How do we reconcile the Hadith: "Yes, a people who believe in me will come after me, and they have not seen me," with the Hadith: "The best of generations is my generation, then those who follow them..."? And to whom, then, belongs the superiority?

Al-Hakim narrated from Abu Jum'ah that the Companions asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, about who would be better than them. He replied that they are people who will come after him, believe in him, but will not have seen him. Ibn Abd al-Barr cited the hadith, "Blessed is he who saw me and believed in me, and blessed seven times is he who did not see me and believed in me," as an argument for the existence of those who are better than some of the Companions among those who come after them. This is also indicated by the hadith, "Indeed, ahead of you are days of patience, during which the one who adheres to what you are upon will have the reward of fifty of you," meaning fifty of them.