Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo aren’t ready to say goodbye to the World Cup just yet.
But the clock is still ticking down to the end of their careers, and Qatar could be the last place the two play in world soccer’s top tournament.
With that in mind, it’s only natural that attention would turn to a new generation and to life after the two footballers who have dominated the game for the past 15 years, sharing 12 Ballon d’Ors and nine Champions League trophies as their haul. accumulated from their prodigious careers.
They will leave hard-to-fill shoes. The followers of each consider him the best in history.
Thus, if opting for Messi or Cristiano has been difficult, you just have to imagine how difficult it will be to replace them.
But life and football go on, and the World Cup is the perfect setting for a new generation of rising stars to showcase their talents.
Above the other names one stands out, as the most probable heir: Kylian Mbappé.
“I think we haven’t seen the best of Kylian yet,” said his teammate in France, Olivier Giroud. “He’s amazing and still very young, which is scary, because he can still up his game.”
Nor is it that Mbappé can be considered a “new” footballer. He is barely 23 years old and has not yet won his first Ballon d’Or or his first Champions League trophy. But he has already won a World Cup and is the leading scorer of this event in Qatar, with five goals.
Thus, he already has the trophy that Messi and Cristiano yearn for. And in a week and a half, I could have two.
They would have to play two or three World Cups. And with nine goals in the two tournaments he has played, he is within reach of the record of 16 set by the German Miroslav Klose.
Qatar looks like the place where the baton will pass into the hands of the Paris Saint-Germain striker, who combines his footwork with his devastating speed and accurate finishing. All these are qualities that have distinguished Messi and Cristiano for years.
But to match the durability of the Argentine and the Portuguese, perhaps what the Frenchman needs most is an opponent who will push him to greater heights.
Would Messi or Cristiano have achieved so many feats and excellence without the other having been there competing with them?
Now the most obvious challenger for Mbappé is Erling Haaland, Manchester City’s goalscoring machine, whose country, Norway, failed to qualify for the World Cup.
He’s a different prospect: Pure power and goals, without the finesse or individual talent of Mbappé. But when it comes to numbers, Haaland has the potential to go head to head in terms of European trophies and scoring.
In the World Cup, there are not so many obvious rivals for Mbappé.
England’s Jude Bellingham has a different player profile, but his outstanding performances in midfield have taken his country to the quarter-finals against defending champions France.
“I love playing with him. He is young, he has energy and he moves very well on the court,” Belingham’s teammate Declan Rice said. “In every match I’ve played with him so far I’ve only told him: ‘This is your stage. He comes out and performs.’”
Dutchman Cody Gakpo has scored three goals and has improved his reputation after being linked with a transfer to Manchester United in the summer. But he still plays in the Netherlands, with PSV Eindhoven, and has work to do before he is considered among the elite footballers.
“Things can change, but Cody has everything it takes to become a star,” said Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal. “He has a wonderful personality to become a star player, because he has an open mind towards everything and everyone.”
Portugal’s João Félix has yet to reach his peak at Atlético Madrid, but he has given glimpses of the talent that marked him as a future star when he emerged with Benfica. He has the kind of individual virtues and game-changing ability that allow him to stand out from the rest.
The chance to step out of Cristiano’s shadow in his country’s national team could help his development.
Gonçalo Ramos, Félix’s teammate in Portugal, has suddenly attracted attention, with his hat-trick against Switzerland in the round of 16, after replacing Cristiano in the starting line-up.
Vinícius Júnior, 22, is rising as a figurehead for Brazil and a potential successor to Neymar as his country’s soccer icon.
“He has progressed since he joined Real Madrid, and he has shown that in the World Cup,” stressed the Croatian Luka Modric, his teammate at the Merengue entity.
The Argentine Julián Álvarez looks like a natural scorer.
Germany are looking forward to better times with Jamal Musiala, while Spain’s midfield duo Gavi and Pedri evoke memories of the partnership Xavi and Andrés Iniesta formed to win it all.
But in terms of impact, influence and star appeal, nobody compares to Mbappé.
Of course, Messi and Cristiano have not finished their careers.
And, who would dare rule out that they could brighten their respective careers during this World Cup?