3 players who could succeed Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as football's titans

Football is a wonderful game, and for the last decade, it boasts of arguably two of its greatest ever magicians - Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi. However, as time flies we will have to get used to the fact that the extraterrestrial magic of these two superstars isn't permanent.

We should look forward to new megastars for the benefit of the game. The time has come for the baton to be passed to other worthy candidates.

For the last three seasons, a few names have been vying to leave their footprints on the footballing horizon. Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Paulo Dybala, Eden Hazard, Mohamed Salah, Gareth Bale, Antoine Griezmann, Philippe Coutinho, Marco Asensio, Isco, Mauro Icardi, Andre Silva, and Marcus Rashford are making regular headlines in a bid to follow the footsteps of the evergreen duo.

Neymar and Griezmann were considered to be the closest contenders. However, since the World Cup in Russia, the story has taken a twist. A great Croatian World Cup outing saw Luka Modric come into contention, and dethrone Cristiano with regards the highest individual accolades UEFA and FIFA have to offer, albeit controversially.

The standards they have set in football are unrivaled. Will it ever be possible for others to achieve same legendary goal scoring prowess?

Here are three footballers who could unseat the titanic duo.

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#1 Neymar Jr.

Neymar preparing to take a free-kick against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League

Neymar was considered to be the best competition to the Barca and Juventus superstars a few seasons back. He was part of MSN, the dreadful Barcelona attack that terrorised the best of defences around the world.

His magical masterclass against PSG has been the peak of his career performances so far, as he single-handedly helped Barcelona overcome a deficit of 4 goals from the first leg of the Champions League match in the round of 16 to win the tie 6-5 and progress to the quarterfinals.

After his transfer to PSG however, things have not turned out well for Neymar. The French League is a little less competitive, considering the ability of Neymar. The result of which is suffered by PSG, as they are continually thwarted by the best teams in Europe.

Neymar will have to make a move out of the French Ligue 1 as soon as possible and get into a competitive league, else his dream of becoming the best in the world will remain a dream forever.

#2 Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe celebrating against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League

Kylian Mbappe the teenage sensation who derailed the Argentinian dream in Russia is a contender to achieve the accolade of the best footballer on the planet. He is showing same trickery as well as an almost identical skill set which are the hallmarks of CR7 and LM10.

He is only the second teenage footballer in the history of football to score in the final of a World Cup after the legendary Pele. However, as is the case with Neymar, Mbappe is also devoid of strong competition domestically. He will have to leave the French League and ply his trade elsewhere in a competitive atmosphere.

#3 Eden Hazard

Hazard celebrating his wonder goal vs Liverpool in the Carabao Cup

If fans are watching the Premier League closely, then they would realise that Hazard is the best contender to follow in the footsteps of Messi and Ronaldo. He is skillful, he has excellent positioning, vision, and he scores brilliant goals.

Hazard has had a fantastic Premier League campaign so far this season. The wonder strike last week against Liverpool in the League Cup is a testament to self-belief and re-energised confidence instilled in the 27-year-old striker.

He is the source of inspiration Chelsea were looking for this term, and one should not be surprised if he emerges as the top contender for all the individual awards at the end of the season.