Who will be heir to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi? Brazil's Kaka picks surprising choice

Legendary Brazilian footballer Kaka has named the player fit as heir to iconic forwards Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The former Real Madrid star also revealed his favourites for the Qatar World Cup 2022.

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The Qatar World Cup 2022 is most likely to be the last time football fans worldwide will see the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi perform in the showpiece tournament. Although the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star has confirmed that the upcoming event in the Gulf nation would be his last outing, the Manchester United icon has yet to reveal his plans. 

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While all eyes will be on both the legends in the World Cup, football enthusiasts will also keep a close eye on other stars who could be heirs to the Ronaldo and Messi legacy. The Qatar edition of the coveted event will witness several sensational youngsters in action, like Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Bukayo Saka, etc. However, when great Brazilian footballer Kaka was asked who would be the successor to the two superstars, his pick surprised many.

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With Ronaldo and Messi nearing the fag end of their illustrious careers, former Real Madrid legend Kaka believes that it would be his compatriot Neymar's turn to leave his mark on the sport. "I would like Neymar to be anointed as their (Ronaldo and Messi) heir, this time around, considering his talent and the person and player he has become," Kaka told Italian media outlet La Gazzetta Dello Sport.

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Neymar is in excellent form, as seen by his 15 goals and 12 assists through 19 games. The PSG star will be the front-runner for the upcoming Ballon d'Or award if he helps Brazil win the World Cup and continues to shine for the Parisian club. Aged 30 years, the former Barcelona icon knows it is now or never. Kaka indicated that his country is the front-runner to win the upcoming World Cup tournament, naming the other leading contenders.

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"Brazil are the favorites because they have been working on it for a long time. It was right to appoint Tite, and the group has the right mix of youth and experience. The other main contenders are Argentina and France, while Serbia could be a surprise," Kaka concluded.