Messi names Arsenal's Dowman and Palace's Gozo among 10 next-generation stars

Lionel Messi has named Arsenal’s Max Dowman and Crystal Palace’s Zavier Gozo among his 10 picks for the next generation of football talent, selecting the Premier League pair as part of an Adidas initiative spotlighting the sport’s most promising young athletes.

Gozo, 19, joined Palace in the summer after impressing at Real Salt Lake City in MLS, where he scored 10 goals and registered eight assists across 50 appearances from the right wing. He has been eased into the first-team setup in south London, accumulating 45 minutes of action so far.

Dowman’s credentials are already considerably more established despite being four years younger. The 16-year-old became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history with a winning strike against Everton last season, and holds three Guinness World Records — for that goal, a Champions League appearance at 15, and his role in Arsenal’s Premier League title triumph. He most recently claimed the Carabao Cup Player of the Round award after scoring twice against Ipswich Town.

Also included in Messi’s list is Como winger Jesus Rodriguez and Gilberto Mora, the 17-year-old Mexico international who has been linked with Arsenal. ESPN has reported that the Gunners are exploring a January move for Mora after making contact with Tijuana, though he has also attracted interest from Benfica, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.

The full list of Messi’s chosen stars features Tomas Aranda (Boca Juniors), Kees Smit (AZ Alkmaar), Can Uzun (Eintracht Frankfurt), Chloe Sarwie (Chelsea), Giovanna Waksman (Lyon) and Lotta Wrede (Hamburger SV).

Arsene Arteta has spoken warmly of Dowman’s development while urging patience from supporters. “Everything is possible,” the Arsenal manager said when asked whether the teenager could become a regular Premier League fixture. “The probability probably is extremely low, because you don’t see the players with the capacity to handle just the physicality of the game — not only that, but the demands that you have to put your bodies through in the week to be able to compete, the amount of information, the challenges that you have to face.”