"Will be one of the best of his next generation" - Cristiano Ronaldo backs 21-year-old star to shine at Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo has backed Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham to become one of the best players of the next generation. The Portuguese legend believes the Englishman is improving all the time and is blessed with immense talent and potential.

During an interview on Rio Ferdinand's YouTube channel 'Rio Ferdinand Presents,' Ronaldo heaped high praise on Bellingham. He claimed that like his young teammates Eduardo Camavinga, Rodrygo, and Vinicius Jr., the 21-year-old is also growing. Cristiano Ronaldo said (via Madrid Xtra):

"Jude Bellingham? He has huge potential, he is a huge talent. He is growing, like Camavinga did, like Rodrygo, like Vinicius. I believe Jude will be one of the best of his next generation."

Speaking about the Ballon d'Or, Ronaldo backed Kylian Mbappe to win the prestigious award in the next few years, along with Bellingham, Erling Haaland, and Lamine Yamal. He said:

"I think [Mbappe] will do very well. The structure of the club is nice, it's good. They have a great coach and the president, Florentino [Perez], who has been there many many years. I think it won't be a big problem because of his talent. Mbappe can be the next golden ball [Ballon d'Or] winner for the next years. Him, [Erling] Haaland, [Jude] Bellingham, Lamine [Yamal]. This new generation has a lot of potential."

Jude Bellingham has been in fine form since moving to Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund last summer. He played a key role in helping Los Blancos win the UEFA Champions League and LaLiga last season.

Jude Bellingham 'felt like Cristiano Ronaldo' during Euro 2024

Bellingham was a part of the England team that reached the final of Euro 2024 and played a pivotal part in their journey.

After scoring a stunning overhead-kick for England against Slovakia in the Round of 16, Bellingham stated that he felt like Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese star scored a stunning overhead-kick for Real Madrid against Juventus in the quarterfinals of the 2017-18 Champions League.

Bellingham said (via GOAL):

"It was really instinct more than anything, it kind of fell in the perfect spot, it was a little bit behind me. When I was in the air thought 'My god, I'm like, six feet off the ground, and it's like, (Cristiano) Ronaldo', but I watched it back and I've still got one arm on the floor, so it wasn't the most acrobatic! But I think it was a nice contact and when I turned around on the floor and just saw it kind of rolling in, I thought 'Oh my God'; it was definitely one of the most important and memorable moments of my career so far."

Jude Bellingham scored 14 goals in his first 15 matches for Real Madrid - breaking the record held by Cristiano Ronaldo, Alfredo Di Stefano, and Pruden Sanchez.