While Mbappe was incredible - and still is - at the age of 19, you simply can’t compare him to Messi and Ronaldo. Sod it, let's go wild with the predictions.We're forecasting an unexpected return to form for Haaland who, having watched Camavinga reunite with PSG, has become Real's star man again and inspired them to yet another Champions League trophy.Then, Greenwood of all people has been quietly impressing for years at United - winning two Premier League Golden Boots - but finally graduates to world-class status in 2028/29.His ten goals in the Champions League are enough to inspire United to the final, while Simons is back with Barcelona and is slowly filling Messi's boots by scoring 33 goals in all competitions.This is going to look so, so stupid in a few years, isn't it?I'm feeling like an undercover policeman that got in way too deep.Ok, so, it turns out that predicting the next 10 Ballon d'Or winners is nigh on impossible and you have to get seriously hypothetical with transfers and competitions to even attempt it.We have no idea whether Mbappe will be lighting up with the Bernabeu with Haaland or whether Alexander-Arnold will lift the golden ball one day, but it's certainly amusing to try and guess. 10% 4.
Los Blancos rip the La Liga crown back from Barcelona in Messi's final season, adding the Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup for good measure.The European Golden Shoe will end up in Haaland's hands for the very first time, but superior all-round performances from Mbappe at the Euros, albeit in vein for France, will bag him the ultimate prize.Oblak is now well established as the best goalkeeper of his era and some insane individual displays amidst a shock run to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals for Slovenia earn him a place on the podium.With no Euros to butter up Mbappe's displays, Haaland has established himself as the main goal-getter at Los Blancos and we see a first one-club shutout of the podium since Barcelona in 2010.Haaland hits his peak in the 2024/25 season with a mammoth 45 goals to his name, earning himself a second consecutive European Golden Shoe and Champions League trophy.Odegaard is now an established member of the Real midfield, muscling his way into second place after wracking up the most assists in Europe and scoring twice in the Champions League final.Meanwhile, Mbappe continues to prove himself as one of the world's best, edging out a slew of Liverpool players who were being mooted for contention after a return to Premier League glory...Having initially struggled to deal with an exodus of Jurgen Klopp, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, Liverpool win a second Premier League title on the bounce and concede just 21 goals along the way.That earns special praise for Alexander-Arnold who also bags himself 17 assists, a new record for a defender, and is also named as England's best player on their way to the World Cup semi-finals.Combine that with six Champions League assists as well as a glorious free-kick against Bayern Munich in a semi-final they would lose and TAA does enough to become the first defensive Ballon d'Or winner since 2006.Haaland is forced to settle for a silver medal despite, you guessed it, winning the European Golden Shoe, but the main talking point in 2026 is the return of Bayern as a top continental contender.The Bavarians snatched Rodrygo after Real sold him way too early and the young Brazilian scored 10 goals in European competitions alone as they bagged a first Champions League title in 13 years.Ok, let's take a breather here for a second. Such is the strength of France's current generation that we're backing them to retain the title, becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to do so, with Mbappe as their star man.This will also mark Ronaldo's last appearance on the podium after bowing out of Portugal duties with five goals at the World Cup and seeing one final increase in his goals with Juventus.There'll be more heartbreak from Messi as he crashes out in the quarter-finals despite that Copa America victory, but another 30 goals for Barca will be enough to secure a bronze medal.