Foden, Alexander-Arnold, Vinicius: Did FIFA 19 Future Stars meet their potential? | OneFootball

The next big thing or another wonderkid who failed to live up to their potential?

Back in January 2019, as part of its Ultimate Team game mode, EA dropped a Future Stars promo onto FIFA 19.

The promo boosted cards to several young stars, all of whom were being touted as having the potential to be the best players in the world one day.

It's been just shy of three years since that promo dropped, and that's a pretty long time in football.

So taking that into consideration, we've decided to take a look back at all of the Future Stars cards from the first release of the promo.

Let's have a look at where those players are now, and whether or not they've lived up to the potential that the footballing world, and EA, put on them.

The joint-highest rated player in the Future Stars promo in FIFA 19 was Vinicius Junior.

Looking at how he's playing right now, it's no doubt that EA got it right when they said the Brazilian winger had the potential to be one of the best in the world.

However, if we'd have complied this piece in December 2020, our verdict would have been pretty different.

Vinicius struggled for his first few years with Real Madrid, failing to really make an impact in the first team.

However, the 21-year-old has firmly established himself as one of La Liga's best players, contributing with 12 goals and nine assists in 25 games in all competitions so far this season.

Matthijs de Ligt - Ajax

Alongside Vinicius Junior, Matthijs de Ligt was the player that EA Sports thought would make it right to the very top.

He may only be 22-years-old, but it seems like they got this one bang on too, as the Dutchman is one of the best centre backs in Europe.

Despite his young age, De Ligt has been one of Europe's premier centre backs since 2018, earning himself a move to Juventus a few months after this Future Stars promo dropped.

It's still early days, but just like Vinicius, it seems like FIFA was right in its assessment that De Ligt has all the makings of a top-class defender.

Houssem Aouar - Lyon

It's safe to say that Houssem Aouar, despite his undeniable potential, hasn't lived up the hype that surrounded his name.

FIFA 19 had him down as one of the best midfielders in the world in the future, but fast forward three years, and Aouar is still with Lyon.

While things could change, with Aouar still just 23-years-old, it seems like this may have been a slight miss from EA and FIFA.

Just like his French counterpart Houssem Aouar, it's pretty clear that Alban Lafont hasn't lived up to EA's hype.

The French shot-stopper currently plies his trade for Nantes in Ligue 1, and isn't anywhere near being spoken about as one of the best in the world in his position.

Jadon Sancho - Borussia Dortmund

Jadon Sancho has struggled in his first few months as Man United since his transfer from Borussia Dortmund this summer.

However, FIFA 19's prediction that Sancho would end up as one of the best wingers is certainly not wide of the mark, if not true already.

Sancho is one of the best creators for his age, and it's just a matter of time before the Englishman proves EA Sports right.

Arthur - Barcelona

The jury is still out on Arthur, but it seems like FIFA 19 may have been slightly overzealous predicting that he'd become one of the best in his position.

Currently at Juventus, where he is not a nailed-on starter, Barcelona seemed quite happy to replace Arthur with a much older Miralem Pjanic in 2020.

Kai Havertz - Bayer Leverkusen

While Kai Havertz may have won the Champions League for Chelsea, the German hasn't exactly set the world on fire since his big money move to Stamford Bridge.

However, the German forward is unplayable on his day, so we have very little worry that he's going to become one of the best in years to come.

EA was bang on with this one, as Trent Alexander-Arnold, in the eyes of many, is already the best right-back in world football right now.

The Liverpool man has the potential to be one of the best players in Premier League history, so it's clear that FIFA knows what it's talking about.

Patrick Cutrone - AC Milan

Lovers of Football Manager and FIFA Career Mode will know all about Patrick Cutrone.

Once touted as having the potential to be one of Italy's best strikers, Cutrone was nowhere to be seen in Italy's European Championship winning squad this year.

Currently owned by Wolves but on loan at Empoli, it seems incredibly unlikely that Cutrone is ever going to live up to the hype that FIFA, and many others, set for him.

Rodrigo Bentancur - Juventus

Another Juventus midfielder, and another player that the jury is still out on.

Rodrigo Bentancur clearly has the ability to make it to the very top, but it wouldn't be harsh to say that he hasn't met his potential just yet.

