Who really was the next...?

Who really was the next 'x'?

We all hear about how youth prospects are the next Ronaldo, Messi, Zidane, etc. But which, now accomplished, football players really did turn out to be just as good and similar to a retro counterpart that they may have been compared to at a young age.

I thought about this question playing FIFA 98 (the best FIFA) and was thinking, was Philipp Lahm ever compared to Lothar Mätthaus? Because if he was called the next Mätthaus, he didn't disappoint.

I guess another might be that Messi really was the next Maradona.