Aldrine Kibet: How Admiring Lionel Messi Led to Celta Vigo Move and Harambee Stars Call Up

One of Celta Vigo's most high-profile and intriguing signings this summer was actually a youth player.

Kenyan talent Aldrine Kibet has become a genuine phenomenon in his home country ever since bursting on to the scene at just 16 in 2023 despite his youth and having nearly everything still to prove.

His rise during that year's Kenya Secondary School Sports Association games for St. Anthony's Boy's Kitale earned him a move to Spain's Nastic Soccer Academy alongside Alvin Kasavuli and Amos Wanjala, as well as shine for Kenya's Junior Stars at that year's CECAFA U18 Boys' Championships in Kisumu.

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It was a tournament he emerged as top scorer with three goals, before going on to play a part in Kenya's U23 set up at the 2024 COSAFA Cup, as well as play a key role in helping Rising Stars seal qualification to the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.

His rise earned him a move to Celta Vigo in the summer.

Initially announced as a signing for Celta's reserve team while registered with the U19s (Juvenil A), he ultimately completed the preseason with Alberto Suárez's U19 squad and has gone on to play in the División de Honor.

With Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy still building a squad for the upcoming 2027 AFCON on home soil, he opted to call him up into the senior set up for the very very first time, as Kenya brace themselves to take on Madagascar and Comoros in friendly matches for the November international break.

But his rise to where he is has been fueled thanks in large part, to his admiration for Argentina great Lionel Messi, and his move to Celta is intended to be a stepping stone to join Barcelona, the club he has supported since childhood for understandably obvious reasons.

The young player's passion for football dates back to his early childhood, inspired by one of the sport's all-time greats: Leo Messi. His obsession with the Argentine star began at a very young age, as his mother, Irene Kwalia Kibet, has often recounted.

He started watching Messi at five years old and, by age eight, began calling himself Messi. "He would even write 'Messi' as his name in his school books because he was already his idol," his mother shared in an interview with SportPesa. "All the toys we bought him as a child were footballs. For his birthdays, we didn't throw big parties; we just bought him jerseys with his name and the number 10. That was all he wanted," she added.

Today, he is widely known in his country as the "Kenyan Messi."

Irene recalls that he "loved football from a very young age" and that a U10 tournament in Baringo marked a turning point for him.

"He was named Most Valuable Player (MVP), and that gave him a huge confidence boost to keep playing," she commented. This success became a recurring theme in the following years at nearly every tournament he entered.

His talent earned him a place at St. Anthony's Boys High School, where he became a national champion in 2023. In a message celebrating that achievement, he thanked his parents for "their dedication" in helping him "improve by watching Messi's videos, which was fundamental in inspiring" his football journey.

Following that triumph, he caught the eye of Nàstic Sports Academy, which led to his move to Celta. "I am his number one fan, and I just hope that his dreams come true in Spain," added Kwalia.

The Vigo-based club is the next chapter in his promising career.

After getting a taste of youth international football action for the last two years,  Kibet was finally handed his maiden international call up in November, with Kenya coach Benni McCarthy considering the midfielder  a key piece in his long-term vision for the Harambee Stars. 

The young Celta Vigo-based talent earned his maiden senior call-up ahead of Kenya’s forthcoming November friendlies against Madagascar and Comoros in Türkiye. 

McCarthy’s appointment in March 2025 brought a renewed focus on youth alongside experience, as he builds a team capable of competing at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and beyond. 

He emphasized that Kibet’s inclusion is not just a one-off opportunity, but part of a broader plan to introduce young talent into the national setup, having tracked his progress over the last three months.

“I wanted to include him in the squad last June. Now that he’s signed for Celta Vigo, that’s a big step. I’ll definitely be following his progress closely,” McCarthy said last July.

As Aldrine Kibet prepares to don the Harambee Stars jersey, the message from McCarthy is clear: talent is only the beginning — it’s readiness, mindset and opportunity that follow. The coach believes Kibet has all three, and that the entire national team stands to benefit from the fresh injection of youth.