Rising Belgian-Moroccan Soccer Star Mistaken for Messi’s Son in Viral Video

Rayane was taken for Mateo Messi, Lionel Messi’s second son, with whom he has an astonishing physical resemblance. "Mateo Messi will be better than his father," tweeted an internet user. "Is it really him?" others wondered. In the 12-second video, the young man can be seen dribbling past three players with incredible technique, before scoring a powerful shot.

It was sports journalist Verónica Brunati who put an end to the doubts of internet users, specifying that the boy in the video is actually Rayane, the gem that Ajax signed in March. "This is the boy in the video that went viral and that some shared thinking it was Mateo Messi. His name is Rayane, he played for Anderlecht and has signed with Ajax," Brunati explained in a Twitter post.

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The journalist shared the official tweet from the Dutch club announcing the arrival of the 16-year-old player. "Welcome to Ajax, Rayane!" the club posted with a photo of him. Rayane Bounida was born on March 3, 2006 in Vilvoorde, Belgium, to Moroccan parents. He has been considered a great promise of Belgian football since the age of 8. An attacking midfielder, he made his debut in Anderlecht’s youth teams and joined the Ajax squad at the age of 16.

The Dutch club is expected to pay the Belgian club 700,000 euros per year for his transfer. His contract runs until June 30, 2025, with the possibility of extending it for two seasons. Rayane Bounida was also on the radar of several major European clubs such as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. He is the captain of the Belgian U-18 national team, where he has scored 4 goals in 11 matches.