The era of Messi and Ronaldo in football is officially over. The Argentine received his eighth Ballon d'Or and left the stage with his head held high. But football does not stop, and it needs new heroes. Who will replace Leo and Cristiano?
What's wrong with Holland Second place in the voting went to Norwegian Erling Holland, Manchester City forward. The young striker won almost every possible club trophy last season and broke many goalscoring records. This was not enough to beat Messi and his performance at the World Cup, but if Haaland continues to score at the same pace, the Ballon d'Or will not escape him.
However, two factors play against the Norwegian. The first is a weak team. Success as part of the national team often plays a decisive role in the distribution of individual awards. Haaland scores for the national team, but Norway, even with his help, could not compete for access to the European Championship.
The second factor is Haaland's contribution to the club's success. The Norwegian is very important for City, but does not leave the feeling that Pep Guardiola’s team could have won the treble without him. They had won in England before, but in the Champions League Erling failed to score in either the semi-finals or the final. The “Golden Ball” is given not only to the most stable, but also to the brightest players who show themselves in key matches.
Like Jude Bellingham, for example. The young Brit only finished 18th in the Ballon d'Or voting, but won the Kop Trophy, which is awarded to the best under-21 player. And no one doubts that next year Jude will be a real contender for the main individual prize in football.
And it’s not just his stunning debut for Real Madrid, but also his ability to decide the outcome of the most important matches. In his first El Clasico, Jude turned the tide of the match with two goals and brought his team an important victory. He scores decisive goals both for the club and for the national team, with which Bellingham will certainly compete for victory at the upcoming European Championship.
The only “flaw” of the Englishman is his attitude. Still, he is not a striker, although Carlo Ancelotti uses him as close to the attack as possible. Bellingham looks great as an attacking midfielder, but he can't score every game. And when voting, this can play a decisive role — it is difficult to give preference to a player who scored a “modest” 25-30 goals. Holland scores 60, so the award goes to him. Or Kylian Mbappe with his 50 goals in a season.
A new era starts now Mbappe seems to be devoid of the shortcomings of Haaland and Bellingham. He, like the Norwegian, scores a lot, including in important matches, and his team is very successful and Killian is the clear leader there. A bright and productive player, successful both with the national team and with the club — it seems that the Frenchman is the main contender for the next Ballon d'Or.
However, the extent of Mbappe’s success with the club should not be exaggerated. PSG almost always wins the French Championship and everyone takes it for granted. Victory in the Champions League could bring the forward closer to the main individual award, but so far the Parisians do not look at all like a team ready to challenge City, Real Madrid and Bayern in the main club tournament in Europe.
Each of this trio has its pros and cons, but in any case, Haaland, Bellingham and Mbappe seem to be the main favorites to win the next Ballon d'Or. At the same time, we should not discount other young talents — Vinicius Junior, one of the leaders of Real Madrid, or Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is dragging Napoli. And the “old boys” like Harry Kane and Kevin De Bruyne have not yet said their last word.
Whoever wins the next prize will usher in a new era — the era after Messi and Ronaldo. Previously, it all came down to a confrontation between two superstars, but now the Argentine and the Portuguese are retired. It’s time to give way to the young, and the rise of new faces to the Olympus of world football will be incredibly interesting to watch.
At the same time, it’s funny that Ronaldo can’t come to terms with the fact that he is no longer the main or even one of the main stars of world football. The Portuguese reacted on social networks to Messi's eighth Ballon d'Or with laughing emoticons. He left a comment on a video where a deputy from a major Spanish newspaper ridiculed the award for the Inter Miami forward. However, Cristiano will have to come to terms with this. However, like Leo.