Pele: Neymar is more like Messi than Ronaldo

Neymar plays more like former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi than Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Pele.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward has been linked with a switch to Madrid in recent months, potentially as a long-term replacement for evergreen 33-year-old Ronaldo – to whom he has been compared.

But Brazil great Pele believes his compatriot bears greater resemblance to Messi, the player whose spotlight – according to his father – Neymar sought to escape in Paris.

“Neymar has been compared with Cristiano Ronaldo,” Pele told ESPN.

“I’ve said several times, told friends, in Europe, given interviews, Cristiano Ronaldo is an excellent player. He could be like our Vava, our Coutinho [World Cup winning team-mates from 1962], the finisher.

“Neymar is really more of a Messi-style [player], one who constructs the play but scores goals also.”

pic.twitter.com/awBF3CrpJy

— Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) April 2, 2018

Neymar is set for a race against time to be fit for the World Cup in June due to a foot injury, although PSG coach Unai Emery has suggested his world-record signing will be back in France in the coming weeks.