Cristiano Ronaldo names his future successor to the Ballon d'Or

Cristiano Ronaldo names Kylian Mbappé Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal are the likely successors to his and Lionel Messi's Ballon d'Or dominance as they prepare to retire from professional football.

From 2007 to 2023, the Portuguese legend and the Argentine icon shared the award, accumulating 13 wins, only failing to win the Ballon d'Or three times, out of a combined total of 34 nominations.

But now with Messi is 37 and plays in MLS while Ronaldo is 39 and plays in Saudi Arabia, It's time for a new generation to take over, with neither nominated for the 2024 prize, which is expected to be played between Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. of Real Madrid.

Therefore, Ronaldo He named four players he believes will succeed him and Messi in their football dominance by winning the ceremony hosted by France Football at the Théâtre du Châtelet on October 28, with the two all-time greats simply looking on for once.

“I think [Mbappe] “They're going to 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 for many, many years.

“I think it won't be a big problem because of his talent. Mbappe maybe the next golden ball [Ballon d’Or] winner for years to come. Him, [Erling] Haaland, [Jude] Bellingham, Lamine [Yamal]. This new generation has a lot of potential.

Ronaldo and Messi's incredible stats

THE Messi-Ronaldo The rivalry is arguably the most iconic sporting rivalry in history and captivated the world from 2007 until 2022, when it is generally accepted that Messi emerged victorious after winning the FIFA World Cup with Argentina.

But the duo's stats and records are simply absurd, as they pushed each other to the limits of their talents while forging their names in greatness.

Together they won 77 official trophies and became the most decorated players of all time, as well as the only pair to score more than 800 goals in their careers spanning almost two decades.

The pair share 1,739 goals and 628 assists in 2,306 games, highlighting their longevity and supreme talent as they have won a combined total of nine UEFA Champions League titles, 12 La Liga titles, nine Copa del Reys, 10 Supercopa de Espanas, six UEFA Super Cups and seven FIFA Club World Cups.

They have also won six additional titles at international level, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup for Messitwo Copa Americas and a Finalissima while Ronaldo won the UEFA Nations League and the UEFA European Championship.