The coming end of an era: who will replace the current stars of world football?

Every era must come to an end and now one of the greatest in football history is slowly coming to an end. Which players will replace the global icons of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos and Robert Lewandowski?

The last decade has been marked by the battles of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and we have watched absolutely riveting duels between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Sergio Ramos and Gerard Piqué dominated the defensive ranks, while Xavi and Iniesta and Kroos and Modric worked their magic in midfield.

However, this era is slowly coming to an end, with some players having retired altogether. Ronaldo will be 37 next month, Messi 35 at the end of the season. Although both are still in top form, their time at the top is running out.

Sergio Ramos is struggling after his transfer to PSG, he was red carded after a long injury, he just sat on the bench in the game against Lyon. The soon-to-be 35-year-old Piqué is again drowning in a crisis at Barcelona the likes of which the Catalans cannot remember.

So it is slowly time to welcome the new football kings who will take over the throne. And there are several successors.

Kylian Mbappé, PSG, 23 years old, €160 million

A football prince who should take over the throne of the best footballer in the world very soon. Although he only recently celebrated his 23rd birthday, he already has 204 competitive goals and 114 assists.

He already showed his exceptionalism at Monaco, and after his transfer to PSG, he blossomed even more. And he’s likely to make an even bigger step in his career, as he is expected to play for Real Madrid from the summer. And from the Santiago Bernabéu, the road to the Ballon d’Or is one of the shortest.

Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund, 21 years old, €150 million

Another man waiting to ascend to football’s throne. Haaland is already showing incredible quality and at just 21 years old, he could easily be ranked among the best players in the world.

In 170 club games he has scored an incredible 125 goals and added 13 assists. He scored twelve times in fifteen games for Norway. A lot will depend on what club he chooses next. This move can either shoot them to the very top or put the brakes on it a bit.

Vinícius Junior, Real Madrid, 21 years old, €100 million

Real Madrid gem. He has seen an incredible rise over the last six months, currently the driving force of the White Ballet at just 21 years old. In 26 games this season, he has racked up 14 goals and 9 assists.

The Los Blancos winger, unlike the two aforementioned, is not an outright scorer, his greatest strength is his speed and perfect dribbling, as befits a Brazilian. If Florentino Pérez manages to achieve his goal of bringing these three superstars together in one attack, Real Madrid fans have a lot to look forward to. And the opposing defences too.

Phil Foden, Manchester City, 21 years old, €80 million

The third representative of the class of 2000. The Manchester City product may take over Kevin de Bruyne’s role in the future, but he is already part of the Citizens’ starting line-up and one of Pep Guardiola’s big favourites. The latter didn’t even look for a replacement after the departure of the genius David Silva, as he says he has one in Foden.

Foden has started 20 games this season and boasts a record of 7+6. And he hasn’t played all the minutes because of the Citizens’ big rotation. The only thing that could hold him back a bit on his journey to becoming the best English footballer is his lifestyle.

Twice in the last year he’s been disciplined for disciplinary infractions. Firstly, at an England national team meeting with Mason Greenwood, he called the ladies to his room, then in the busy Christmas schedule he went out with teammate Grealish to a nightclub despite Guardiola’s ban. Let’s hope these indisciplines don’t rob him of a perfectly good career.

Pedri, Barcelona, 19 years old, €80 million

Pedri particularly impressed last season, playing over 70 games in his debut year at Barcelona. In fact, he took part in the Euro’s after the season, where he played almost everything, and then the Olympics, where he also played a few games in extra time. After that, without a holiday, he immediately joined Barcelona.

However, this season he is paying the price, a knee injury almost keeps him out of the game. In the current season, he has only appeared in two league games and two games in the Champions League. However, it doesn’t change the fact that his talent is immense and when he is fully recovered, he will once again show his perfect vision of the game and technical skills.

Jude Bellingham, Borussia Dortmund, 18 years old, €75 million

Another gem from the Borussia Dortmund workshop. The latter snapped up Bellingham from Birmingham, where he became an icon for the club despite his young age. At Dortmund, he was immediately included in the starting line-up, with incredible performances that never cease to amaze.

Although he is only 18 years old, he has already made 115 starts in adult football. He has scored 12 goals and added 15 assists, which is quite a good statistic for a central midfielder. He enjoys football a lot, he is very temperamental, that’s why he collects cards quite often, once he was even given a stop for comments on a manipulated referee. However, on the pitch he would fall for his team.

Jamal Musiala, Bayern Munich, 18 years old, €55 million

The last name is more of a big promise for the future, but it’s not impossible that he’s already riding with this generation. Although he is only 18 years old, he is a regular in Bayern Munich’s A-team and already has 21 goals and 9 assists to his name. He has already made his debut in the senior German national team, where he has also scored goals.

His great strength is his versatility. Musial’s original position is offensive midfielder, but he can also play on the left wing or in attack. However, in recent games Julian Nagelsmann has used him as a more defensive midfielder, playing as a pair of “sixes” in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Source: Transfermarkt, Livesport