Former Barcelona forward Rivaldo has endorsed Neymar to become the greatest player in the world. Brazil’s new hope Neymar Jr. has really risen to stardom in recent years. He was always touted as the next big thing to come out of Brazil football and is on track to emulate other greats of the game.
Rivaldo himself was one of the best forwards around during his heyday. The now 44-year-old helped Barcelona clinch the La Liga title twice in a row and also won the UEFA Champions League with AC Milan.
On Barcelona’s official website, the great man spoke about the club he represented and about it’s current Brazilian superstar.
“He is a great player and is making a name for himself in the world of football. He will go on to become the best player in the world. In recent seasons, the team is playing very well and satisfying the supporters. Each year they play better and last year, despite not winning the Champions League, had a great season.”
Rivaldo scored 291 goals across a massive 639 appearances for several clubs. During his period at Barcelona, he was at his prime scoring 92 times in 182 appearances. Neymar is currently on track to become one of the highest scoring players of all time.
The 23-year-old has managed 55 goals in his short Barcelona career and currently has 221 goals in 366 appearances in club football. This is more than what Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi had managed at the very same stage in their careers.
So it’s not surprising the Brazilian legend has tipped Neymar to pick up the Ballon d’ Or in the future. Once the Messi-Ronaldo era finally comes to an end then Neymar no doubt has the best chance to claim the crown of the best in the world. But it won’t be surprise, if he even beats the current two best players in the world to the award.
Currently, Neymar is back in his home country as the Brazil national team attempt to win the gold for the first time in their history. The games are scheduled to begin on the 5th of August and it is a relatively young side that Neymar will be captaining.
