Former Netherlands star Wesley Sneijder has named Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, and Lamine Yamal as the heirs to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He believes the trio will be the players fans talk about after the two superstars retire, but added that they will also eventually be replaced as the cycle continues.
Speaking to Adventure Gamers, Sneijder said that top players will always have heirs regardless of how great their careers have been. He recalled players replacing Diego Maradona as an example while naming the trio who will be replacing Messi and Ronaldo. He said:
“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. It’s 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.”
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have both extended their contracts, with Ronaldo signing until June 2027 at Al-Nassr, and Messi committing to Inter Miami through 2028.
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### Wesley Sneijder Believes He Could Have Been as Good as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
In a 2020 interview with Gianluca Di Marzio, Sneijder boldly claimed that he could have reached the same level as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He noted that both superstars have made significant sacrifices throughout their careers, while he chose to enjoy life more casually.
Sneijder said:
“I could have become like Messi or Ronaldo. I simply didn’t feel like it. I enjoyed my life, maybe I had a glass of wine at dinner. Leo and Cristiano are different, they have made many sacrifices. And that’s fine with me. My career however, was still amazing.”
The Dutch midfielder made a similar comment in a 2019 interview with Fox Sports, adding:
“If I would have lived 100% for my sport, I would have joined the list of Cristiano & Messi. I know that. But I didn’t want to, and I don’t regret that. It’s not like I couldn’t do it, I just didn’t want to.”
Wesley Sneijder officially retired from professional football in 2019, following a short spell at Qatari club Al-Gharafa.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/news-it-s-generations-wesley-sneijder-names-3-player-heirs-cristiano-ronaldo-lionel-messi