"You don't know how to stop him" - When Casemiro named 4 Real Madrid players as heirs to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United midfielder Casemiro played with Cristiano Ronaldo and against Lionel Messi in his time with Real Madrid, and is well acquainted with the quality of both players. Back in February, he named four players presently on the books of Los Blancos as the heirs to the legendary duo.

In a chat with Diario AS, the Brazil international pointed to the quartet of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, and Federico Valverde as the players who can dominate after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He was reported by SportBible as having praised France international Mbappe for his quality, pointing out that the forward is not yet the finished article.

"[Mbappe] is one of those players that when you play against them you don't know how to stop him. He's not [on top of] the podium yet, but he'll get there. He's the heir to [Messi and Ronaldo], along with Vinicius Jr, who continues to grow and improve in every game, Rodrygo, and Fede Valverde."

All four players named have been key performers for Real Madrid in recent years, helping the Spanish giants claim major honours. Of the quartet, the trio of Vinicius Jr, Mbappe, and Valverde were among the nominees for the Ballon d'Or last year, with the Brazilian forward narrowly missing out on the award.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have won the Ballon d'Or five and eight times respectively, making them the most decorated players in the history of the award. The players named by Casemiro will surely hope to emulate the lofty achievements of the duo in their respective careers.

When Thierry Henry compared future Real Madrid star to Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi

Pundit Thierry Henry praised Real Madrid signing Franco Mastantuono during a CBS Sports broadcast after the Inter Milan-Barcelona game in May. The Arsenal legend named the 17-year-old as one of the future stars shining after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The former France U-21 manager praised the youngster as the new kid on the block alongside Lamine Yamal. He pointed to his stunning free-kick goal for boyhood club River Plate in the Superclasico against Boca Juniors in May.

"That's why football is impressive. We think no one can be better than Messi, Cristiano, Maradona, or Pelé... and then Lamine Yamal appears. There's a new kid in Argentina, Mastantuono, who plays for River Plate and is already winning classics with that free-kick against Boca."

Mastantuono is set to join Real Madrid once he turns 18 in August, with the Spanish giants having agreed to pay his €45 million release clause. The Argentina international was a target for European champions PSG and Manchester United, as well.