- Cristiano Ronaldo has named Marco Asensio, Kylian Mbappe, and Marcus Rashford as possible successors
- The current Ballon d' or made the statement shortly after receiving the UEFA award
- Ronaldo also believes Chelsea star Eden Hazard will shine
Current Ballon d’ or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has picked up yet another personal award cementing him as the top player in European football, but the Real Madrid ace has already started to think about who could succeed him.
Ronaldo has been awarded the UEFA Men's Player of the Year which adds to the Ballon d'Or and FIFA's Best awards which he currently holds.
The Portuguese was instrumental in Madrid's historic Champions League retention last season, scoring twice in the final to reaffirm the Spanish side's position as the best of the best.
Cristiano Ronaldo. Photo: @ChampionsLeague on Twitter
Although Ronaldo's dominance can last for so long, he has an eye on the prodigious talent coming through in Europe who are likely to take his place as football's No 1.
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Shortly after receiving the UEFA award, Ronaldo was asked by reporters to name the possible successors to his throne.
'A very good question. I see some with great potential: Asensio, Mbappe, Neymar, Dembele, Hazard, Rashford ... and some others. In the next generation there are at least 10 players with very, very great potential,' said Ronaldo.
In the coming season plenty of movement is expected from the players Ronaldo mentioned, with Mbappe and Dembele likely to switch this summer.
Monaco wonderkid Mbappe has been a long term target all summer, though it now appears the might of PSG has pushed them ahead of the Spaniards in contention for his signature.
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Dembele likewise is expected to move, joining Ronaldo in La Liga and signing for Madrid's arch rivals Barcelona.
Dortmund have set Barca a deadline to sign the French prodigy, with a bid in the region of £138m believed to soon be approved.
Elsewhere Neymar's move to Paris has been done with the intention of making him the world's undisputed No 1 footballer, while Asensio is learning his trade alongside Ronaldo in Madrid and Rashford is being tutored at the Portuguese ace's old stomping ground - Old Trafford.
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com recently asked Nigerians to give their thoughts on Neymar's move to PSG in this video below;