FC Barcelona's La Masia academy is recognized worldwide for having trained some of football's greatest talents, such as Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Piqué. However, not all the young prodigies that came through this academy managed to shine in the first team. For every player who became a legend at Camp Nou, there are countless others who arrived with great promise but who failed to fulfill their potential at the highest level. Over the years, many highly rated La Masia prospects have been seen as the future of Barcelona. Here, we look at three players whose careers took unexpected turns.
Alen Halilovic – The 'Croatian Messi'
When Barcelona signed Alen Halilovic from Dinamo Zagreb in 2014, they believed they had secured one of the brightest young talents in European football. The Croatian midfielder had already broken records in his homeland, becoming the youngest debutante and youngest goalscorer in Dinamo Zagreb's history. His technical quality, vision and dribbling ability led many to compare him to Lionel Messi, earning him the famous nickname "Croatian Messi". Barcelona moved quickly to integrate him into their youth system, but their claim never came to fruition. Despite high expectations, Halilovic spent most of his time with Barcelona's B team, making just one appearance for the first team. After a loan spell at Sporting de Gijón, Barcelona decided to sell him to Hamburg in 2016. What followed was a career marked by constant changes, representing clubs such as Hamburg, Las Palmas, AC Milan, Standard Liège, Heerenveen, Birmingham City, Reading and Rijeka. Although flashes of his talent continued to emerge, he never established himself enough at one club to justify the fuss that surrounded him as a teenager. Today, Halilovic plays for Fortuna Sittard in the Netherlands, where his contract expires at the end of this month. Although he enjoyed an above-average professional career, he remains one of the most discussed “what if” stories among former Barcelona prodigies.
Cristian Tello – Speed, potential, but without affirmation
Cristian Tello looked set to enjoy a long and successful career at Barcelona when he made his first-team debut under Pep Guardiola. The winger possessed explosive speed, direct attacking instincts and an eye for goal. His ability to stretch defenses and attack spaces made him an exciting option in one of Barcelona's most dominant seasons. However, time proved to be his biggest obstacle. Tello emerged at a time when Barcelona's attack had some of the best players in the world. Competition with Lionel Messi, Pedro Rodríguez, Alexis Sánchez and, later, Neymar severely limited his opportunities to become a regular starter. Despite making 86 appearances and scoring 20 goals for Barcelona's first team, he struggled to cement a permanent place in the starting line-up. Loans to Porto and Fiorentina followed before Barcelona sold him permanently to Real Betis in 2017. Although Tello continued to have a solid professional career and helped Betis win the Copa del Rey in 2022, he never developed into the elite winger many expected when he emerged from La Masia. Currently, after a successful spell at Real Betis, Tello has continued his career away from the spotlight, playing for Los Angeles FC and Al-Fateh. At the moment, the 34-year-old is without a club after playing for Palm City, in the second division of the United Arab Emirates.
Giovani dos Santos – A potential that could have been
Before the likes of Bojan Krkic, Ansu Fati and Lamine Yamal dominated the headlines, Giovani dos Santos was considered the next big attacking talent in Barcelona's academy. The Mexican striker dazzled coaches and fans with his creativity, talent and technique. Many believed that Barcelona had discovered another future superstar capable of leading the club into a new era. When Dos Santos debuted for the first team in 2007, the excitement around him reached another level. At just 18, he seemed destined for greatness and capable of becoming a constant presence at Camp Nou. However, his career at Barcelona only lasted one season. In search of regular opportunities, Dos Santos joined Tottenham Hotspur, but the transfer did not bring the expected advancement. He struggled in England and was eventually sent out on several loans before rebuilding parts of his career elsewhere. The striker subsequently represented Mallorca, Villarreal, LA Galaxy and Club América, producing moments of quality but never becoming the world-class player many predicted. Ironically, Dos Santos had greater success with the Mexican national team than at club level. He won the Olympic gold medal in 2012 and has accumulated more than 100 caps, establishing himself as one of his country's most recognized players despite failing to live up to expectations at Barcelona. After being released by Club América in 2021, the Mexican striker effectively retired from the sport and began dedicating himself to business ventures.