Cristiano Ronaldo has his eye on four players who he believes can win the Ballon d'Or in the next few years.
The days of Ronaldo and Lionel Messi trading Ballon d'Or wins are in the past. The Portugal international took home the most prestigious award in soccer five times while his former Barcelona rival has a record eight Ballon d'Or trophies in his cabinet.
For the first time since 2003, both Ronaldo and Messi were left off the 30-man shortlist for the 2024 Ballon d'Or. Instead, the nominees consisted of the world's brightest stars dominating Europe's top five leagues, paving the way for the next generation to take center stage on and off the pitch.
Although Real Madrid's Vinicius Júnior and Manchester City's Rodri are the two favorites to take home the Ballon d'Or come Oct. 28, Ronaldo listed a few others he could see winning the award in the years to come.
"In my opinion, [Kylian Mbappé] can be the next golden ball winner for the next years. Him, probably Haaland, Bellingham, Lamine," Ronaldo said to former Manchester United teammate, Rio Ferdinand. "The new generation, they have a lot of potential."
All four of the players Ronaldo mentioned are nominated for this year's Ballon d'Or after their impressive performances for club and country. Jude Bellingham won La Liga and the Champions League with Real Madrid in his debut season and helped England get to the Euro 2024 finals, where the Three Lions were defeated by Lamine Yamal's Spain.
Erling Haaland, meanwhile, won the Premier League with Manchester City and scored 33 goals across all competitions. Over in France, Mbappé bagged 44 goals and another Ligue 1 trophy with Paris Saint-Germain before transferring to Real Madrid.
Ferdinand also mentioned Vinicius Jr.'s name in the conversation. The 24-year-old became the youngest player in history to score in two Champions League finals, breaking Lionel Messi's longstanding record.
Vinicius Jr. and his peers have a lot of work to do, though, before they catch up to Ronaldo and Messi's Ballon d'Or count.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cristiano Ronaldo Names Next Generation of Ballon d'Or Winners.