Whether he will, only time will be, but for now it seems like FIFA was wide of the mark with this one.

Phil Foden - Man City

Just like with Trent Alexander-Arnold, FIFA was right in predicting that Phil Foden would be one of the world's best players.

Despite being only 21-years-old, Phil Foden has won eight major honours in his career, and has played a pretty key role in all of those wins.

Should he continue on his current trajectory, that number will only be added to, with Foden likely to earn several individual awards too.

During his time on loan at Frankfurt from Benfica between 2017-19, Jovic scored 25 goals in 54 games in the Bundesliga.

After impressing in German, Jovic earnt a big money to Real Madrid, but has only scored three goals in 31 league games for the La Liga outfit.

It seems unlikely, at least at this stage, that the 24-year-old is going to reach the heights that his impressive loan spell suggested.

Just like may other young players in the Bundesliga, Dayot Upamecano impressed so much with RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga that he was snatched up by Bayern Munich.

The young defender has been capped six times, and has been a mainstay in the Bundesliga for the last few years, despite only being 23-years-old.

While he may have a mistake in him at times, it's clear that with his pace, power and awareness, Upamecano has all the makings of a top class centre half.

Alex Grimaldo - Benfica

Still with Benfica, it seems like Alex Grimaldo's career will forever be associated with 'what if?'

While he may have excelled in Portugal, there are question marks about whether or not Grimaldo has the makings of a top-class left-back.

The Spanish defender is now 26-years-old and has yet to represent his national team, so baring a late-career rise, it seems he's unlikely to meet the potential set for him by FIFA.

Davide Calabria - AC Milan

A perfectly serviceable player, but Davide Calabria is unlikely to become one of the best defenders in the world, as EA predicted for him.

The Italian has represented the seven-time European Champions over 150 times, but seems likely to break into the bracket of the best in the world in his position.

In a similar vein to Vinicius Junior, Eder Militao is beginning to show why he was once rated as one of the best wonderkids in world football.

The Brazilian defender has thrived at the back for Real Madrid this season alongside David Alaba, proving why he was so highly rated.

It was the departures of Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos that Militao needed to not only prove the doubters wrong, but also to prove that FIFA was right to see his potential.

Ferland Mendy - Lyon

Replacing Marcelo, one of the best left-backs of the 21st century, is no easy task.

However, Ferland Mendy has done that, becoming a regular in the Real Madrid side over the last few years.

Since his move from Lyon and settling in period with Real Madrid, Mendy has become one of La Liga's best full-backs.

Whether he becomes one of the best defenders in the world remains to be seen, but FIFA certainly wasn't totally wrong when predicting Mendy's career trajectory.

Justin Kluivert - Nice

Another player that probably hasn't reached the heights that many people, including FIFA, thought he would.

Justin Kluivert failed to break into the Roma team after his move from Ajax in 2018, and has since been on loan with RB Leipzig and Nice, struggling to find a permanent home.

His two international appearances at the age of 22 suggest the potential is there, but as of right now, it doesn't look like Kluivert is going to deliver on it.

Matteo Guendouzi - Arsenal

He may have shown glimpses of why he was so highly rated by fans and pundits, but things have got in the way of Matteo Guendouzi's progression.

Whether it was supposed attitude problems, or a lack of playing time, it doesn't seem like Guendouzi is going to reach the heights that his 87-rated Future Stars card in FIFA 19 suggested.

He looks set to leave Arsenal in the near future too, but perhaps this will be what the Frenchman needs to become one of the best in his position.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin - Everton

Dominic Calvert-Lewin had a break season during the 2020-21 campaign, establishing himself as one of the league's top strikers.

His 2021/22 season had been hit by injuries, but DCL will be firing when he's fit and ready to go again.

Whether he will become one of the best in the world in his position remains to be seen, but FIFA wasn't totally off the mark with their modest 86-rating for the Everton man.

Achraf Hakimi - Borussia Dortmund

Someone else that EA and FIFA were completely right on is PSG star Achraf Hakimi.

The attacking full-back is undoubtedly one of the best in the world in his position, as evidenced by his last few seasons with Dortmund, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and now PSG.

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