Delhi Dynamos boss Roberto Carlos calls Neymar the best in the world
Former Real Madrid player Roberto Carlos told Globoesporte that when asked about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the name that comes to him as the best is Neymar, as SportsMole reported. The Brazilian wasn’t shy to even speak about the reason he considers his compatriot above the duo that’s widely considered to be the pinnacle of contemporary football.
Ronaldo and Messi have left few records untouched while blazing a path through their careers to reach a status today that many believe will not be paralleled for a long time. However, Neymar is also considered in many ways to be Messi’s successor at Barcelona, high praise indeed for a youngster of the Brazilian’s ilk, but Carlos has gone and already labeled him the best.
He said: “When I am asked about Messi and Cristiano I say that Neymar is the best for me. It is not just for his goals, but for the ease with which he plays and the confidence he has. Neymar is going to have a Ballon d'Or in one or two years because he is going to deserve it.”
While Neymar surely is a Ballon D’Or candidate for the future, it may be a bit premature to title him “the best”. Few have the calibre to argue with Carlos though. His focus is likely on the performances Neymar puts in at national level where he’s another animal altogether, already having registered 42 goals in 67 appearances for the Brazil national team.
His record for Barcelona is no less impressive either, netting 62 times in 101 games. It’s a contribution that comes on the back of a treble-winning season where Neymar formed a deadly partnership with Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi. The trio collectively scored 122 goals last season.
Carlos, on the other hand is doing pretty well himself in his new endeavour with Delhi Dynamos after leaving Sivasspor in Turkey to take over at the Indian Super League club that boasts stars like two Champions League winners Florent Malouda and John Arne Riise. The Delhi side are just 1 point off the top with a game in hand as the left back has injected some verve into the side that suffered in the previous edition of the ISL.
Whether the Brazilian is right about Neymar, only time will tell, but the way he’s taken over the mantle in Lionel Messi's temporary absence pushes the odds in his favour. The Brazil captain may just be the next big thing.