25 Football Manager Wonderkids Who Didn't Meet Expectations (Ranked) | OneFootball

Football Manager has earned a reputation for its remarkable ability to identify future stars long before they burst onto the scene.

The much-loved game has predicted the rise of superstars such as Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe, enhancing its status as a key reference point for football enthusiasts, professional scouts, and armchair managers alike. However, the complex algorithms and in-depth scouting network don't always get it right.

As much as Football Manager is a treasure trove of promising talent, there are cases where the projected "wonderkids" never quite live up to the potential seen in them within the virtual world.

Whether due to injuries, lack of opportunities, personal issues, or simply not fulfilling their supposed potential, the real world of football is more unpredictable than any game could emulate.

So, join GIVEMESPORT as we rank 25 players who, despite being tipped for greatness in various editions of Football Manager, didn't reach the crazy heights predicted for their careers.

25 Balint Bajner

The Hungarian striker was a beast in FM 2010, but his real-life career didn't quite pan out as expected.

Despite a promising start at Liberty Oradea, his career stagnated following a move to Borussia Dortmund, where he mostly played for the reserve team.

Bajner's career saw him drift through various lower-tier clubs, and sees him current as a free agent, a far cry from the prediction from FM of him becoming a world-beater.

24 Ravel Morrison

Morrison, who was on the books of Manchester United at the time, was hailed as a future star in FM 2011.

His talent was undeniable, but issues off the pitch with his attitude hampered his development, and he didn't become the star that his potential promised.

Despite spells at West Ham, the aforementioned Man United and a host of other clubs, Morrison hasn't been able to fulfil his potential.

The 30-year-old is currently playing in the MLS for DC United, playing in the midfield under former teammate and England legend, Wayne Rooney.

23 Josh McEachran

Billed as a wonderkid in FM 2011, McEachran's career has unfortunately not lived up to the hype.

Despite showing promise in Chelsea's youth setup, he struggled to break into the first team. Several loan spells and a move to Brentford didn't elevate his career to the heights predicted in the game.

The midfielder's contract with MK Dons expired on July 1, with the Englishman moving to Oxford United for the upcoming 2023/24 season.

22 Adryan

Adryan was an attractive prospect in FM 2012, noted for his technical skills.

However, after moving to Europe, he struggled to make a significant impact at Leeds United and Nantes, before eventually returning to Brazil.

Adryan's career didn't quite match his potential in the game, and after two years without a club, just joined Brescia in Serie B.

21 Yaya Sanogo

Sanogo was a must-have player in FM 2013, and was predicted to become a world-class striker, but his real-life career has been less than spectacular.

Despite opportunities at Arsenal and multiple loan spells, Sanogo struggled with injuries and form, never fulfilling the potential Football Manager predicted.

The Frenchman currently plays his football for Football Club Urartu in the top flight of Armenian football.

20 Bebe

Another wonderkid, who played for one of England's biggest clubs, but didn't meet expectations.

After a surprise move to Manchester United, Bebe's in-game stats skyrocketed in FM 2011, but he really failed to live up to expectations at Old Trafford, and he moved to Benfica before being loaned out multiple times.

Despite relative success with Rayo Vallecano in Spain, a club he still plays for, Bebe's career never followed the trajectory predicted by the game.

19 Davide Petrucci

The Italian midfielder was a standout in FM 2011, tipped to be a future key player for Manchester United, but that isn't what happened.

Despite promising performances in the youth team, and opportunities in preseason games with the first team, Petrucci never made a competitive first-team appearance for United.

He bounced around multiple clubs in Italy without ever fully realising the potential FM saw in him, and now plays in Israel for Hapoel Be'er Sheva.

18 Richairo Zivkovic

Despite being a wonderkid in FM 2015, Zivkovic's career didn't replicate the game's promise.

After a promising start at Groningen, his move to Ajax saw his progress stall and he even had a spell in the Chinese Super League, a far cry from the superstar career predicted in Football Manager.

He did play top-flight football in the Eredivisie last year with Emmen, but the forward was part of the side that were relegated after a 16th-placed finish.

17 Wellington Silva

Wellington Silva was a highly-rated prospect in FM 2011, but work permit issues hindered his career.

Despite having impressive stats in the game, Silva never managed to make an appearance for Arsenal, and players of FM will also have struggled to get the Brazilian eligible to play in the Premier League.

He was loaned out multiple times before eventually returning to Brazil, failing to live up to the expectations that fans of The Gunners who played FM would have hoped for.

16 Federico Macheda

His sensational debut goal for Manchester United catapulted Macheda's stock in FM 2009.

