Bellingham of Real Madrid?Haaland at Man City? Ballon d'Or's greatest generation

COMMENT: It was an emotive decision. Sentimental. But also for football, for this era, it was a watershed. Naming Lionel Messi as the game's 2023 Ballon d'Or effectively opened the door to a new generation. A generation which could be the greatest we've ever seen...

Bang average for PSG. A little better for Argentina in Qatar. You can understand the complaints. The critics. On form. In numbers. Leo Messi isn't getting on the dais in Paris, let alone winning the thing. But for such a moment in the game, it was the right decision. The two greats of this past era have now left centre stage. Messi following Cristiano Ronaldo out of Europe and effectively out of the top echelons of the sport. The two titans. The two giants. They leave the industry they've dominated for 15 years to a new group. And it's a group that numbers more than Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.

If you want to rid any cynicism you have about the sport, just consider what we're now seeing played out before us. Players. Attacking players. With energy. With youth. But also with the mentality to grab what's his. The record-breaker Haaland at Manchester City. The absolute natural Mbappe of PSG. Of course, they're ready to step in. To take the mantel from Ronaldo and Messi. But they're not alone. Not by a long shot.

The depth of young talent - exciting young talent - now in the game is stunning. And we're not talking about promise. Potential. But the here and now. Matchwinners. Worldbeaters. Despite their inexperience, we're seeing young players shake the game in numbers rarely seen.

Jude Bellingham, of course, is currently the standout. As much as Haaland continues his free-scoring ways. As much as Mbappe is still making headlines. It's Bellingham who's now dominating the news cycle. Florentino Perez really has one, does the Real Madrid president. Or is that two...?

Because again, as good as Bellingham has been, he's been matched stride-for-stride by Vinicius Jr. Slightly older, but still with his best years well ahead of him, like his Real teammate, Vini Jr is a matchwinner. A lightening rod. And another you can see winning the France Football gong in the future.

And at Real's eternal rivals, they have their own hopes. Pedri and Gavi. Just like Bellingham and Vini Jr in Madrid. At Barcelona they're mainstays. Catalysts. Players who coach Xavi has thrown the weight of his system on their young shoulders. And they're not letting him down.

For club football, you can mirror the international game. Again, all four mentioned are leaders for their respective national teams. Their countries are weaker without them.

For Pedri at 20, for Gavi at 19, we can go further back to another Barca whiz, the 16 year-old Lamine Yamal. What are we watching here? What are witnessing? A 16 year-old not seen in the game since Pele pre-1958 and Sweden? Yamal is no passenger. Not for Barca nor even for Spain. Luis de la Fuente already sees the winger as a first-choice for La Roja. This really is a special generation.

And that's just it. This is a generation of player which you could parachute into any past era and they wouldn't look out of place. Standards haven't dropped. They've risen. They've accelerated. It's a group which is lifting the game to a new level. And to a man they've shown they're ready to take on the responsibility.

Jamal Musiala at Bayern Munich is another. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia of Napoli too. The best out of Eastern Europe since Gheorge Hagi. The former 20 years of age. The latter just 22. But both proven matchwinners. Title winners. Players to sell out stadiums. And still with their best seasons ahead.

We've not seen this before. So much young talent. Consistently performing. Meeting expectations. Demands. And from the front. Goalscorers. Entertainers. Young players carrying their teams. Forget the rivalry. Forget who's won the most. If this is the legacy of Messi and Ronaldo, it's worth more than any of their Ballon d'Ors.

Which for this column we hope is an award that is maintained. Protected. Regulars will know our past criticisms of the gong's organisers. The merging with FIFA. The expansion of the vote. You sometimes wonder whether those inside France Football's editorial office actually understand what they have. The Ballon d'Or is an institution. An institution - a legacy - that must be protected. With football facing so much change, the game needs this thread to it's past. The backlash to Messi's triumph on Monday night is proof enough of how much the award means to those connected to the game.

Even the reduced vote to a 100 journalists remains a concern. For this column, France Football should take it back. It should be restricted to a small panel with links to the magazine. People who know the history of the publication. It's place in the game. And the aura the Ballon d'Or evokes. It needs people who put the integrity of the award above any personal or political whim.

Messi's eighth Ballon d'Or is in history books. As is his World Cup. 2022/23 was no standout season for the Argentine. But as a watershed, the decision works. This new generation are now fit to carry football forward.