Argentine World Cup champion names the world's best player after Lionel Messi: 'Only a step behind'

The list of players and coaches who have declared Lionel Messi the best they’ve ever seen is virtually endless. Among them are many of the Argentine national team players who won the 2022 World Cup alongside him. One of those players has now named the individual who he believes comes closest to competing with Messi’s brilliance.

“Ney is incredible… For me, he’s just a step behind Messi,” Leandro Paredes stated in an interview with Argentine streamer C0ker. The AS Roma midfielder ranked Neymar ahead of every other player in the world, with the clear exception of Messi.

Paredes has strong reasons for his opinion. He was Neymar’s teammate at Paris Saint-Germain for three years (2019–2022) and played alongside Messi for a season. Additionally, he has regularly shared the pitch with Lionel in the Argentina national team since 2019, where the two have won four titles together.

“As a teammate, you could feel that he enjoys toying with opponents—he’d do things intentionally to mock them. When he plays seriously, he’s unstoppable, and when he wants to have fun, he can outwit you as well,” explained Paredes, highlighting Neymar’s unique qualities.

Finally, Paredes drew a clear distinction between the playing styles of Messi and Neymar. “Leo dribbles past players because he wants to beat them,” he explained. “With Neymar, it’s different—he wants to mock them,” Leandro noted.

Neymar Jr. and Leandro Paredes warming up before a game between Angers and Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.

Neymar and Messi: Contrasting experiences together

Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. formed a formidable partnership at Barcelona from 2013 to 2017, alongside Luis Suarez, to create one of the most iconic attacking trios in soccer history. Together, they led the club to multiple La Liga titles and Champions League glory.

However, their reunion at PSG failed to replicate the same level of success. The star-studded squad featuring Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe attracted global attention, with fans eager to see this trio in action. Yet, despite the immense talent on display, PSG fell short of expectations.

The team was eliminated in the Champions League Round of 16 in both 2022 and 2023, a major blow to their ambitions. Neymar’s recurring injuries further hampered the team’s potential, leaving many to question why such a star-packed lineup couldn’t produce better results.

Neymar’s career: Brilliant but not quite Messi

Despite Paredes’ glowing praise, Neymar’s career has yet to reach the heights of Messi’s legendary achievements. The Brazilian forward is widely regarded as one of the world’s best dribblers and possesses immense skill, but he has yet to win soccer’s most coveted individual honors.

Neymar has finished third in the Ballon d’Or voting twice, in 2015 and 2017, but has never claimed the prestigious award. Similarly, his highest honor at FIFA’s The Best awards was third place in 2017.

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In stark contrast, Messi has claimed the Ballon d’Or a record eight times between 2009 and 2023, cementing his status as soccer’s top player. He also holds three FIFA The Best awards, the most of any player since the award’s inception in 2016.