Messi, Salah, Mbappé, Steven Gerard and Jota – The Ligue 1 of the namesakes

Messi, Salah, Mbappé… and their braces! Ligue 1 is turning into a giant cast of namesakes. Gone are the international stars, making way for namesakes who try to emerge from the shadow of their illustrious predecessors.

A Jota in Rennes, but not the one you think!

Who could have imagined seeing Jota set foot on the pitches of Ligue 1 one day? Be careful here we are not talking about the Portuguese player, Liverpool star, accustomed to Champions League evenings. But lots of news, summer signing from Stade Rennais, looking for a relaunch. If the former has conquered Europe, the latter is still trying to find its place.

A powerful Mbappé at Lille

Kylian Mbappé has a little brother, Ethan, who follows in his footsteps. By signing for LOSC, the young midfielder hopes to one day reach his senior at the top of world football. But for now he will have to be content with shining in the colors of Lille and putting up with the inevitable comparisons. A heavy name to bear.

Messi, Racing’s new nugget

What if the next Ballon d’Or came from France? In any case, Rayane Messi, young prodigy of Racing Club de Strasbourg, has everything it takes to claim it. Well, okay, maybe he’s not at the level of his Argentinian namesake yet, but who knows what the future holds for him?

Before Jota, Steven Gerrard had already signed for Rennes

The list of namesakes doesn’t end here. We also find Steven Gerard, a promising young player from Rennes who bears the same name as the Liverpool legend. The young 16-year-old previously played for Levski Sofia’s reserves in Bulgaria. The right winger will initially join the Under-19s at Stade Rennais.

Salah left Rennes for Brest

Ibrahim Salah, a name we have already heard in the past in Ligue 1. Normal. 23-year-old Ibrahim Salah is a fast and technical winger who has proven his worth in Belgium and France. Trained in La Gantoise, he immediately caught the attention of recruiters thanks to his dribbling and ability to make a difference with the ball.

Moroccan U23 international, Ibrahim won the Africa Cup of Nations with the Atlas Lions in 2023.

While we wait to find out, one thing is for sure: there’s no shortage of talent in Ligue 1 and namesakes have their place there!