Cristiano Ronaldo Names 4 Players to Win Ballon d’Or Soon, Including Barcelona Wonderkid

• Cristiano Ronaldo has disclosed his shortlist of players to dominate the Ballon d'Or Award in the near future
• The Portuguese phenom, who has five Ballon d'Or's to his name, surprisingly included a rising Barcelona star in his list
• Unfortunately, for the first time in 21 years, Cristiano missed out on the 2024 Golden Ball Award nominees along with Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo has shared his thoughts on the future stars likely to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or award, surprisingly naming a Barcelona prodigy among his picks.

Despite missing out on the 2024 nomination alongside his long-time rival Lionel Messi, Ronaldo remains a key figure in football, having recently netted his 900th and 901st career goals.

At 39, the Portuguese icon continues to defy age and has set himself the ambitious goal of reaching 1,000 career strikes, as noted by ESPN.

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Though this seems a monumental task, Ronaldo's remarkable scoring consistency—particularly after turning 30—makes the target not entirely out of reach.

Beyond his on-field exploits, Ronaldo has also ventured into content creation, with his new YouTube channel, UR, making waves since its launch in late August.

In his latest episode, the Al-Nassr forward sat down for an insightful chat with former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand.

Their conversation touched on his career at Real Madrid, his thoughts on Kylian Mbappe, and, most notably, potential future Ballon d'Or winners.

Ronaldo reveals his future Ballon d'Or winners

When discussing the next generation of stars who could claim the Golden Ball, Ronaldo's initial shortlist included Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Erling Haaland—three players who have been widely recognised as the future faces of football.

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Surprisingly, Ronaldo initially overlooked Vinicius Junior, a top contender for this year's award, but Ferdinand quickly reminded him of the Real Madrid winger's standing.

Barcelona wonderkid included in Ronaldo's picks

In an unexpected twist, Ronaldo also highlighted Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal as a potential future Ballon d'Or winner.

Speaking confidently about the next wave of talent, Ronaldo remarked:

"Kylian Mbappé can win the Ballon d'Or for the next few years, probably Haaland, Bellingham," adding, "Also, Lamine Yamal," as quoted by Madrid Zone.

Why Ronaldo 'sold' his Ballon d'Or Award

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Cristiano Ronaldo, despite owning five Ballon d'Or trophies, made the extraordinary choice to auction one of his replica awards in 2017.

In a remarkable gesture, Ronaldo decided to auction off his 2013 Ballon d'Or replica for charity.

The proceeds from the sale went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an organisation dedicated to supporting children with serious illnesses.

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Source: YEN.com.gh