Messi snubs Bellingham as he predicts future Ballon d'Or winners

30 Mar 2024 18:00 GMT
3 min read

Lionel Messi, Inter Miami, 2024 — © IMAGO

Lionel Messi has listed the players he thinks might succeed him as a Ballon d'Or winner, and Jude Bellingham's name was conspicuous by its absence…

Messi picked up his record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or in October after firing Argentina to World Cup glory the previous winter, and is now winding down his career in MLS with Inter Miami.

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Some disregarded Messi's latest accolade as a 'lifetime award', with Messi already having headed for the David Beckham-backed franchise whilst Erling Haaland was smashing goalscoring records as Manchester City won the continental treble.

Haaland still has time to win the Ballon d'Or, though, and Messi has listed him as one of the players who might do so in the coming years.

"There may be a very beautiful rivalry in the coming years with players like Haaland, [Kylian] Mbappe, Vinicius [Jr.] and many young players competing for the Ballon d'Or," he told l'Equipe.

Jude Bellingham is now the most valuable player in the world! 🔝 pic.twitter.com/WTD1KacU1W
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) January 3, 2024

Messi successor also touted

"I also think that Lamine Yamal, who's still very young and now plays for Barcelona, will play a prominent role and fight for it in the future too…"

Bellingham might feel aggrieved not to have made Messi's shortlist, having quickly proved to be Real Madrid's best player since his €103 million arrival from Borussia Dortmund last summer.

Previously an all-action midfielder, the England youngster has thrived at No.10, hitting 20 goals across all competitions - two more than Vinicius, who plays in attack.

That pair will likely have Mbappe for company in the final third at the Santiago Bernabeu next season, with the Frenchman set to join on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.

Messi fired Inter to the inaugural Leagues Cup in August and now has former Barca teammates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba for company at the Chase Stadium.

Speculation has grown recently that Neymar could be set to join them in Florida, after he was photographed going out to dinner with Beckham and wife Victoria.