The Italian striker was seen as a future superstar after a few impressive outings for United, but his career went downhill after his initial breakthrough.

Multiple loan spells and a permanent move to Cardiff City didn't revive his prospects, and after moving to the Greek Super League, it was clear that FM got this one wrong.

15 Gael Kakuta

Once Chelsea's future star in FM 2010, Kakuta possessed an enticing combination of speed, skill, and creativity in the game.

In reality, despite a promising start at Chelsea, a fallout over his transfer led to a downward trajectory, and after several loan spells, Kakuta found relative success in France, but his career never hit the heights forecasted.

Tipped to be a key part of Chelsea's future for at least a decade, FM wouldn't have predicted that come 2023, Kakuta would be playing in the second tier of France with Amiens.

14 Fran Merida

Merida was the future of Arsenal's midfield in FM 2008, with the game predicting a stellar career for the Spaniard.

After a promising start in the youth teams at Arsenal, Merida struggled to make the step-up to the first team, despite many pegging him to be a long-term partner for Cesc Fabregas in midfield.

Spells at Atletico Madrid, Braga, and Osasuna followed, but he never quite reached the heights anticipated, and at the age of 33, he now plays in the Chinese Super League for Tianjin Jinmen Tiger.

13 Bojan

Tipped as the "new Messi" in FM 2008, Bojan was an incredible talent in-game.

After breaking into Barcelona's first team, big things were expected, but he unfortunately didn't deliver.

Despite moves to Roma, AC Milan, and Stoke City, he struggled to live up to the extraordinary potential he showed in his youth, and while he did win some trophies, Bojan didn't quite have the superstar trajectory predicted by Football Manager.

12 Kerlon

Kerlon, famous for his "seal dribble" in FM 2007, was an irresistible prospect in the game.

The Brazilian's career, however, was marred by recurrent injuries, and after moving to Inter Milan, he was loaned out multiple times but never managed to make an impact at the highest level.

Kerlon eventually returned to Brazil, meaning that his real-life football journey sadly didn't mirror his video game success.

11 Vaclav Kadlec

In FM 2010, Kadlec was an undeniable prospect. The Czech striker boasted immense potential, developing into a dominant forward in-game.

In reality, after an initially promising start at Sparta Prague, Kadlec secured a move to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. But his career never really took off in Germany, and after a couple of unimpressive seasons, he returned to the Czech Republic.

His career was decent, even representing the national team 15 times, but he never reached the stratospheric levels predicted in Football Manager, which is a real shame.

10 Matej Dalec

Dubbed Chelsea's future number one goalkeeper in FM 2010, Delac's career tells a different story.

He never made a single appearance for the Blues despite being their longest-serving player, and was instead sent on multiple loan spells before leaving for good in 2018.

The Croatian, who hasn't made a single appearance for his country's senior team, now plays his football in Denmark, a far cry from the heights that FM predicted for him.

9 Gabriel Obertan

Another winger that Man United signed to try and replace Cristiano Ronaldo, Obertan was one of a highly-rated youngster in FM 2008.

His move to United in 2009 raised expectations even further, but he only made a handful of appearances for the Red Devils before moving to Newcastle United, where he failed to cement a consistent starting spot.

His career saw him journey through various clubs without hitting the heights predicted, both my FM and by Man United when he was signed to the club in the wake of CR7's exit.

8 Henri Saivet

Tipped to be a world-beater in FM 2008, the Frenchman's career path was less spectacular.

After making his debut for Bordeaux, Saivet failed to secure a starting spot, and his move to Newcastle United in 2016 didn't pan out either, with Saivet spending most of his time out on loan.

Fans of FM will be wondering what Saivet is doing now, and the answer is playing in Ligue 2 for Pau, certainly not where the game predicted he'd be at the age of 32.

7 Igor Akinfeev

Akinfeev was a household name for anyone playing FM in the mid-2000s.

He was a promising goalkeeper, and in the game, developed into one of the best in the world, often moving to Real Madrid, Barcelona or to the Premier League.

In reality, while he's had a respectable career with CSKA Moscow and the Russian national team, he never quite reached the world-class level predicted in the game.

6 John Fleck

Part of the Sheffield United side that just won promotion back to the Premier League, fans might forget that John Fleck was once touted as the "Scottish Wayne Rooney" in FM 2008.

Fleck showed promise at Rangers, his move to Coventry and later Sheffield United saw him become a consistent, albeit not stellar, player.

His career, in reality, has been good, but not quite the heights the game predicted, where he was pegged as having the potential to be one of the best players Scotland had ever produced.