6 players who can be successors to Cristiano Ronaldo according to Ronaldo himself!

Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly one of the greatest superstars of all time. Having won multiple honours both collectively and individually, the Portuguese superstar has cemented his legacy as one of the all time greats.

Players of Ronaldo's calibre are obviously not easy to find. A once in a generation footballer, Ronaldo when asked about who could succeed him in the future by Daily Mail, came up with the names of these six extremely talented footballers.

Without much ado, let us take a look at 6 players who can be successors to Cristiano Ronaldo according to Ronaldo himself:

#6 Marcus Rashford

Tipped to become the next homegrown global superstar at Manchester United, Marcus Rashford has had a stunning rise in the last 2 seasons. Still only 19, the England international has already shown that he is capable of performing at the very highest level having scored in some crucial and high profile matches.

Blessed with good pace, technical ability and dribbling skills, perhaps what sets Rashford apart from most is his mental composure and confidence at such a young age. Speaking in a recent interview with The Telegraph, Rashford said:

“If you don’t believe in yourself, you can’t expect other people to believe in you. I was confident going into the games and I think it’s just another step you take individually. Taking on the responsibility of being in that role is something you take pride in.”

Still only 19 and already a world class superstar, Ronaldo is confident that the Manchester United star can take his game to the next level in the coming years.

#5 Ousmane Dembele

In January 2016, Ousmane Dembele had played a handful of games for Ligue 1 strugglers Rennes and people were starting to take notice of him. Fast forward to 2017 and Dembele is now one of the hottest young prospects in world football having just completed a blockbuster move to Barcelona.

Still only 20, the Frenchman has been signed as a long-term replacement to Neymar and Barcelona are confident that the former Borussia Dortmund man can live upto their expectations.

Quick, skilled and a penchant for creating something out of nothing, the two-footed Frenchman will be under a lot of pressure at Camp Nou. However, these are the situations where the truly world class players thrive in and Ronaldo believes that Dembele will go on to become one of the best players of the future generation.

#4 Marco Asensio

Already one of the best players in the Spanish national team, Marco Asensio has made a habit of scoring spectacular goals for both his club and country. Still only 21, the attacking midfielder has become Real Madrid's best player in Ronaldo's recent absence and everyone has quickly realised that he is indeed a very special talent.

Andres Iniesta himself praised Asensio saying:

"Asensio? The fact that he's here speaks for itself. His performances don't come as a surprise and that's important for a team like Real Madrid because we followed him and knew about him already," Iniesta told reporters.

"It's good news for Spanish football. I hope he's helped and taken care of, so we can enjoy him in the national team for many years."

Already having netted 4 times in the last 5 games, Ronaldo is confident that his teammate Asensio will be a Ballon d'Or contender in the future.

#3 Kylian Mbappe

The name on everybody’s lips at the moment, newly signed PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe is destined to achieve great things in this sport. In January 2016, Mbappe was yet to pen his first professional contract having played only once for the senior side.

Now, the French forward is the second most expensive player in world football and is expected to lead PSG into a new era of European dominance. Blessed with electric pace, stunning dribbling ability and an uncanny knack to find the goal, 18-year-old Mbappe has already shown his ability at the top level by his brilliant performances for Monaco in the Champions League and Ligue 1 last season.

Already a member of the senior France national team, Mbappe like his countryman Dembele has a very bright future ahead of him. If the Monaco man remains grounded and keeps performing at a similar level, he might well win multiple trophies and Ballon d'Ors in the coming years.

#2 Eden Hazard

Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard once again showed last season why he is so highly rated. Touted to be a future Ballon d’Or winner, Hazard displayed ample amount of class and was the standout attacking player for Antonio Conte’s Premier League winning Chelsea side.

Hazard’s stats in the 2016/17 season have been absolutely outstanding in the Premier League. With 16 goals and 5 assists, the Belgian attacking midfielder time and again popped up with important contributions in big matches.

Capable of beating opposition defenders with ease and setting up chances for team-mates, Hazard provides the creative spark and is often the key to unlocking stubborn defences.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry best summarised Hazard's ability when he said:

"On his day, nobody can stop him. He has such great quality on the ball. He can create something from nothing and this is the sign of a special player."

Hazard's favourite position is the left wing and the Belgian forward could ironically be signed as a long-term replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.

#1 Neymar Jr.

The most expensive player in world football, Neymar is already among the top 3 players in world football at the best moment. The best bet to break the Ronaldo-Messi duopoly on the Ballon d'Or, the Brazilian superstar's move to PSG could see him finally come out of the shadow of Messi and Ronaldo and establish himself as the best player in the world.

25-year-old Neymar is at the peak of his career and if his start to his PSG career is anything to go by, the Brazil superstar is poised to cement his place in the pantheon of football greats. Blessed with great skill, finishing and a penchant for bringing up his best performances at the most crucial times, Neymar in some people's eyes is already the best player in the world.

With the World Cup scheduled to be held in Russia, this could just be the time for Neymar to step up and be counted.