Who is Cobham Messi? Meet Chelsea academy player Ibrahim Rabbaj

Rabbaj has grown into one of the best Blues’ academy players.

Over the past few transfer windows, Chelsea have spent a lot of money on wonderkids, but their best talent might already be a member of the academy.

Introducing 16-year-old Ibrahim Rabbaj, who has been likened to Lionel Messi due to his dribbles and wand-like left foot. In 40 games, the youthful player has scored an incredible 52 goals.

When you combine those numbers with an incredible 60 assists, it’s easy to understand why he was called up to the England Under-16 team. He’s also eligible to play for Morocco.

🇲🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿⭐️ | Remembering the 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐄 𝐔𝟏𝟔 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒 from 𝐈𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐑𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐚𝐣 (𝟏𝟔)🏟️ 40 Games⚽️ 52 Goals👟 60 AssistsAnother star in the making at Cobham.I’m very curious to see how he develops. pic.twitter.com/BqdNvorRRq

— Rising Stars XI (@RisingStarXI) January 13, 2025

There have already been a lot of comparisons to Messi. It’s not just the hair, which is cut in that characteristic Leo bob.

It adds to the burden of expectation and makes opponents laugh at you to be described in the same sentence as perhaps the best player of all time.

Rabbaj’s playing style & growth as the most promising academy player

He functions in the centre or outdoors on the right and is small. Rabbaj enjoys scoring, producing, passing, and bringing things to life.

His favourite move is to cut in from the right side onto his left foot and find the opposite bottom corner of the net. He excels in one-on-one situations like Cole Palmer and former Chelsea star Arjen Robben.

Ibrahim plays for Chelsea and the England Under-16s and makes good use of his body power despite being undersized. Over the previous year, he has participated in every international camp.

Raised in Ashford, Kent, as one of six children, he was taken by Charlton at the age of seven and enrolled in pre-academy.

He was subsequently snatched by their South London neighbours, Crystal Palace, and stayed there until he was about twelve years old.

Ibrahim Rabbaj again. Chelsea’s Morrocan is in fine form 🔵 pic.twitter.com/ehNzzVH1va

— TheSecretScout (@TheSecretScout_) February 8, 2025

Even though there was little training to be done because the pandemic was still in full force, Chelsea signed him despite his concentrated efforts during COVID because they felt obligated to offer the young player a sense of belonging.

Rabbaj currently attends Chelsea full-time, including for his education, and resides with a host family together with eight other boys.

During the preseason, he participated in mixed-age group games for Chelsea U17s. A “classic no.10,” it will be intriguing to watch how he manages the age difference further on.

People who are close to the player want to see him run freely in the middle of the field to cause problems for opponents and bring back the times when little players could outplay larger opponents by using their speed and skill.

What’s next for the teenager?

When the time comes, Chelsea ought to provide him at least a scholarship. But in football, who knows?

Chelsea’s youth coaches must remain vigilant because the team recently lost winger Rio Ngumoha to Liverpool after he slipped through the net.

Youth players who are retained receive scholarships for two years. The best are given an additional “pro” year. This would essentially make Rabbaj a professional football player at the age of 17.

Clubs occasionally only provide two years of a professional contract together with a one-year scholarship. For those who consistently watch him, Rabbaj is a tremendously dynamic talent and is thrilling to watch.

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