Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest footballer ever.

The former Barcelona man has won it all, breaking records all over the world, and he recently added the World Cup to his trophy cabinet to go along with his Champions League trophies and seven Ballon d’Or awards.

His time at Paris Saint-Germain might have come to an end on a sour note, with supporters booing him at points, but he is continuing to light up world football.

Messi made his debut for his new side Inter Miami, coming off the bench in the second half against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup, and firing in a free kick in the dying moments of the match to win them the game.

Messi scores free-kick on Inter Miami debut

Even at 36 years old, he continues to give fans moments of magic.

Read More: Lionel Messi enjoys fairytale Inter Miami debut by scoring stunning last-minute winning goal

There is a very good chance that we will not see anybody come close to replicating what Messi can do with a football.

But eight years ago, Messi picked out 10 young players who he thought could be the next big stars to grace a football pitch.

In 2015, the forward partnered with Adidas for the launch of the 'Backed by Messi' campaign.

The campaign ran alongside the launch of the Messi15 football boot that was unveiled at the time, with the idea being that Messi picked out 10 young footballers who he thought were destined to reach world class levels, who would then wear the new Messi15 boot.

But eight years have now passed since he chose those 10 players, so we thought we would have a look at the individuals he picked for success and see whether or not they lived up to the hype.

So, without further ado, here are the 10 wonderkids that Messi singled out for greatness back in 2015, and what they're up to right now.

The 10 wonderkids Messi thought would become stars in 2015

1 Jeremie Boga

Atalanta's Jeremie Boga celebrates.

Where was he in 2015? Rennes (on loan from Chelsea)

Where is he now? Atalanta

Boga, now 26, left Chelsea permanently in 2018 after a series of loan spells and found his feet in Serie A with Sassuolo.

Now an established international for the Ivory Coast, his form earned him a loan move to Atalanta in January 2022, which was made a permanent deal in July of that same year.

Boga managed just two goals and five assists in his first full season with La Dea, and he could be on the move this summer, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that he could join French side Nice.

2 Accursio Bentivegna

March 16, 2016: Accursio Bentivegna of Palermo in action during a test match between US Citta' di Palermo and Parmonval.

Where was he in 2015? Palermo

Where is he now? Juve Stabia

Playing for Palermo at the same time in which Paulo Dybala was at the club, Bentivegna - a forward by trade - made a bright start, but couldn't make it stick in the first-team following his initial breakthrough.

Being tipped for greatness by Messi has perhaps proven a poison chalice. Bentivegna made a permanent move to Carrarese in 2018 following an initial loan.

He now plays in Serie C Group C, the Italian third tier, at the age of 27.

3 Kenedy

Robert Kenedy of Real Valladolid.

Where was he in 2015? Chelsea

Where is he now? Real Valladolid

Kenedy made the move to west London from Fluminense in the summer of 2015, but he would never develop into the player that many, including Messi, thought he would become.

During his time at Stamford Bridge, the Brazilian would only make 30 appearances and would spend time out on loan at multiple clubs including Newcastle and Getafe.

The attacker only departed the club in September 2022, ending his seven-year stay with Chelsea by signing for Real Valladolid on a permanent deal.

It did not prove to be the restart that Kenedy might have hoped for though. The Spanish side finished 18th in La Liga and were relegated, with Kenedy not finding the back of the net in just 12 appearances.

4 Maxwel Cornet

West Ham's Cornet looks disappointed.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: Maxwel Cornet of West Ham United reacts during the Premier League match between Everton FC and West Ham United at Goodison Park on September 18, 2022 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

Where was he in 2015? Lyon

Where is he now? West Ham

A young Cornet caught the eye of Messi while at Lyon, with the attacker scoring 51 times while at the French club and creating a further 29 goals too.

He moved to Burnley in 2021 and was a bright spark in a team that was relegated that season.

His efforts at Turf Moor persuaded West Ham to take a chance on him, and he would move to east London for a reported fee of £17.5 million.

Cornet would endure a tough season though, managing just 14 appearances for the Hammers in the Premier League and not scoring any goals at all.

He did, however, make five outings in the Europa Conference League as West Ham lifted the trophy at the end of the campaign.

While not world class as Messi perhaps suggested, Cornet has proven himself to be a more than capable top-flight footballer.

5 Aleksei Miranchuk

Aleksei Miranchuk of Torino FC in action during the Serie A football match between Torino FC and FC Internazionale.

