Rooney identifies the player destined to win the Ballon d’Or following Messi’s reign.

Wayne Rooney, the former Manchester United striker, has endorsed Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham as a potential future Ballon d’Or winner.

Bellingham has made an impressive start to his career at Real Madrid and is currently leading the goal-scoring charts in LaLiga. Rooney has singled out the 20-year-old as a strong contender for the upcoming Ballon d’Or.

“If he continues at this pace, why not? We’ve witnessed the dominance of Messi and Ronaldo in the past, and now there will likely be five or six players vying for the next one. I believe if Bellingham maintains his current form, he’ll be among the top contenders,” Rooney stated in an interview with Sky Sports.