Is Neymar better than Messi?

2.6/10 troll

not even close. Messi is totally dominant. He puts as much effort in as Galen Rupp at the national championship in the 10k (sits on Chris Derrick until the bell lap and then just blows him away) and still scores tons of goals. (There was some stat about how little running Messi did in the World Cup, especially in the round of 16.)

Neymar, Ronaldo and everyone else have to hussle. With Messi, when the ball comes to him, it just sticks to his foot. Game over.

Newmarket also flops way too much which is why nobody believed him initially when he suffered that vertebra injury in the World Cup. I have no problems with good players except when they flop.

Who cares? Its real football season with basketball approaching. The athletes in those two sports put thousands of people ahead of the worlds top 1% of soccer players in terms of athletic ability.

dial it up wrote:

Who cares? Its real football season with basketball approaching. The athletes in those two sports put thousands of people ahead of the worlds top 1% of soccer players in terms of athletic ability.

If athletic ability is defined by your vertical leap multiplied by how much you weigh, then yes.

But there are more athletic traits than just being big and explosive. Soccer demands the "Wayne Gretzky" trait. He was never the biggest or fastest player on the ice - he was never the best athlete in hockey. But he could see the whole ice and knew how the play was developing. In his famous quote, he "skates to where the puck is going to be, not to where it is." Soccer also demands tremendous touch and coordination.

Besides, as a skinny runner type, why valorize sports that favor a completely different type of body? Soccer is one of the few sports where the best players in the world are below average in height.

Brazil with Neymar:

3-1 win against Croatia

4-1 win against Cameroon

3-2 win against Chile

2-1 win against Colombia

Brazil without Neymar:

1-7 loss against (an average) Germany

Brazil with Neymar (post world cup):

2-0 win against Argentina

No

Soccer Guy wrote:

Brazil with Neymar:

3-1 win against Croatia

4-1 win against Cameroon

3-2 win against Chile

2-1 win against Colombia

Brazil without Neymar:

1-7 loss against (an average) Germany

Brazil with Neymar (post world cup):

2-0 win against Argentina

Of course you know this isn't the whole story. The more important factor in the Germany blowout loss was that Brazil was missing its best defender (and that is just played a horrible game).

That being said, I do not think the OP's question is ridiculous. I think they are at a similar level. However, Messi has been at that level for much longer. Neymar is young though and if he keeps doing what he's doing for 5 more years, then yes he will be where Messi is now.

This thread is incomplete without me (my input).

Ha ha ha ha!

Just kidding.

Soccer Guy wrote:

Brazil with Neymar:

3-1 win against Croatia

4-1 win against Cameroon

3-2 win against Chile

2-1 win against Colombia

Brazil without Neymar:

1-7 loss against (an average) Germany

Brazil with Neymar (post world cup):

2-0 win against Argentina

An average Germany? Because winning the World Cup is so average

Soccer Guy wrote:

Brazil with Neymar:

3-1 win against Croatia

4-1 win against Cameroon

3-2 win against Chile

2-1 win against Colombia

Brazil without Neymar:

1-7 loss against (an average) Germany

Brazil with Neymar (post world cup):

2-0 win against Argentina

Everyone knows Brazil had an easy run until Germany. They drew with Mexico WITH Neymar.

Yes, losing Neymar and Silva hurt, but they would have lost anyways. They were not that good with him.