Who will replace Messi and Ronaldo as leading stars once they retire ❓

The evergreen pair of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo may continue to defy the laws of time but a changing of the guard has started to emerge at football's elite level.

From Kylian Mbappe's heroics with France and PSG to the stunning emergence of Erling Haaland in the present campaign, the stars of the next decade are already beginning to shine.

Kylian Mbappe

It is Mbappe who appears to be the leading contender to take on the mantle from Messi and Ronaldo, if measured in the potential to go on and win numerous Ballon d'Or titles.

On the international stage, Mbappe already has a World Cup medal to his name with France. At club level, Mbappe needs his PSG side to make more of a fist of winning the Champions League, although it would take a mega bid from one of Europe's elite clubs to prise him away from France.

Erling Haaland

At present, PSG trail Borussia Dortmund 2-1 after their last-16 tie, where a youthful Dortmund side were inspired to victory by their new striker, Erling Haaland.

The 19-year-old scored both goals, taking his tally for the German club to 12 in nine games after his January move from Red Bull Salzburg, where he fired in 29 goals in 27 games over the course of 12 months.

At Dortmund, for the next few months at least, Haaland will be playing in attack alongside Jadon Sancho, one of the most thrilling creative players in the game.

Jadon Sancho

Sancho switched from Manchester City to Dortmund in 2017, at the age of 17, and went straight into the first-team. He has reaped the rewards from the exposure to first-team football, assisting 37 goals and scoring 31 in just 88 matches.

It is believed Sancho is readying himself for a return to the Premier League, with Liverpool and Manchester United leading the race for his signature. A bid between £100m-£120m will be enough for Dortmund to agree to part ways.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Should he join Liverpool, he would link up with England team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has forged a reputation as one of the most exciting full-backs in football under Jurgen Klopp's guidance.

The 21-year-old has already played 123 times for his boyhood club, winning the Champions League last season and is an impending Premier League title winner. He has, like Sancho, developed a reputation as an assist-maker, laying on 31 goals and scoring another six.

Joao Felix

Soon, Alexander Arnold will be facing Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. Felix was a breakthrough talent at Benfica, scoring 20 goals in just 42 games before Atletico swooped last summer in a stunning £114m transfer.

His scoring stats are yet to transfer across in Spain, where he has got five goals in 26 games. Felix's emergence is certainly one to watch over time though and his relationship with Ronaldo for the Portuguese national side at Euro 2020 this summer.

Vinicius

Across Madrid, at Real, Brazil international Vinicius is establishing himself as a regular under Zinedine Zidane. A bit like Felix, goals haven't come too quickly to him just yet, with 8 goals in 57 games.

Ansu Fati

The same can't quite be said for 17-year-old Ansu Fati who, under the nose of Lionel Messi, signalled a thrilling emergence into the first-team fold this season.

He scored two goals in his first three appearances for Barcelona, when he was just 16, and has gone on to make 23 appearances for the Catalan club, taking his tally to five goals so far this season.

When Messi does eventually call it a day, Barca could have a ready-made homegrown talent waiting to fill the void. It might just be football's least envious task.