Cristiano Ronaldo names Kylian Mbappe , Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal as the future successors to his and Lionel Messi’s dominance of the Ballon d’Or as they prepare to bow out of professional football.
From 2007-2023, the Portuguese legend and the Argentinian icon split the prize between them as they amassed 13 victories, only failing to pick up the golden ball on three occasions, from combined a total of 34 nominations.
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates an incredible achievement with his loved ones
But now with Messi aged 37 and playing in the MLS whilst Ronaldo is 39 and playing in Saudi Arabia, it’s time for a new generation to take over with neither nominated for the 2024 prize, expected to be fought between Real Madrid’s Bellingham and Vinicius Jr.
As a result, Ronaldo named four players he expects to succeed his and Messi’s dominance of soccer by winning the France Football-hosted ceremony at the Theatre de Chatelet on October 28 as the two greatest of all-time simply watch on for once.
“I think [Mbappe] will do very well,” Ronaldo told Rio Ferdinand via YouTube. “The structure of the club is nice, it’s good. They have a great coach and the president, Florentino [Perez], who has been there many many years.
“I think it won’t be a big problem because of his talent. Mbappe can be the next golden ball [Ballon d’Or] winner for the next years. Him, [Erling] Haaland, [Jude] Bellingham, Lamine [Yamal]. This new generation has a lot of potential.”
Ronaldo and Messi’s incredible stats
The Messi-Ronaldo rivalry is easily the most iconic sports rivalry in history and captivated the world around the globe from 2007-2022, when it is generally agreed Messi emerged victorious after winning the FIFA World Cup with Argentina.
But the stats and records of the pair are simply absurd as they pushed each other to the very limits of their talents as they forged their names in greatness.
Combined, they have won 77 official trophies and became the most decorated players of all time as well as becoming the only pair to ever score over 800 goals in their careers spanning almost two decades.
The pair share 1,739 goals between them and 628 assists through 2306 games highlighting their longevity and supreme talent as they went on to win a combined nine UEFA Champions League titles, 12 LaLiga titles, nine Copa del Reys, 10 Supercopa de Espanas, six UEFA Super Cups and seven FIFA Club World Cups.
They also won an additional six titles at international football including the FIFA World Cup in 2022 for Messi, two Copa Americas and a Finalissima whilst Ronaldo won the UEFA Nations League and UEFA European Championships.
