Messi chooses ten young stars, including the talent from Como

Only a few days after the emotional farewell to the Argentine national team, Lionel Messi looked to the future. As part of the campaign promoted by his technical sponsor Adidas, the eight‑time Ballon d’Or unveiled ten young talents, including Jesús Rodríguez of Como, who, according to him, will open the next chapter of football.

The squad of selected youngsters

Among the seven male players stand out Tomás Aranda of Boca Juniors, Max Dowman of Arsenal and Zavier Gozo of Crystal Palace, together with Jesús Rodríguez of Como, Kees Smit of AZ Alkmaar, Gilberto Mora of Tijuana and Can Uzun of Eintracht Frankfurt. For women's football, Messi included Chloe Sarwie of Chelsea Women, Giovanna Waksman of OL Lyonnes and Lotta Wrede of Hamburger Frauen.

The best‑known name is Max Dowman, the Arsenal striker who at just 16 years and 73 days became the youngest scorer in Premier League history. A few months earlier he had already set the record as the youngest player to appear in a Champions League match, at 15 years and 308 days.

Jesús Rodríguez, a Spanish winger, was bought by Como in the summer of 2025 for over €22 million from Betis Sevilla. Last season he finished with four goals and ten assists, confirming his worth in the Italian league.

With the message “The next chapter starts here”, Messi wants to underline that the new generation, male and female, is ready to write the history of world football. The presence of three young female players demonstrates the growing importance of women's football in the Argentine champion’s vision.