Messi names 10 rising football stars in third ‘Messi +10’ campaign

Lionel Messi has selected 10 of football’s most promising young talents for the third season of adidas’ “Messi +10” campaign, including Arsenal’s 16-year-old English prospect Max Dowman and Boca Juniors’ Argentine midfielder Thomas Aranda.

The campaign was launched on Sunday, with adidas Football publishing a video on X featuring the Argentina great’s latest choices. The accompanying message said: “A legacy to build on. The next chapter starts here. Meet the rising stars of Messi +10, season 3.”

Messi’s list includes seven male players and three female players. Dowman, who represents Arsenal, is the youngest of the selected players at 16.

Aranda is the only Argentine included and joins the list as a Boca Juniors player. Mexican youngster Gilberto Mora of Tijuana also features after attracting interest from several major European clubs, particularly Barcelona and Real Madrid, according to media reports.

The 10 players selected by Messi are:

– Thomas Aranda (Argentina – Boca Juniors) – Can Uzun (Turkey – Eintracht Frankfurt) – Gilberto Mora (Mexico – Tijuana) – Max Dowman (England – Arsenal) – Xavier Gozo (United States – Crystal Palace) – Jesus Rodriguez (Spain – Como) – Kees Smit (Netherlands – AZ Alkmaar) – Chloe Sarou (England – Chelsea) – Giovana Waksman (Brazil – Olympique Lyonnais) – Lotta Frede (Germany – Hamburg)

The “Messi +10” campaign began in January 2025, when Messi offered advice to 10 emerging talents on handling pressure. That group included Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal.

The second season followed in October 2025 and featured players including Nico Paz, Rio Ngumoha and Andrey Santos.

The latest edition continues adidas’ focus on emerging players, with Messi again highlighting a selection of teenagers and young professionals from clubs across Europe and the Americas.