England U-20 squad for the World Cup.

From the United States, Zavier Gozo (19) has already debuted with the senior national team. Argentina is represented by Tomas Aranda, a 19-year-old Boca Juniors midfielder in his first senior season with 14 appearances. Mexico sent Gilberto Mora, a 17-year-old Tijuana player who has appeared four times at the 2026 World Cup. Turkey put forward Can Uzun, an Eintracht Frankfurt striker with 19 goals in 64 Bundesliga matches and an appearance at the 2026 World Cup.

The Netherlands is represented by Kees Smit, an AZ Alkmaar midfielder who has been a club mainstay for three seasons and debuted with Oranje this year. Italy features Jesus Rodriguez, who caught the eye at Como under the guidance of Cesc Fabregas, Messi's former teammate. Two women players complete the list: Lotta Wrede (Hamburger SV) and Giovanna Waksman (Lyon).

Messi's choice of young players is not without reason. In the previous edition, he included the name Rio Ngumoha, who is now an important part of the Liverpool squad.

Interestingly, this announcement comes amid a major transition in Messi's career. The match against Benin was his last appearance with La Albiceleste, marking the end of an era. In that context, the Messi+10 list can be read as an effort to introduce the next generation he believes can bring a new color to world football.

For Indonesian football, this moment should serve as a mirror. Two former Indonesia national team players, Raphael Maitimo and Sergio van Dijk, are now actively building youth development. However, without a supporting ecosystem—standard academies, competitive youth competitions, and a pathway to the senior team—Indonesian young talent risks losing momentum. PSSI and Liga 1 clubs need to make this kind of curation a trigger to improve the development pipeline, not just material for social media chatter.

Going forward, the question is simple: will the names on Messi's list truly break through to the elite level, or will they just become footnotes? What is clear is that Messi has provided an initial stage. The rest depends on hard work, the club environment, and unpredictable luck.