Cristiano Ronaldo reveals his favorite Ballon d'Or candidates

The race for the 2024 Ballon d'Or is on, following the release of the 30-man shortlist, featuring the top performers of the past 12 months. Former Real Madrid 'Galactico' Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed four of his favorite candidates to win the prestigious individual title. Let's take a look at his list!

Speaking to former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel, both former teammates engaged in a debate regarding who should win the Ballon d'Or, judging the immense amounts of talent in the world of football nowadays.

"Mbappe can be the next Golden Ball winner. He, Haaland, Bellingham, and Lamine," are some of the favorites to win the Ballon d'Or in the years to come, according to Ronaldo.

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Are they the next generation of elites in world football? Ronaldo believes so, claiming Mbappe and Haaland have been leading the charge as the up-and-coming generation of talents. In his eyes, they are the heirs to the Ronaldo-Messi rivalry.

This might be the change of guard many football fans have been awaiting following the hegemony between Ronaldo-Messi. Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, and Messi with eight, this might be the year someone else wins it.

Kylian Mbappe's arrival at Real Madrid has been met with high expectations, but his first few appearances in La Liga have come with challenges. The 25-year-old striker is adjusting to a new position on the field, as well as adapting to the pressure of playing in a different environment.

Mbappe scored in his club debut during the UEFA Super Cup, but he has since struggled to maintain consistent form. Nevertheless, Ronaldo insisted Mbappe would succeed in the Spanish capital, stating, "he will thrive at the best club ever".

"I think [Mbappe] will do well. The structure of the club... It's nice, it's good. Now, if you say that Madrid is going to be better or not, we don't know. Mbappe is there now, I think Madrid will keep strong, but I don't know if they will be better than last year. Only God knows," Ronaldo explained during his interview.

It's a big transition for the French striker. Some pundits claimed he was expecting to brush off opponents left and right, but La Liga is proving to be a very challenging league, even for the likes of Mbappe.

Following the international break, the Fench striker will be back in Madrid this week, ahead of the return of La Liga over the weekend. Real Madrid faces Real Sociedad before their Champions League fixture against Stuttgart, on September 17th. Time to see the best of Mbappe at Real Madrid!

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