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Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand believes Lamine Yamal and Desire Doue could succeed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the two best players of this generation. His comments arrived after Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) emphatically defeated Inter Milan 5-0 in the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday, May 31.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the sport for over two decades, with each superstar having a real argument for being in the GOAT debate. They have won a total of 13 Ballons d'Or and continue to perform at a high level for Inter Miami and Al-Nassr, respectively.
Desire Doue had a phenomenal performance in the Champions League final, netting a brilliant brace and providing one assist as PSG ran riot against Inter Milan. Following his Player of the Match performance, Ferdinand told TNT Sports (via Sporting News):
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"A really special mention for Doue, a 19-year-old kid playing on the biggest stage like it's a playground at the back of his house. We've had two players who dominated world football for many, many years of our generation in Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo."
"Lamine Yamal going into this was already a superstar, but didn't get to the final. He lit up the quarter finals and the semis. Doue's done it now in the final, have we seen a changing of the guard of the two players likely to be the 'next players'?"
Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard suggested it was 'very dangerous' to make such comparisons, however, Ferdinand replied:
"My point is we've been sitting here saying the next two people are going to be Haaland and Mbappe [and Vinicius maybe] and one or two others. These two have come out of nowhere and stolen the show, you would have never have said that a year ago."
Doue has been excellent for PSG this season. The 19-year-old right-winger has scored 15 goals and provided 16 assists in 54 appearances across all competitions, helping the French outfit win the quadruple.
On the other hand, Lamine Yamal has also flourished at Barcelona, garnering 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 appearances across all competitions. The 17-year-old helped the Blaugrana win three trophies, including the LaLiga title.
How have Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo fared this season?
Despite being in the twilight years of their careers, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo continue to ply their trade at a high level for club and country. Let's take a look at the stats to see how both megastars have performed this season.
Lionel Messi has recorded 15 goals and six assists in 20 appearances across all competitions for Inter Miami this season. Despite being knocked out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, Messi has helped the Herons challenge for the title. They are currently third in the MLS Eastern Conference standings with 29 points from 16 games, five points behind Philadelphia Union, with a game in hand.
In comparison, Cristiano Ronaldo also had a stellar 2024-25 campaign for Al-Nassr, bagging 35 goals and four assists in 41 appearances across all competitions. The 40-year-old also clinched the Golden Boot after scoring the most goals in the Saudi Pro League (25). Despite this, his side struggled for consistency and were unable to win any silverware.
