Mauricio Pochettino defined the successor of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the best players today and they fight head to head with Diego Armando Maradona, Pelé and Johan Cruyff as the most outstanding in the history of football. There's no doubt. Now, who could replace him in the modern reign? That question was answered by Mauricio Pochettino, current PSG coach. 

Kylian Mbappé has no roof, that is clear to Pochettino, who recognized that the French striker is a clear candidate to take the lead that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have exercised for a decade. Of course, the strategist said that the current attacker from ‘Les Parisiens’ requires more time to catch up with the Argentine from Barcelona and the Portuguese from Juventus. On that route, the young Frenchman still needs to conquer more distinctions at the collective and individual level to be much more recognized.

“He has the potential (to take over from Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo). Nothing else is time. They are moments or processes that cannot be accelerated. I believe that he is already among the best in the world. Now he only needs time to continue adding to his curriculum and to have the distinction that he is going to deserve, deserves and will deserve”, Pochettino explained in an interview with the AFP news agency.

The former Tottenham coach, who turned 49 this Friday, did not rule out that later Kylian Mbappé and Neymar, his managers at PSG, are the protagonists of a dispute for the throne to become the best on the planet, as has happened since years ago with Messi and Cristiano on different occasions.

"It's possible that in a few years it could be that same battle or that same idea that we have today between Messi and Cristiano, which has been incredible and which is being incredible," added Pochettino, who turns 49 this March 2.