They will succeed Messi and Ronaldo — Rio Ferdinand makes bold claim after UCL final

Rio Ferdinand has tipped Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Paris Saint-Germain’s Desire Doue as the heirs to the legendary Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

At ages 17 and 19, respectively, Yamal and Doue have emerged as two of Europe’s standout stars this season, dazzling fans with their performances throughout the Champions League campaign.

The Barcelona prodigy, recently locked in with a new contract until 2031, played a pivotal role in Hansi Flick’s squad, driving them to a LaLiga and Copa del Rey double while reaching the semi-finals of the UCL.

Meanwhile, Doue elevated his game further, scoring a brace and delivering an assist as PSG dominated Inter Milan in the Champions League final to clinch a historic treble.

Ferdinand praised their impact, saying,

“A really special mention for Doue, a 19-year-old kid playing on the biggest stage like it’s a playground at the back of his house. Have we seen now, we’ve had two players who dominated world football for many, many years of our generation in Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Lamine Yamal going into this was a superstar but didn’t get to the final. Lit up the quarter-final and the semis. Doue’s done it now in the final, have we seen a changing of the guard of the two players likely to be them players? Who take over from Ronaldo and Messi?”

It remains to be seen how far both players can go, but they are certainly on the right path.