Neymar: the first by-product of Ronaldo and Messi’s quest for world domination
The proposed transfer of Brazilian star Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record fee has sparked a wide-ranging debate over the financial state of the beautiful game and the rewards that are now awarded to its star names.
While the financial elements of the transfer stand well above the realms of reality for the vast majority of us, it is the changing status of the elite that leaves us questioning the future of the sporting values and merits that the game was once built upon.
From its earliest incarnation, football has been a team game, and the ultimate prize has been club success on the biggest stage.
But with the relatively recent boom in popularity in an age where cash is king, and figures dictate success and failure, it is the players at the very top of their profession that have become the driving force behind the badge they represent in both the sporting and commercial landscape.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two such players. Blessed with brilliance in their talent, they are both pivotal to the success of their respective clubs.
They lead, and their clubs follow. It is not unusual for exceptional players to outgrow smaller clubs and move to a level that reflects their status in the game, but when the respective clubs of the two aforementioned players are Real Madrid and Barcelona, there are few bigger or better options available.
Real Madrid is a club steeped in a history of European success. The great Los Blancos teams of the 1950's and 60’s were inspired by the presence of the likes of Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas.
But it was the badge, the club, the name of Real Madrid that headlined the glory that the iconic team celebrated regularly on the European stage. The players embraced the club, and embraced the success that they had brought to this famous sporting institution, content in the knowledge that their personal contributions would become part of club folklore for generations to come.
But this is a different era, and the prize for success can lead to personal elevation and individual glory. For the best part of the last decade, both Ronaldo and Messi have gone head-to-head for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award.
It is a trend likely to continue for a few more years yet, but there are new candidates for the crown emerging, and the two expected challengers to the natural order are the two players currently subject to world-record breaking transfer speculation.
Both Neymar and Monaco’s teenage prodigy, Kylian Mbappe, are reportedly on the verge of becoming the defining names of a transfer window already spiralling out of financial control. Mbappe is an investment based purely on potential following his emergence and his immediate impact on the UEFA Champions League last season.
While his natural talent is not in doubt, it is his ability to maintain and improve upon his current level is open to debate.
In comparison, Neymar is more of a proven investment, and his performances for Santos, Barcelona and Brazil have confirmed his ability to shine on the very biggest stages of all. However, plying his trade at the Camp Nou currently leaves him in the shadow of Lionel Messi, and while they remain alongside each other he is unlikely to be afforded the same legendary status by the Catalan crowd.
A move to PSG would resolve this personal inconvenience, and the quality of the French top-flight would make his move an immediate success, but would also limit his chances of Champions League glory.
Neymar is already one of the most marketable footballers in the world, but there is room for improvement in this particular branch of his brand.
Swapping Barcelona and team success for PSG and individual glory is a switch that has become more and more considered in the modern game, and Neymar sits on the verge of headlining this increasingly growing and concerning trend.
Meanwhile, Monaco have already shown themselves to be a selling club this summer, and their chances of repeating their Champions League performances of last season already seem to be in significant doubt as a direct result.
There are big decisions to be made by both clubs and the individuals concerned before the window closes, but while clubs will consider their own short and long-term success before finalising such deals, it is the players that are now considering the potential for personal glory with each cash-enriched switch.
Neymar has a talent that can take him to the top of the football world, but what badge he wears to celebrate such success will be largely irrelevant to him and the people that represent him.
The suit he wears for the Ballon d’Or awards will be the same regardless of the club he plays for, and it is this success that will ultimately elevate his marketable status above and beyond that of his peers.