Argentina and Barcelona legend Lionel Messi once picked out four players from the United States of America to have huge futures in football, but where are they now?

Messi, 39, is arguably the best player to ever grace a football pitch, having played for clubs like Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami.

The Argentine has won the prestigious Ballon d’Or eight times and inspired his nation to World Cup glory back in 2022. To date, Messi has scored 819 goals in 1004 appearances in club football.

Back in 2015, 2016 and 2020, Messi was tasked with picking 10 young players as part of the ‘Backed by Messi’ campaign, with four talents from the US making the respective cuts.

Now, years after Messi made his choices, where are the four American players who were tipped for stardom by the great man himself?

Gyasi Zardes

Back in 2015, Gyasi Zardes was making a name for himself while playing for Major League Soccer outfit LA Galaxy, having joined the club from Ventura County Fusion in 2012.

In 2014, the American scored 16 goals to help LA Galaxy win the MLS Cup under Bruce Arena, which later earned him a debut for the national team in January 2015.

After leaving LA Galaxy in 2018, Zardes played for Columbus Crew, making a flying start by scoring 19 goals in his first season with the club. He was then named the MLS Comeback Player of the Year for 2018. He scored 61 goals in 122 matches for the club.

In 2022, Zardes left Columbus Crew and went on to play for Colorado Rapids before ending his career at Austin FC, where his contract was bought out by the club in late 2024. He has since retired from professional football.

Khiry Shelton

Now 33 years old, Khiry Shelton was another American talent backed by Messi to make headlines in the football world, having been selected by the Argentine while playing for New York City FC.

After coming through the ranks at Lonestar SC and Oregon State Beavers, Shelton played for Austin Aztex and Lane United before being snapped up by New York City FC in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft.

However, in 2017, Shelton was traded to Sporting Kansas City in exchange for Saad Abdul-Salaam. Since then, the forward has had spells with Swope Park Rangers and SC Paderborn before making a return to Sporting Kansas City in 2020.

On the back of the 2025 campaign, Sporting Kansas City opted against offering Shelton a new deal and released him from the club; he is yet to find a new club.

Alex Muyl

While the previously mentioned Zardes and Shelton were picked by Messi in 2015, Alex Muyl was included in the Argentine legend’s list in 2016.

The winger was born in New York in 1995, spending his youth career with teams such as Manhattan Kickers, BW Gottschee, New York Cosmos and New York Red Bulls.

In 2016, Muyl made his senior debut for New York Red Bulls, having been picked as a homegrown signing along with the likes of Tyler Adams, Derrick Etienne and Brandon Allen.

During his time with the New York Red Bulls, Muyl produced some memorable performances, including a stellar display against Jack Harrison, who went on to play in the Premier League.

In 2020, Muyl left New York Red Bulls for Nashville SC, where he has since scored 14 times in 170 appearances across all competitions.

Christian Pulisic

Christian Pulisic is without doubt the most successful American player in recent times, having played for big clubs such as Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and AC Milan.

The forward moved to Europe before his 16th birthday, signing for the Dortmund academy and was quickly fast-tracked to the first team, making his senior debut in 2016 at just 18.

During his time in Germany, Pulisic impressed, earning him a second-place finish behind Kylian Mbappe in the 2018 Kopa Trophy, an award given to the best player aged 21 or under in world football.

In 2019, Pulisic joined Premier League giants Chelsea for a reported fee of £58 million, scoring 26 goals in 145 matches while winning the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

Currently, Pulisic is playing for Serie A giants AC Milan. He joined the club in 2023 and has so far scored 43 goals in 139 appearances, winning the Supercoppa Italiana during the 2024-2025 season.