Who is the Next Soccer Kings: Mbappe, Bellingham, Haaland, Vinicius

Who is the Next Soccer Kings: Mbappe, Bellingham, Haaland, Vinicius

Kylian Mbappe of PSG reacts prior to the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between Havre AC and Paris Saint-Germain at Stade Oceane on December 03, 2023 in Le Havre, France(Image-Getty Images)

 In October, Lionel Messi got his eighth Ballon d'Or in Paris, and it felt like the end of an era. At 36, he beat younger players like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, and many thought it was his last chance to win.

Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid CF reacts during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and Granada CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on December 02, 2023 in Madrid, Spain(Image-Getty Images)

For 15 years, people argued about who's better, Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, as they kept winning the award. Only Luka Modric and Karim Benzema broke their dominance since 2008. Now, as Messi and Ronaldo move to smaller leagues nearing the end of their careers, 2024 might be the year for the next football star.

Erling Haaland of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Manchester City at Villa Park on December 6, 2023 in Birmingham, England(Image-Getty Images)

Haaland, 23, was a top choice for his first Ballon d'Or in 2023, scoring 52 goals for Manchester City, winning the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup. Mbappe, 24, made a strong case by scoring a hat-trick in a World Cup final, trying to win two tournaments in a row. But Messi won again, delaying the change in football greatness.

Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid CF looks on during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and Valencia CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on November 11, 2023 in Madrid, Spain.(Image-Getty Images)

Now, England's Jude Bellingham, 20, is making his case. He just got the 2023 Golden Boy and Kopa awards for his great start at Real Madrid. With 15 goals in 16 games, he did better than last season with Borussia Dortmund and even surpassed Ronaldo and Di Stefano's achievements.

Bellingham's Real Madrid teammate Vinicius Jr, 23, helped win the 2022 Champions League, becoming a world-class player. He's seen as the new Brazilian star after Neymar, 31, moved to Saudi Arabia without winning the Champions League with Paris St Germain.

Argentina's Julian Alvarez, 23, is important at Pep Guardiola's City, and Spain's young sensation Lamine Yamal, 16, is impressing at Barcelona.

As we get into the exciting part of the season with the European Championship and Copa America next year, these players are ready to claim their spot in the new era of football.