Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has backed Kylian Mbappe to win the award this year, tipping Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal to provide his competition.
Al-Nassr forward Ronaldo, like his great rival Lionel Messi, was left off the 30-man shortlist for the 2024 edition of world football's most prestigious individual honour.
It is the first time since 2003 that neither man has featured among the nominees, having shared the prize among them exclusively from Ronaldo's first triumph in 2008 to his last in 2017.
With a first-time winner guaranteed, Ronaldo has provided his backing to Mbappe, who finished third in the voting last year, behind Messi and Haaland.
Mbappe scored 44 goals and provided 10 assists in all competitions throughout his final season with Paris Saint-Germain in 2023-24, before completing his long-awaited move to Real Madrid.
Ronaldo – Madrid's all-time leading scorer with 450 goals for Los Blancos – believes everything at the Santiago Bernabeu is set up to make Mbappe's tenure a success.
"I think he will do well. The structure of the club... it's nice, it's good," Ronaldo said on his YouTube channel.
"They have a great coach and the president, Florentino [Perez], who has been there many, many years.
"I think it won't be a big problem because of his talent. Mbappe can be the next Ballon d'Or winner. Him, [Erling] Haaland, [Jude] Bellingham or Lamine [Yamal]."
Madrid won their record-extending 15th European Cup/Champions League crown last season, coming through dramatic ties against Manchester City and Bayern Munich before beating Borussia Dortmund in the final.
Their knockout success has led some to suggest fortune tends to favour them in the big moments, but Ronaldo says they make their own luck.
"Madrid is the kind of team where they don't rush under pressure. People say they're lucky in the Champions League," he said.
"No, they are not lucky. They're prepared for this kind of moment. The Bernabeu has that different aura.
"Now, if you say that Madrid are going to be better or not, we don't know. Mbappe is there now, I think Madrid will stay strong, but I don't know if they will be better than last year. Only God knows."