"Today he is a man" - Brazilian journalist prefers Neymar to Ronaldinho and says PSG attacker could've been up there with Pele without social media

Neymar could have flourished in Pele's era

Brazilian journalist Tiago Leifert has admitted he prefers Neymar over Ronaldinho, claiming the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward is closer to the legendary Pele.

Both Neymar and Ronaldinho are icons of Brazilian football history, having been pillars for Selecao during their eras in the game.

Ronaldinho captivated fans during his career at the likes of Barcelona, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.

The Barca icon made 543 appearances during his club career, scoring 197 goals and contributing 162 assists.

Meanwhile, Neymar has similarly wowed fans with his phenomenal rise to superstardom, having made the move from Santos to Barcelona in 2013.

The 30-year-old would then become the most expensive player of all-time when he joined PSG from Barca in 2017 for £199.8 million.

He has made 464 appearances, scoring 275 goals and providing 171 assists.

Leifert has compared the duo and holds the PSG star in higher esteem than Ronaldinho.

He told Brazilian channel Cara a Tapa (via Odia.ig.com):

"Today, he is a man. Ronaldinho was a magician playing ball, but Neymar is bizarre. Take his numbers at 30 and compare. He gets a lot from the press, but he watches Neymar. You see him carrying the ball with both of them. legs, changing direction with the same intensity, pass, first touch, throw-in, sometimes they throw a brick at him. If he had been born in 1980, without social media, it would have been Pele and him (together at the top)."

⚽️ More goals than R9 & Romario.
🅰️ More assists than Pele & Ronaldinho.

Neymar is now level with Pele for most goal contributions with the Brazil NT🇧🇷

Neymar: 73 ⚽️ + 52 🅰️ = 125
Pelé: 77 ⚽️ + 48 🅰️ = 125

WHEN he breaks Pele's goal record, will he be Brazil's GOAT? 🐐 https://t.co/hQSGFoqaHx

Barcelona icon Ronaldinho and PSG star Neymar: Two of Brazil's greatest ever players

The two icons have written themselves in Brazilian football glory

Comparing the duo's number for Brazil, Ronaldinho made 97 appearances and scored 33 goals whilst Neymar has 118 appearances and 73 goals to his name.

Ronaldinho has won the World Cup and the Copa America with the national side.

Neymar is yet to win either of those major honors for Brazil but the two's eras are then taken into consideration.

Ronaldinho was part of one of the greatest Brazilian national teams in history, playing with the likes of Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, and Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima.

Neymar has had his fair share of talented players alongside him but none match up with the team Ronaldinho played with.

Surprisingly, the PSG forward has never won the Ballon d'Or, whilst Ronaldinho claimed the honor in 2005.

DUELO PESADO! Entre Neymar e Ronaldinho, quem você acha o MAIOR e quem é MELHOR? 🤔 https://t.co/tBRzXXiNwZ

Ronaldinho has claimed that Neymar was his heir at the pinnacle of Brazilian football, saying (via talkSPORT):

“Without doubt, Neymar is already my heir. He is performing in that role and he has been for many years. He is a great player and he will be the face of Brazil for plenty of seasons to come. Neymar is a phenomenon. It’s nice to see a Brazilian continuing to make history and I think he can be the greatest in the world.”

If Neymar can lead Brazil to a sixth World Cup later this year, he may finally assert himself as the victor in the debate between himself and Ronaldinho.