Ronaldinho has revealed that he believes one player can match Lionel Messi’s level of talent, with the Argentinean’s Barcelona teammate Neymar receiving some high praise from the legendary Brazilian striker.
Ronaldinho, who took Messi under his wing during his time with Barcelona, spoke to the Catalan newspaper Sport about who he believed could one day reach Messi’s high standard, with Neymar being his pick of the bunch. “I think he will reach Leo’s level”, the 36-year-old said, adding: “He’s going to be the best in time. He’s young and he’s won a lot.”
He also touched upon the age-old discussion about whether or not Messi has now surpassed the likes of Pele, saying: “Each player has their time. Garrincha, Maradona… Leo’s up there with them all.”
Ronaldinho spoke highly of Messi during their time playing together at Barcelona, with him championing the young striker and famously labeling him as the more talented one in their striking partnership. That he believes Neymar could one day be on Messi’s level is therefore a major compliment from the FC Barcelona ambassador.
Since joining Barcelona in 2013 Neymar has scored 55 goals in 93 appearances, along with making 37 assists. By comparison Messi has scored 314 goals in 350 appearance, along with making 149 assists. Though Ronaldinho believes that Neymar has the talent to eventually be regarded as the greatest player of his generation, he conceded that the 24-year-old would struggle with reaching the pinnacle of the sport considering the presence of his La Liga teammate, adding: “Like many others, though, he’s unfortunate to be around in the era of Messi.”
