Lionel Messi predicts Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe will replace his Ballon d’Or rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi believes Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe will be the Ballon d'Or's new battle for the next generation of football fans.
However, it is impossible to discount the fact that Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham will also be competing with them.
Messi was in Paris on Monday night to collect his eighth Ballon d'Or, extending his own record at the same time.
It also meant a current world champion won the prize for the first time since Fabio Cannavaro did in 2006.
And he beat Haaland and Mbappe to the prize, who have been earmarked as the stars of tomorrow.
Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo won every Ballon d'Or from 2008 to 2021, except 2018 and it meant some top names missed out, including Virgil van Dijk and Robert Lewandowski.
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But with Messi now in America and Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, many believe Haaland and Mbappe will now step up and battle for the top individual prize.
And that includes the Argentina icon, who paid homage to the talented duo in his acceptance speech.
He said: “Haaland and Mbappe will win the Ballon d’Or one day.
“Erling deserved it very much too, he has won Premier League, Champions League while being the top scorer of everything. This award could have been yours today too. I’m sure in the next years you will win it."
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However, one name not mentioned is England's Bellingham, who is quickly becoming a superstar at Real Madrid.
His electric start to life at the Bernabeu has seen him score 13 times in 13 games, including three in the Champions League.
The 20-year-old won the Kopa Trophy at the Ballon d'Or ceremony, awarded to the best player under the age of 21, and there can be no disputes.
Many have even gone as far as to say he is currently the best player in the world, especially after his incredible display in El Clasico at the weekend.
Upon winning his award, he posted on X: "Beautiful night at the Balond’or for the first time.
"Very honoured to be awarded with the Kopa Trophy. Thank you to all teammates, members of staff and coaches who have helped and shown me support up until this point of my journey and especially in the past year.
"Finally, couldn’t be possible without the love from the fans. Now to continue to work for the most important thing in football, success and trophies with the team."
Meanwhile, Haaland's incredible 52 goals in all competitions led Manchester City to win the treble, lifting the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
Mbappe was no slouch either, winning the Golden Boot at the World Cup with eight goals, including a hat-trick in the final.
His 42 goals in all competitions last season also saw Paris Saint-Germain win Ligue 1.
However, Messi pipped both of them to win his eighth Ballon d'Or, largely down to his efforts in winning the World Cup in Qatar.
The 36-year-old netted six times for Argentina on their way to victory, including two in the final against Mbappe's France.