his client is set to break Lionel Messi and Cristiano
Ronaldo's stranglehold on the game's top
individual prize
By Vanessa Rodrigues
Neymar will win the Ballon d'Or inside the next two
years, according to the Barcelona attacker's agent.
The Brazil international has had a sensational
second season at Camp Nou, playing a key role in
the Catalan club's treble bid by netting 38 times in
50 games in all competitions.
Consequently, the former Santos forward's
representative, Wagner Ribeiro, believes it is only a
matter of time before his client surpasses Barca
team-mate Lionel Messi and Real Madrid superstar
Cristiano Ronaldo to become the No.1 player on
the planet.
The star duo have won every Ballon d'Or since
Kaka's success in 2007 but Ribeiro thinks that will
change either this year or next.
"Neymar has matured and grown as an athlete
since his move Europe," the agent told Goal .
"This year Neymar will feature among the three
best players in the world. The award will then
come naturally after that, perhaps this year or in
2016."
Ribeiro also discussed how Neymar could have
easily ended up at the home of Barca's great
rivals, Real Madrid, having had a trial at the
Santiago Bernabeu as a 14-year-old.
"We went to Madrid and were there for 20 days,"
he explained. "He trained every day and was
unanimously approved by the coaching staff.
"He did not stay because because he, his mother
and sister felt homesick so he asked to return to
Brazil but Real's proposal at that time was
wonderful."
Madrid also made a move to sign Neymar in the
summer of 2013 but the striker ultimately decided
to move to Catalunya.
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