Ranked: The most overhyped footballers in the 21st century

For every superstar prospect touted as the next Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, only one might have a legendary career in the game. The rest dwell on what could have been despite making it as a professional footballer.

Since coming through the Real Madrid ranks and making his debut at 17, Alvaro Morata hasn't lived up to his potential as a legendary Spanish striker. The pressure was so high on Morata that it affected his performances, and he bounced around different teams and leagues. Despite earning a reputation as a solid goalscorer, Morata has never scored over 15 league goals in a season.

In 2014, Ryan Gauld helped Dundee United reach the Scottish Cup final, with Scottish media drawing comparisons to Lionel Messi. He transferred to Sporting CP the same year, but the move derailed his career. Gauld had loan spells at smaller Portuguese clubs before joining the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2021. He has since made over 100 appearances for the MLS team.

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Thrust into the limelight since making his debut at 16 for AC Milan, Gianluigi Donnarumma has undone all the good work and hype he had built up playing in Italy. He joined PSG in 2021 and has consistently been exposed in Luis Enrique's style of play. Donnarumma was once seen as the next Gianluigi Buffon, but his career is now hidden in the shadows of Paris.

Signed for close to 100 million Euros, Brazilian winger Antony is one of the most overhyped signings in Premier League history by Manchester United. He scored five goals and provided three assists in two and a half years in the league.

Touted as the heir to David Beckham on the right side of England's midfield, David Bentley showed sensational promise for Blackburn, but the wheels fell off after a multi-million-pound move to Tottenham. After loan spells in the Championship and abroad, he retired at 29 in 2014.

Regarded as an up-and-coming player in his year, Mario Balotelli's strength, pace, and eye for goal led him to trophy campaigns with Manchester City and Inter Milan. However, the 2010 Golden Boy had a terrible attitude and an unwillingness to work, leading him to a journeyman career, playing for ten teams in 11 years.

Labelled the "Croatian Messi" when he joined Barcelona in 2014, Alen Halilovic failed to make a single appearance in the league for Barça in his two years there. He played for Reading and Birmingham City in the Championship, and now plays for Fortuna Sittard in the Eredivisie.

Marcus Rashford broke onto the scene at Manchester United, becoming the club's youngest European scorer and earning comparisons to George Best. Life at United hasn't gone to plan for Rashford, with constant rumours about his wanting to leave the club and his poor work ethic. He is currently on loan at Aston Villa, attempting to revitalize his career.

Billed as the next Steven Gerrard when he joined Liverpool in 2011, Jordan Henderson never lived up to that mantle of becoming the next Liverpool great. Henderson won eight trophies in 12 years, but his goals (33) and assists (58) in nearly 500 games were not at the level Liverpool fans expected.

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After shining in Anderlecht's academy and joining Chelsea at a young age, Romelu Lukaku has been a goalscorer wherever he has been, but he has never lived up to being the best striker in the world due to his lack of consistency and failure to score goals when the pressure is mounted. Jose Mourinho once said: "You have to be careful with Lukaku. He is a big baby, you know."

After coming through the Manchester United academy and sparkling for Juventus as a youngster, Paul Pogba's return to United and the following career has been nowhere near the standard people were expecting. Since 2016, Pogba has tallied up double-digit goals and assists in just one season.

After scoring 900 goals for Barcelona's famous La Masia, Bojan Krkic was dubbed the next Barcelona megastar. However, after failing to break into the team, Bojan jumped around Europe, finding most of his success in the Premier League with Stoke City. Injuries hindered his career, and he retired at 32.

Robinho was dubbed the "new Pelé" as a teenager at Santos, and despite semi-successful spells with Real Madrid and Manchester City, his poor attitude and lack of consistency meant he could not live up to the billing. The Brazilian is currently in prison for sex-related crimes.

After making his debut in the MLS at 14, the American media dubbed Freddy Adu "the next Pelé." However, after leaving DC United in 2006, Adu became a football journeyman, playing for 15 teams in nine countries. He retired in 2021.

While playing for Santos as a youngster, Neymar was touted as the player to be as good as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi and to take the Brazilian crown away from Pelé. Despite several incredible trophy-laden seasons with Barcelona, Neymar never reached the same heights for PSG or Brazil. He has since had an injury-ridden spell with Al-Hilal and has returned to Santos.

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