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#3 Kylian Mbappe - Chelsea
Kylian Mbappe has already achieved a lot in football despite being only 22 years of age.
A highly-rated talent as a youngster, Mbappe spent some time with Premier League side Chelsea. The forward was linked with some of the biggest clubs in the world, but Chelsea were apparently not convinced by Mbappe.
Serge Daniel Boga, who worked with Chelsea as a scout, has admitted that Chelsea were not impressed with the forward's defensive qualities.
Speaking about Mbappe's Chelsea trial, Boga said:
"He took a trial and didn't end up convincing us because he didn't offer enough defensively. So, they asked his mother if he could come back for a second trial and she said no."
Chelsea's loss turned out to be AS Monaco's gain. The French international enjoyed a stellar 2016-17 campaign with AS Monaco and earned a move to Paris Saint-Germain for an eye-watering fee of £130.5 million.
Now regarded as one of the best players in world football, Mbappe could have made Chelsea a perennial challenger for the Premier League.
#2 Ronaldo Nazario - Flamengo
Ronaldo Nazario needs little introduction. The Brazilian revolutionized the striker position with his phenomenal performances and paved the way for future superstars.
While Ronaldo's stints at Barcelona and Real Madrid are well known, it is easy to forget that the striker began his footballing journey with Cruzeiro in Brazil. Before joining Cruzeiro, though, Ronaldo was rejected by Flamengo, the club he supported as a boy.
Ronaldo shrugged his rejection aside and made his name in Europe with sublime performances for Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven. He spent a solitary but spectacular season with Barcelona, and his spell with Real Madrid has been well-documented. He made 177 appearances in all competitions for Los Blancos and scored 104 goals.
The Brazilian international was not lucky with injuries, though. There have been multiple discussions about the level Ronaldo could have reached had he not been so injury-prone.
#1 Lionel Messi - River Plate
Arguably the greatest footballer to have played the game, Lionel Messi's achievements and individual records speak for themselves.
As a youngster, Messi was a fan of River Plate midfielder Pablo Aimar. He was sent on trial with River Plate, stunning everyone with his quality and overall performance.
It remains unclear why River Plate turned him down, but there have been suggestions that they were unwilling to spend money on Messi's growth hormone treatment. In an interview with Goal, River Plate's former youth coach Eduardo Abrahamian admitted he wanted to sign Messi at all costs.
Speaking about Messi, Abrahamian said:
"I wanted him to come. You can't lose out on a player like Messi. I told them that he was a player with great qualities. They told me we already had some of those and that he wanted to go home... so go and convince him to come back!"
Messi joined Barcelona in 2004, and the rest is history. He is now regarded as Barcelona's greatest ever player, and Abrahamian admits that River Plate should have signed him when they had the opportunity.
Also Read: 4 reasons why Lionel Messi could never win the Ballon d'Or again
