“He is very strong” – Michel Platini picks ideal successor to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Former UEFA president and three-time Ballon d'Or winner Michel Platini considers Kylian Mbappe to be the successor to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 66-year-old was speaking to Italian media outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport and identified his compatriot as the long-term successor to the iconic duo.
“Mbappe, he is very strong, super fast, today he is on top.”
Mbappe burst onto the scene as a teenager with AS Monaco. His displays with the Ligue 1 outfit saw many earmark him for greatness. The 23-year-old was subsequently named the Golden Boy winner in 2017 and sealed a record-breaking transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.
He went on to cement his legacy as one of the stars of the French national team that won the 2018 FIFA World Cup in France.
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Having overcome the initial skepticism of whether he would fail to fulfill his potential, attention has turned to where Mbappe will rank among the all-time greats.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are evidently entering the final stages of their illustrious careers. Consequently, many have begun to speculate on who will be the torch-bearers for the next generation.
Can Mbappe inherit Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's mantle?
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's status as two of the greatest players in history is beyond doubt. Between them, the duo have rewritten things previously thought impossible and raised an almost impossible benchmark for others to follow.
Despite their seemingly omnipotent nature, time has begun to catch up on the legendary duo. Their performance levels have significantly dropped this season.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have carried the mantle as global symbols of the game for over 15 years. However, they will soon depart the scene, leaving a noticeable vacuum at the top of the food chain.
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The likes of Neymar and Eden Hazard have failed to live up to expectations as the players to inherit the mantle. Mbappe, for his part, has shown signs of being ready to be the next global torchbearer. Erling Haaland's breathtaking start to his top-level career has also seen him pin-pointed as a potential great in the making.
There is high hope that Haaland and Mbappe can reignite Ronaldo and Messi's iconic rivalry. While both players' abilities and talents are not in doubt, whether they will be able to maintain the same high levels for another decade remains to be seen.