It has been a rare sight in recent times to see anyone other than Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi walking away with the famous Ballon d'Or trophy under their arm.
But with Ronaldo now 37 - and seemingly out-of-favour with new Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag - and Messi 35, it is clear their time at the top is sadly reaching a conclusion.
For when that day does arrive, the performances of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in both league and European competitions have certainly made them both worthy heirs to the thrones.
Man City forward Haaland has started this season in incredible fashion, scoring 19 goals in just 12 games including three hat-tricks. The Norwegian's incredible form has even led people to already suggest he could break Alan Shearer's record of 260 Premier league goals.
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Mbappe's stock continues to rise since his £166 million permanent move from Monaco to PSG in 2018. The attacker has hit 182 goals in just 228 games for the French side, while also becoming the main man for the France national team.
And while Karim Benzema looks almost certain to take home the Ballon d'Or this year, YouTuber 'Maestro' has used the 'Career Mode' of EA Sports' latest game FIFA 23 to predict the future winners of the top prize.
Here is a full breakdown of his results:
- 2022: Kylian Mbappe
- 2023: Kylian Mbappe
- 2024: Erling Haaland
- 2025: Erling Haaland
- 2026: Erling Haaland
- 2027: Erling Haaland - which would put him alongside Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten in a legendary group to win a hat-trick of Ballon d'Or awards
- 2028: Kylian Mbappe
- 2029: Kylian Mbappe
- 2030: Kylian Mbappe - who, now in his thirties, is still at PSG by the way...
- 2031: Erling Haaland
- 2032: Kylian Mbappe
- 2033: Ansu Fati - at last, the run is over!
- 2034: Gil Alves - a fictional player!
- 2035: Maciek Kaczmarek - another regen
- 2036: Erling Haaland - who, at 36, draws level with Ronaldo for awards
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Although these results are only based purely on the game's algorithm, it is certainly not beyond possibility for the pair to re-create this dynasty in real life given the incredible starts they have made to their careers.
Perhaps all is not lost, after all, when the two GOATS do eventually relinquish their grip on world football.
Featured Image Credit: Image: EA SportsTopics: Football, Gaming, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe