Who Will Be the Best Footballer of the Next Generation?

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The generation of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are soon drawing to a close with both potentially taking part in their final World Cup in Qatar at the end of 2022. Both these players produced world-class performances almost consistently for 15+ years which no other players have ever done in the history of the game. Of course, the debate between Ronaldo and Messi has been going on for over a decade but it is impossible to say which player is better. Now that they're near the age where most footballer considers retirement I have realised that what they have done for football should be celebrated and not compared against each other. Both players are the best ever in their respective positions and it is almost hard to forge or imitate their legacy in the world of football. 

There may not be another Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, Suarez and etc. but the world of football always produces talented players with huge potential. Some of these rising stars are: Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Vinicius Jr, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Camavinga, Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and the list is endless of talented new players. Although the first two names on that list are the two players tipped to be the closest thing to reach Messi and Ronaldo.  

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High Hopes for Haaland: 

The hype around Haaland revolves around his ability in front of goal. His ability to finish chances almost on his first chances is second to none and is already regarded as a world-class goal scorer. He secured a move to German giants Dortmund back in 2020 and played 67 matches scoring 62 goals and 19 assists in his short time with the German club. These stats are staggering and at his age, not many players can be said to have more goal contributions than games played. He has been consistently scoring for 2/3 seasons, with some injuries along the way, but with this consistency, his future looks very bright.

That's what earned him a move to recent Premier League Champions Manchester City. Still only 21, he can look to develop his game even further in the Premier League where if your performances are consistently good then you can be regarded as one of the greats of the game. And no doubt for Haaland this is an achievable goal as he will be part of a Man City super team with the likes of De Bruyne, Mahrez, Sterling and another rising youngster Phil Foden. In addition, it can be certain that he develops his game with the brains and elite management of Pep Guardiola who is one of the best managers in world football.

Many players take time to adapt to the pace and strength of the English league but watching Haaland it is quite evident that those are his two strongest attributes and thus should not affect his overall performances that we have seen time again for his national team and his previous clubs. I can definitely see Haaland being in the top 2 for the golden boot race for next season and being a hit in the Premier League and football as a whole.

What More from Mbappe? 

Kylian Mbappe's potential is definitely on the level of both Ronaldo and Messi. Still only 23, yet his overall footballing abilities look polished and matured with the odd mistake here and there but still his ability to score, create, and dribble is quite an outstanding watch. He looks like a complete player despite his young age.

Similar to Haaland, Mbappe is known for his ridiculous goal-scoring number despite his very young age. These performances and stats are almost described to be Ronaldo and Messi-like from these talented youngsters. Hence why Mbappe and Haaland are continuously the media attention in recent years. They have become the media successors for Ronaldo and Messi and looking at how they play each season enhances the hype and expectation they carry for the rest of their careers. 

However, unlike Haaland, Mbappe has proved his worth on the big stage by winning the world cup in 2018 as a 19-year-old and as well as scoring in the final itself. When it comes to trophies, Mbappe has almost won a lot at both club level and international level. All that's missing from his cabinet is that elusive Champions League trophy which has also never been won by his current club Paris Saint-Germain. Once he wins a Champions League his already glittering career will feel the more satisfying as the illustrious European trophy is only ever won by the greats of the game.  

Who will live up to the hype?

For consistency and impact it is evident that Mbappe is more of the better player, whereas if you are looking for someone who is sharp in front of goal and clinical, Haaland is your guy. Although I think the potential Mbappe has is definitely much greater than Haaland's however in recent news Mbappe snubbed a dream move to Real Madrid and accepted a very lucrative offer from PSG with a reported annual salary of 100M euros. In my opinion, this decision by Mbappe may hinder his progress as a player, despite PSG being regarded as a top club in Europe, I don't think it is a place where the greats of the game can further develop. Therefore I can definitely see football fans disregard Mbappe's exceptional talent as they may suggest he hasn't fully tested himself in other more competitive leagues to fully qualify as a GOAT (greatest of all time) of the game.

While for Haaland he has moved from the Austrian to the German and now to the English league. In his last two clubs, he has produced astronomical numbers and won several trophies too. And now he is part of a very strong and experienced Man City squad who, in my opinion, have a bigger chance of winning the Champions League before PSG. Thus, knowing Haaland has challenged his abilities as a player in multiple tough leagues, where the Premier League is regarded as the toughest, he will definitely have a greater chance of living up to the hype than Mbappe although he must have to win significant trophies with his new club and be a pivotal element in that.

Mbappe's world cup victory will definitely help him establish a place in the history books of football but for him to be recognised as a true great I feel like Real Madrid would have been the perfect place for him to become that player. At PSG he may play well and win the league title for the sixth time but all football fans know that compared to other leagues, Ligue 1 isn't the best place to establish a legendary status in football.

Haaland is a goal-scoring machine and a keeper's nightmare. With the guidance of Guardiola, he will definitely develop even further as a player. There are great expectations from the City fans and if he hits the ground running in the Premier League there is no doubt that Haaland has a huge chance of establishing a glittering legacy in football.