Over the years, the football world has seen several young talents labeled as "the new Messi." Lionel Messi’s innate talent, vision, and ability to dismantle defenses inspired comparisons with other young players who, at times, seemed to show similar potential. However, the weight of that title became more of a burden for many of these players, who never managed to meet the expectations placed on them. Here, we remember some of these cases. 

One of the first names on this list is Gai Assulin. He joined La Masia at the age of 12, and his talent earned him a debut with the first team in 2009 under Pep Guardiola. Despite the comparisons to Messi, Assulin never established himself in the club or at the top level of European football, playing for more modest teams like Racing de Santander and Hércules, until retiring with a Serie D team in Italy.

Diego Buonanotte also bore the weight of comparison to “La Pulga” after debuting at 17 with River Plate. He even shared the locker room with Messi during the Beijing 2008 Olympics. However, a tragic car accident in 2010 that claimed the lives of three friends impacted his career. Despite his efforts, playing for clubs like Málaga and Pachuca, he never shone at the level of his compatriot.

Juan Manuel Iturbe, an Argentine-Paraguayan, was also dubbed the "new Messi" in 2011, though he was never comfortable with the nickname. His career took him to clubs like Porto, Hellas Verona, and Roma, without ever settling in. Today, at 31, he continues his career with Cerro Porteño in Paraguay.

One of the most talked-about cases was Bojan Krkic, who began making a name for himself at FC Barcelona at a young age. At just 17, Bojan became the youngest player to score for the club, breaking a record previously held by Messi himself. Despite his talent and stints at clubs like Ajax and Roma, Bojan could never establish himself at the top and announced his retirement in 2023 while playing for Vissel Kobe in Japan.

In 2014, Alen Halilovic was signed by Barcelona at age 16 after debuting with Dinamo Zagreb. His early arrival at the Catalan club sparked inevitable comparisons with Messi. However, after several loans, the Croatian couldn’t settle in Europe’s elite, and he currently plays for Fortuna Sittard in the Netherlands.

Other names, like Mexico's Diego Lainez and Japan's Takefusa Kubo, emerged with similarly high expectations. Lainez was considered a great promise, and Betis even paid a significant sum for his signing. However, while he continues to show talent with Tigres UANL, he has not dazzled as many had hoped. Kubo, on the other hand, was nicknamed "the Japanese Messi" when Real Madrid signed him. After several loan spells, he has finally settled at Real Sociedad, though he has yet to reach global star status.

One of the most recent cases, who still holds the hope of breaking through, is Claudio Echeverri, a young Argentine talent excelling in River Plate’s youth ranks and set to join Manchester City in 2025. Nicknamed "El Diablito," Echeverri wears the number "10" for both his club and the youth national team, sparking comparisons with Messi. 

The story of these players shows that comparisons can be a difficult burden to bear. Each of them showed flashes of talent, but the weight of "being the next Messi" and the challenges of an elite sports career were, in most cases, obstacles that hindered their full development.