the Messi of Dijon that the world of football is tearing up

For several weeks, his name has ignited the internet and made Dijon supporters burn with passion. Rayane Messi is the new nugget of the DFCO. At 16, the young striker is already attracting the biggest clubs in French football.

Bearing the name of one of the best players in football history can’t be easy. However, Rayane Messi plays without complexes. For several weeks, the Dijon and international U17 striker has been attracting all eyes, pby his name, but also by his precocious talent.

“It’s my last name, it’s hard to bear given the career of Lionel Messi. But I don’t pay too much attention, I play my football and I want to show that I have my story to write too“, he assumes.

The youngest player to play in the first team, he has been, since April 12, the youngest scorer of the club’s history. “This is the culmination of the work, but we must not stop, I will continue. I don’t really calculate what’s going on around me. It’s those around me who manage that, I concentrate on the field.“

In January, Rayane was already supposed to join the A team, but a dislocated shoulder kept him away from the field. The objective now: to have fun… and to show off. “I want to show my qualities, gain as much experience as possible. It’s the end of the championship, I want to get as much playing time as possible. If we can win, that’s even better.“

In training, it’s a real clash of generations between Rayane Messi, 16 years old, and Jordan Marié, 32 years old and historic player of the club. “When you learn your age, you feel old, because you weren’t at that level at your age. But it’s good to see young people coming out of the training center. I think that with training, with good players around, he has a future ahead of him.“

His trainer Benoît Tavenot sees in his protégé a future nugget. “I had very good feedback from Frédéric Sammaritano as soon as I arrived. He is a high quality player, already very mature. He is surgical in front of goal, he has qualities of high level of power and speed. He’s a great player who took things the right way. He has not caught fire, he is set to have a bright future.“

I feel good, the elders are there to give me advice, I can only progress with a group like that.

Rayane Messi

DFCO attacker

If Rayane Messi keeps his feet on the ground, it is also thanks to those around him. At a very young age, he had to leave his family to live his dream. “I have matured, I am no longer with my parents. I have to be a big boy because I am all alone. I talk to them every evening on the phone, we’re used to it. They know that I make sacrifices, but also for them. After everything they’ve done for me, I have to. I love them, I owe them everything”he believes.

Rayane is frequently selected with the French youth team. A Source of pride for him, and a great challenge awaiting him with the Euro this summer. But not sure if the attacker was still a DFCO player at that time. Courted by major French clubs, keeping him in Dijon will not be an easy task.

“We want to keep it, that it brings emotions to the stadium. But he is one of the boys who must have sporting and economic profitability. If Rayane leaves, we must be able to hatch another one“, assumes Stéphane Roche, director of the DFCO training center.

For the moment, the main person concerned does not want to think about the future. “We’ll see, I respect the club. I would like to play in the biggest teams, play the biggest competitions, win trophies. That’s what makes us dream, playing in front of full stadiums.“In Dijon or not, we wish him a career as great as his glorious namesake.