Spain coach De la Fuente names Mbappe, Yamal as Ronaldo and Messi successors
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has identified France forward Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal as the players set to define football's next era following the international retirements of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Speaking to EFE ahead of Spain's Nations League fixtures against Czech Republic and England, De la Fuente praised the legendary duo's relentless drive, noting that even at 39 and 41, "they were an example of performance, behavior, and sportsmanship."
The current FIFA international break marks the first time in 23 years—since August 2003—that neither Messi nor Ronaldo will feature for their countries during an international window. Argentina and Portugal now navigate a new chapter without their talismans.
De la Fuente framed this transition as football's natural cycle: "In their time there was Pele, then Cruyff arrived, then Maradona, then Cristiano and Messi, and now other phenomena will soon appear because they're already here." He expressed certainty that Mbappe and Yamal "are going to mark an era in soccer, for sure."
With Mbappe already a World Cup winner at 25 and Yamal, 19, breaking records for Barcelona and Spain, the torch-passing moment feels both symbolic and substantive. For fans who've known only the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly, the question shifts from who replaces them to how this new generation will reshape the game.
Will Mbappe's explosive pace and Yamal's creative wizardry combine to create a new rivalry, or will football's next chapter be defined by something entirely different?