Among them Real Madrid's and Barcelona's target: Messi picks the world's best 10 talents
The Tango legend picked one of his compatriots
Adidas launched the third season of its "Messi +10" campaign on Sunday, with Argentina star Lionel Messi picking out the best 10 rising talents in football.
The "adidas Football" account posted the campaign video on X, writing: "A legacy to build on. The next chapter starts here. Meet the rising stars of Messi +10, season three."
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Seven male players and three female players made the cut. Heading up the men is Arsenal's 16-year-old England prospect Max Dowman.
His compatriot Tomas Aranda, of Boca Juniors, also features, as does Gilberto Mora, the Tijuana star who has caught the eye of Europe's biggest clubs. Barcelona and Real Madrid lead that queue, according to press reports.
The 10 players were as follows:
Tomas Aranda (Argentina – Boca Juniors)
Can Uzun (Turkey – Eintracht Frankfurt)
Gilberto Mora (Mexico – Tijuana)
Max Dowman (England – Arsenal)
Xavier Guzo (United States – Crystal Palace)
Jesus Rodriguez (Spain – Como)
Kees Smit (Netherlands – AZ Alkmaar)
Chloe Sarroy (England – Chelsea)
Giovanna Waksman (Brazil – Olympique Lyonnais)
Lotta Friede (Germany – Hamburg)
It all started in January 2025, when Messi passed on advice to 10 rising talents, Barcelona's Lamine Yamal among them, on how to cope with pressure. Season two arrived in October 2025 with names like Nico Paz, Rio Ngumoha and Andrey Santos.
