In a recent interview with L’Equipe, Lionel Messi, the reigning Ballon d’Or holder, discussed potential successors to his crown, naming four players he believes could take the prestigious award in the upcoming years.
However, the surprising omission of Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham from Messi’s list has raised eyebrows.
Bellingham, who transferred to Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund last summer for a staggering €103 million, has been enjoying a phenomenal campaign
Bellingham has been one of the best players in the world this season, and also deservingly clinched both the Golden Boy Award and the Kopa Trophy just last year.
With an impressive 20 goals and 9 assists in 31 appearances for Los Blancos this season, Bellingham has established himself as one of the top performers in world football, already becoming the club’s joint-top English scorer alongside Cunningham and Beckham.
Despite Bellingham’s exceptional performances throughout the campaign, he did not make Messi’s list of future Ballon d’Or winners.
Messi names future Ballon d’Or winners
In an interview with L’Equipe, Messi shared his insights on potential players who could succeed him in winning the award, singling out players like Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Junior.
The captain of Inter Miami also expressed hope regarding the emergence of Barcelona’s young talent, Lamine Yamal, hinting at his potential as a significant contender in the times to come.
Messi said (as quoted by The Sun):
“The players to compete for the Ballon d’Or in the coming years?
“There may be a very beautiful rivalry in the coming years with players like Haaland, Mbappe, Vinicius and many young players competing for the Ballon d’Or.
“I also think that Lamine Yamal, who is still very young and now plays for Barcelona, will play a prominent role and fight for it in the future too.
“Certainly there will be others competing for it, new players that we do not know will appear, because there are always new players, and I think it will be a very beautiful era to enjoy.”
Some might argue that Bellingham’s name didn’t come to the forefront of Messi’s mind; otherwise, there would be no reason for him to exclude the England international from the list.
