Neymar Jr is already being hyped by many as being the successor to the two forces that now dominate world football in Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and former Barcelona FC team mate Cesc Fabregas has stated that he is the heir apparent to Lionel Messi.
Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who witnessed firsthand the arrival of 23-year-old Brazilian Neymar Junior onto the big stage of European football in 2013 when he was at Barcelona, has admitted that he is a great talent and with the right development will become the best player in the world in a few years.
“Adaptation always takes time but you could already see the natural talent, his love for football and his amazing skills,” the current Chelsea FC player said, in an interview with Goal.com. “You could see that he would reach this level sooner or later.
“I think it will be difficult [for Neymar to reach Messi’s level] but when Leo retires from football in a few years, I think Neymar will be the one who reigns.”
Neymar Jr. — Brazilian Maestro
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The absence of Lionel Messi from September due to injury has proven to be a great platform for the Brazilian forward and he’s already racked up 15 goals and 8 assists this season. He’s leading the scoring charts in La Liga with 12 goals and has formed a deadly attacking partnership with Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez.
Neymar Junior has taken the world by storm since arriving from Brazilian club Santos and is widely considered the next big Brazilian player, even captaining the side at this tender age. Looking back in history at the likes of Pele, Ronaldo de Lima and Ronaldinho, the young footballer has got some pretty big shoes to fill.