Once they retire — Sneijder names player to replace Messi, Ronaldo

Inter Milan legend Wesley Sneijder has named the three players he believes are destined to become football's next global icons, succeeding Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

With Messi and Ronaldo nearing the end of their careers, marked by 13 collective Ballon d’Or wins and expected to conclude in the next year or two, Sneijder has tipped a trio of superstars as the natural successors: Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Lamine Yamal.

Speaking to Adventure Gamers, Sneijder highlighted that the passing of the torch is simply a matter of generations:

“Once Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo retire, then people will start talking more about Mbappe, Vinicius, Lamine Yamal, like how we talk about Ronaldo and Messi now,” Sneijder said.

He emphasized that this generational shift is a continuous feature of football history. “It is all about generations. When Diego Maradona quit, other players came through. In 100 years, people won’t talk about Mbappe, Vinicius, or Yamal the same.

“There will be a new generation who has replaced them, but when they retire, we will start talking about Mbappe, Yamal, and Vinicius the same way we talk about Ronaldo and Messi.”

For the time being, Messi and Ronaldo continue to thrive, despite playing outside Europe. Ronaldo continues to chase the historic 1000-goal mark, while his Argentine rival has just signed a new three-year contract with Inter Miami.