Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will go down in history as two of the greatest players to ever grace a football pitch. Chances are you, the reader, consider one or the other the absolute GOAT, with the remaining star following close behind. As such, following in their footsteps is no easy task.
But following next summer's FIFA World Cup, both Argentina and Portugal will have the unenviable task of finding a successor to their respective mercurial captains. Messi reached his final peak in 2022, leading his beloved Albiceleste to World Cup glory in Qatar and winning the player of the tournament award in the process. He will be 39 years of age by the time the 2026 installment of the storied event concludes, and as such, his attempt to defend the famous gold trophy will be his final foray onto the global stage.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, will be 41 years of age by the time the World Cup final concludes on July 18th, 2026, in MetLife Stadium. As such, the showcase will represent CR7's final ever appearance on football's grandest stage, and he will be aiming to bring the curtain down on a storybook career by leading Portugal to the title for the first time ever. Indeed, it is do or die for Ronaldo, as ending his career without a World Cup win in tow will forever lead him trailing in Messi's wake in the Greatest of All Times Stakes when both their careers are said and done.
A changing of the guard can often be a positive thing, with insights from the popular Ignition Australia suggesting that a change in manager can often trigger independence and bring renewed motivation. But replacing your country's finest ever player? That's an impossible job, as these three men can attest to.
Eden Hazard
Throughout his near-decade with Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo cemented himself as the greatest player in the illustrious club's history. His haul of 450 goals is the most in Los Blancos' history, while his exploits throughout the Spanish side's run of three straight UEFA Champions League crowns will never be forgotten. However, in the summer of 2018, the great CR7 opted for pastures new, heading to Juventus in a bid to claim another league title in a third different country.
One year on from Ronaldo's departure, Real raided Chelsea to sign blistering winger Eden Hazard for an initial fee of €100 million. The Belgian was arguably the best player in the Premier League at the time, and many expected him to inherit the throne vacated by Ronaldo the year prior. But Hazard would come to learn that filling the void left by the Portuguese sensation was by no means an easy task.
With expectations high, the former Lille star simply couldn't keep up. Fitness issues would run roughshod throughout his maiden year at the Bernabeu, with Hazard initially showing up to his first preseason training camp out of shape, an issue never before experienced when the fiercely disciplined Ronaldo was leading the line. In his four years at the Bernabeu, Hazard would net just seven goals, a figure that Ronny blasted in his first two months in Turin.
Hazard would retire in October 2023 at just 32 years of age. Ronaldo, meanwhile, continues to march toward 1,000 career goals. Levels.
Ousmane Dembele
Winger Ousmane Dembele was brought to Barcelona in the summer of 2017 following the megamoney deal, which took Neymar from the Camp Nou to Paris Saint-Germain. The Frenchman never truly managed to shine as the Brazilian once did, but four years into his stint with the Blaugrana, he had an even bigger task on his hands. Following Lionel Messi's shock departure, also to PSG, in the summer of 2021, Demeble, now a more senior figure in the Barca squad, was tasked with becoming the primary playmaker in Catalonia, following the heartbreaking departure of the club's greatest ever player.
To say he struggled with the task would be an understatement. Dembele managed just two goals in 32 appearances in the 2021/22 season, with Barcelona surrendering their La Liga title to rivals Real Madrid with a whimper. The following season, things didn't get much better, with Dembele netting just eight times and falling down the pecking order behind youngster Ansu Fati and new signing Raohiniha.
By 2023, Dembele would replace Messi once more, this time with the Argentine heading off to Miami and the Frenchman taking his place at PSG. This time around, however, things went much better, with Dembele leading the Parisians to a maiden UEFA Champions League title, exploits which saw the tricky winger claim the Ballon d'Or for the first time in his career.
Dusan Vlahovic
Striker Dusan Vlahovic was tasked with replacing Cristiano Ronaldo following the Portuguese sensation's move from Juventus to Manchester United in 2021. The Bianconeri forked out some €70 million to Fiorentina to secure the Serbian's signature, and seven goals in his first 15 games laid the perfect foundation to build upon.
But keeping up with the goalscoring exploits of the greatest goalscorer the planet has ever seen is no easy task. Almost five years on from the transfer, Vlahovic still has just 64 Juve goals to his name. To put that into perspective, Ronaldo hammered in that number in less than two years. It's no surprise then that the Old Lady of Italian football hasn't won the Scudetto since CR7's departure.