Where was he in 2015? Lokomotiv Moscow

Where is he now? Atalanta

Miranchuk impressed while at Moscow, and in 228 games for the club in managed to score 43 times and created an additional 46 goals too.

He is now teammates with Boga, having moved to Atalanta in 2020.

But he has not managed to kick on in Serie A and has only managed to make 51 appearances for the team in the three subsequent years.

The midfielder spent last season on loan at Torino and did show glimpses of what he could offer, scoring four goals and providing five assists to help his side finish 10th in the league.

Now back at Atalanta, Miranchuk will be eager to re-establish himself back in Gian Piero Gasperini’s side.

6 Timo Werner

RB Leipzig's Timo Werner celebrates.

Where was he in 2015? VfB Stuttgart

Where is he now? RB Leipzig

Werner is one of the individuals on this list who did become an excellent player. Even if he does miss a big chance now and then.

The German striker lifted the Champions League after moving to Chelsea in 2020, but he now finds himself back in the Bundesliga after the Blues sold him in the summer of 2022.

In his 89 appearances for the Blues, he only managed 23 goals.

Things are looking slightly better for him back at RB Leipzig though, and during the 2022/23 campaign, he bagged 16 goals in all competitions for the German side.

Is the 27-year-old the world class talent that Messi thought he would become back in 2015? That is up for debate. But fair play to the Barcelona legend for picking him out as one to watch all those years ago.

7 Rony Lopes

Rony Lopes of ESTAC Troyes in action during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between Lille OSC (LOSC) and ESTAC Troyes.

Where was he in 2015? Manchester City

Where is he now? Sevilla

Snapped up by City from Benfica as a teen, Lopes would go on to make five outings for the Premier League side.

In 2015, he would make a permanent move to Monaco, and would seemingly start to find his feet, scoring 15 league goals for the French side in the 2017/18 season.

He was sold to Sevilla in 2019, with Wissam Ben Yedder going the other way, but a series of loans have followed to Nice, Olympiacos, and most recently to Troyes.

To date, he has only made 14 appearances for Sevilla, which highlights just how much his career appears to have stalled in his mid-20s.

8 James Wilson

Manchester United v Manchester City - Barclays Under 21 Premier League - Old Trafford - 12/5/15 James Wilson celebrates scoring Manchester United's first goal.

Where was he in 2015? Manchester United

Where is he now? Free agent

Another promising talent in Manchester when Messi caught wind of him, United fans thought Wilson was destined for greatness when he emerged at the end of the 2013/14 season and bagged a brace on his debut against Hull.

That and his record at youth level had many people - including Messi - believing that he would emerge into United's next big academy star, but he fizzled out slowly under Louis van Gaal and trickled down the football pyramid after failed loan spells and his 2019 departure to Scottish side Aberdeen.

He spent time at Salford City and then joined Port Vale in 2021, but the 27-year-old now finds himself without a club ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. Not what Messi or United fans expected from him all those years ago.

9 Gyasi Zardes

Austin FC forward Gyasi Zardes (9) looks to the crowd after scoring a goal during the MLS match between Austin FC and Sporting Kansas City.

Where was he in 2015? LA Galaxy

Where is he now? Austin FC

Ripping it up as a prolific striker in the youth ranks of football in the United States, Zardes scored 16 goals as LA Galaxy won the MLS Cup in 2014 and became the first homegrown player to score in the cup's final that season.

An incredibly bright start to his career burned out in the years following, and interest in Zardes faded away as injuries began to stack up.

He moved to Columbus Crew in 2018 and would go on to win the 2018 MLS Comeback Player of the Year award for his rebound.

He spent time with Colorado Rapids last season, scoring nine goals in 26 matches, and the 31-year-old continued that form with six goals for Austin after signing in January 2023.

10 Khiry Shelton

Khiry Shelton #11 of Sporting Kansas City with the ball.

Where was he in 2015? New York City FC

Where is he now? Sporting Kansas City

Shelton was selected as the second overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft by New York City FC in 2015 and was described as the 'top guy' despite still being so young, by then head coach Jason Kreis.

It didn't work out, though, and he left for Sporting Kansas City in 2017. He earned a chance to impress in European football in 2019 with SC Paderborn in Germany, but the winger couldn't make it stick.

The 30-year-old has been back in Kansas since 2020 and is yet to earn a full, senior cap for the USA national team.