Jaedyn Shaw has said she can “better” Lionel Messi’s level in a new clip revealing how the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner acts as a mentor to the prolific USA international.
Forward Shaw, who joined the North Carolina Courage from the San Diego Wave last week for $300,000 in allocation money and $150,000 in intraleague transfer fees, features in a series in which Messi works with a selection of rising stars.
“Just seeing that level of play, that level of mentality and wanting to match it, wanting to better it,” the 20-year-old said in a clip realised by Messi sponsors Adidas, responding when she was asked how the Argentina captain influences her.
“I want to continue to dedicate my work ethic and everything to this game and inspire as many people as I can.”
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Messi Adidas video: Shaw stars
Like Messi, Shaw made her senior club debut as a 17-year-old and proved an instant hit, scoring the winner for the Wave against the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in July 2022.
She was named US Soccer’s Young Female Player of the Year in 2022 and helped San Diego win the 2023 NWSL Shield and 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup.
The Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament followed at the inaugural 2024 CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup, in which Shaw scored four times in six games as the USA triumphed.
Shaw also won the SheBelieves Cup and Olympic gold with the USA last year. She has a total of eight goals across 21 senior caps.
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Messi previews +10 series on Instagram
Messi shared the preview of the film, which is part of the Messi +10 series and will be released on Saturday, with his Instagram following of more than 505 million.
Gifted Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouedraogo is also mentored by Messi in the episode, having scored the winning penalty as Germany won the 2023 Under-17 EURO.
“What inspires me about Messi is how he plays football: making it look effortless, when it’s so difficult,” said the 18-year-old.
Ouedraogo joined Leipzig from Schalke in June 2024, reportedly turning down Bayern Munich in a transfer said to have cost his new German club around $10.5 million.
