Who is Claudio Echeverri? Meet 17-year-old dubbed 'next Lionel Messi' who also idolizes Argentina captain
The name 'Lionel Messi' is associated with every promising Argentinean footballer, and 17-year-old Claudio Echeverri is the most recent recipient of the honor. The Argentina U-17 captain was one of the stars of the just-concluded FIFA U-17 World Cup, where the South Americans finished in fourth place.
For many Argentine nationals, the maverick Diego Maradona is the greatest to have ever played the game in their books. The case is not so for many others, especially those born following the turn of the century.
Born just months before Lionel Messi took his first steps in the FIFA World Cup in 2006, Claudio Echeverri grew up watching the forward. As a result, he idolises the Inter Miami star and tries to model his game after Messi's, and hopes to play for Barcelona one day as his idol did.
Echeverri first caught the eye of multiple teams during a children's tournament in Venice, Italy, in 2017. The attacking midfielder was one of the most impressive players in the tournament, scoring nine times in six matches for River Plate.
River Plate recognise the level of talent on their hands, and they promoted the youngster to their first-team squad in December 2022, aged just 16. The attacking midfielder caught the headlines with a hat-trick for Argentina in their quarterfinal meeting with rivals Brazil, a match they won 3-0.
The young midfielder has a similar dribbling style to Lionel Messi with his low centre of gravity and easy manipulation of the ball in tight spaces. Despite being right-footed, it is impossible to miss the similarities with Messi's style.
El Diablito, as Echeverri is popularly known, has played four times this season for River Plate, and fans want to see more of him. The youngster scored five goals for Argentina at the U-17 World Cup and is on the radars of multiple top sides in Europe.
Lionel Messi continues to inspire the new generation
Lionel Messi has been a great source of inspiration for young Argentine footballers, more so following last year's IFFA World Cup triumph. The Inter Miami ace is idolised by most young Argentine footballers, including Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez, Lisandro Martinez, and Thiago Almada.
Messi was an inspirational captain for his country as they lifted their elusive third FIFA World Cup crown in Qatar. He won the Golden Ball, scoring seven goals and providing three assists en route to their victory. The 36-year-old earlier led Argentina to the Copa America in Brazil just months before they won the Mundial.
Lionel Messi will lead La Albiceleste to the Copa America next year but has expressed doubts over playing on until the 2026 FIFA World Cup. We may not see Echeverri play with his idol, but we know that his throne has a worthy heir.