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Despite dominating football for 11 years now and elevating it to a potentially peerless level, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are now very much in the latter stages of their careers.
Whilst this doesn't mean retirement is around the corner, it does mean that we could see a changing of the guard in the next few seasons.
Although it seems unlikely that any player will be able to achieve what both Messi and Ronaldo have, there will be a point where potentially neither of them will be the very best in the world anymore.
It may be a sad thing to consider, but this is the inevitability that time provides for a sportsman, especially in a sport like football, where the career of a player starts fading away post 30 years of age, barring a few exceptions.
Whilst it is inevitable that at some point Ronaldo and Messi will have to truly relinquish their thrones as the best in the world, what isn't obvious is exactly who will take this mantle.
In light of this, it is an interesting exercise to consider just some of the players currently playing who may do exactly that.
#5 Marcus Rashford (21 years old)
Coming in at #5 (in no particular order mind you) is Marcus Rashford, who at 21 years of age is still very much in the early stages of his promising career.
Since bursting onto the scene a couple of seasons ago, Marcus Rashford has gone from strength to strength, becoming a key member in this rejuvenated Manchester United team.
Whilst his 10 goals and 7 assists in the Premier League aren't mind-blowing stats, many of his performances have come from the bench.
Nevertheless, he is becoming an increasingly prominent member of both the Manchester United and England starting 11, and his almost even balance of goals and assists show that he has the potential to become a complete attacker.
In addition, the key part of this season was undoubtedly his penalty against PSG, which saw him send Manchester United into their first Champions League quarter-final in years.
Although it was "just" a penalty, the fact that not only did Rashford agree to take it, but also score it shows that he is prepared to have all the pressure on his shoulders which is an essential trait that any world class player needs.
#4 Ousmane Dembele
Alongside international teammate Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele is one of France's exciting young prospects.
At 21 years old he is just a shade older than Mbappe, and whilst he doesn't have the hype that Mbappe does, it seems that he will, at the very least, be amongst the world's best in the future.
Being part of the World Cup winning French side, Dembele has experienced first hand what it is to be at the pinnacle of world football, and this experience will undoubtedly aid him in his future endeavors.
Furthermore, since moving to Barcelona Lionel Messi has taken the young player under his wing, in a manner that is reminscient of what Ronaldinho did for a young promising Lionel Messi all those years ago.
This close relationship with Messi could prove invaluable for Dembele and will most likely aid him to ascending to the upper echelon of the footballing world.
#3 Marco Asensio (23 years old)
Marco Asensio is the only player on this list who isn't strictly speaking a forward, whilst he has been used as a winger at Real Madrid, it seems his best position is as a Central Attacking Midfielder.
Although he is the oldest player on this list by a couple of years, it seems fair to include Asensio on this list.
With a league title and a couple of Champions League titles already to his name, Asensio's trophy cabinet is already a substantial one.
Although things haven't been too great at Real Madrid this season, it looks like the Spaniard will be departing in the summer, with Juventus, Liverpool, and Manchester United being just some of the clubs keen to sign him.
Given that Xavi and Iniesta never won a Ballon Do'r, it seemed inconceivable that a midfielder could win in this increasingly attacking era of football. Nevertheless, with Modric's controversial victory last year, it seems the football world is keen to amend this attitude.
Meaning that Asensio won't be disadvantaged in the race to being the world's best, despite not scoring as many goals as forwards would.
In addition, despite Asensio being born too late to have enjoyed the unparalleled dominance of the Spain side between 2008-2012, it looks like the Spanish side are transitioning into a world class squad again, meaning international success is very possible for the Spaniard.
Which inevitably means that being heralded as the best player in the world one day isn't impossible for the young Spaniard.
#2 Jordan Sancho (19 years old)
At just 19 years old Jordan Sancho is the youngest player on this list, but despite that he is showing the maturity of a footballer a lot older than his real age.
An interesting aspect of Jordan Sancho is that he is a rare example of a player who represents the England National team, whilst also playing in Bundesliga.
Not often have many of the England internationals played outside of the Premier League in recent years, especially not the Bundesliga.
To put it into context, Sancho is the only player in the current England squad who is playing outside of the Premier League.
Although this doesn't determine his talent alone, it is still an interesting thing to consider about the young player.
It can be argued that it shows the forward's great character as he is willing to move to a new country to play football, despite being a teenager.
However, the main reason he is on this list is due to his performances in the Bundesliga, where he has shown his prowess as an explosive, tricky forward who can score and provide.
The latter is greatly evidenced by the fact that he is the top assist maker in the top 5 leagues this season, ahead of both Messi and Ronaldo.
He is showing great skill in maturity, which is why he has been included in the recent England squads, and with time it seems that he will only get better.
#1 Kylian Mbappe (20 years old)
This is the most obvious choice, and when compared to the other four players on this list, he is the most superior.
We saw glimpses of his brilliance in the World Cup last year, but this season we have seen more than mere glimpses, with Mbappe leading the goal scoring charts in France with nearly 30 goals in the French League this season.
Whilst some argue that his talent is inflated by playing for PSG in an otherwise poor league, often described as the worst of the top 5 leagues, he has proven himself against tougher oppositions in the Champions League and whilst playing for France.
Furthermore, Mbappe won't be at PSG forever, as it looks like a move to Real Madrid seems inevitable for the youngster.
The most important factor for Mbappe is his age. Many world class players have suffered under the freakish anomaly of Messi and Ronaldo's era by not winning the individual awards they may well have done in a different era.
However, even though Mbappe is experiencing it currently, it is likely that when Messi and Ronaldo finally do wane and even retire, Mbappe will still be young enough to potentially win multiple Ballon Do'rs, perhaps even whilst Ronaldo and Messi are still playing.
Bonus player: Neymar (27 years old)
It may seem odd that Neymar isn't firmly placed as a candidate to one day take over the mantle from Messi and Ronaldo.
Especially when the Brazilian emerged as a world class talent around 6 years ago, many assumed that he would be the player to not only challenge Messi and Ronaldo, but topple them.
The reality has been vastly different however, mainly due to the fact that no one could foresee that both Messi and Ronaldo would continue to dominate into their thirties as that has rarely, if ever, happened before.
This lack of foresight can be seen with Real Madrid's purchase of Gareth Bale to be Ronaldo's successor, and we've all seen how that turned out.
The same applies to Neymar, who isn't that young anymore, and considering that he is already 27 hasn't lived up to his fullest potential despite having been so successful.
Neymar is undeniably a world class player, but will quite probably be remembered as being born into the wrong era.
Nevertheless, he has been chosen as a bonus candidate, as although he doesn't have time on his side like the other players, it is not impossible to see the Brazilian win at least one Ballon Do'r.
Especially when considering that there are two Copa America's for him to compete in this year and next year, and we all know the weight that winning an international trophy has on the biggest players.
