The stage is set for what will be an amazing showdown between two of the most talked about players in the game today. In the next couple of hours, Neymar’s Santos and Messi’s Barcelona will fight it out for the honour of being called the best club in the world.
What i am going to say next might be hard to take for a few, however, it is a fact. First, both players and clubs are talented and whoever emerges the winner, will have won by right.
That said, when it comes down to individual skill, again both are at the top, however, Neymar slightly has an edge over Messi and this is why. Neymar is only 19 years old and though he does not play for a big European club, his record for both club and country is amazing.
Since joining the Santos senior team in 2009, Neymar has go on to score 40 goals in 85 appearances and 8 in 15 appearances for the Brazil senior side since joining just last year.
Messi on the other hand, is simply unstoppable when it comes to his club Barcelona, however, the same cannot be said for his national team Argentina. However, it always wasn’t like this.
The Messi that played in the 2005 U-20 World Cup was simply phenomenal to say the least. He went on to win the golden boot as well as the golden ball for being the player of the tournament.
His transition to the senior side has not been too pleasant scoring only 19 goals in 66 appearances for Argentina since 2005. A pale shadow of his Barcelon record.
Speaking ahead of the match, Neymar revealed that his team’s mission is to win the title.
“Look, [playing Barcelona] is going to be like that film, Mission Impossible,” he said.
“It is very difficult, almost impossible, but you know at the end the guy is always going to do something great and finish his mission. That is what we have to do.”
The teen starlet also revealed that hew would not be leaving Brazil until after the 2014 World Cup.
“I have always said I would like to, and I still have that dream. What I have realized as time goes on is that it would be hard for me to be as happy as I am right now, in Santos,” he said.
So who do you think will emerge as winners, Barcelona or Santos? Personally i think Santos will carry the day.
Photo Credit © Suelen32