Neymar can end Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or dominance
Monday 11 January 2016 19:55, UK
Neymar lost out to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Ballon d'Or voting, but he looks destined to end the duopoly in years to come, writes Nick Wright...
It is not a statistic that will provide much comfort for Cristiano Ronaldo, but Lionel Messi's fifth Ballon d'Or triumph stretched their combined dominance of the award to eight consecutive years.
There have been times in that period when no one else has even come close to their awe-inspiring levels - but not anymore. Neymar is leading a new challenge, and with 2015's runner-up Ronaldo turning 31 next month, he now has Messi in his sights.
The Brazilian's form has followed a steep upward trajectory over the last year, and that's saying something given the heights from which it started. In the official voting period for the Ballon d'Or between November 2014 and November 2015, Neymar scored 40 times in 51 games for Barcelona.
And while Messi's tally of 53 in the same timeframe included the strike against Atletico Madrid which clinched the title and the brilliant double against Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final, Neymar was arguably more important than the Argentine in Barcelona's Champions League success, scoring in every game from the quarter-final stage onwards.
His late strike in the final against Juventus was a fitting way to end a season in which he became more and more influential - and that trend has continued in the first half of the new campaign. Barcelona's 'MSN' are close friends off the pitch and have a telepathic understanding on it, and Neymar's extravagant skill, creativity and work-rate are crucial.
"Neymar brings us goals, assists, defensive work," said Luis Enrique after a starring performance from the 23-year-old in a 2-0 win over Getafe in October. "We all have clear functions," added Suarez. "I can't dribble four rivals, that's a job for Neymar."
At that point, Barcelona were in the midst of Messi's two-month absence with knee ligament damage. The injury blow was expected to exacerbate their already inconsistent form, but they only lost one of their nine games without him, and Neymar's impressive performances were proof of his growing stature.
"In the absence of the injured Messi, Luis Enrique needed someone to step up and do at least some of the job that he does for the team," said Sky Sports' Spanish football expert Guillem Balague in November.
"If you see [Neymar] play, he starts on the left and comes inside a lot to get involved with the ball and he has doubled the amount of touches of the ball, assists and goals he had in the same period with Lionel Messi in the side as without him," he said. "Barca are a better team with Messi in the side. However, you have to say Neymar has got the ability to challenge to be the No 1 player in the world."
Balague says Neymar "makes Messi better", and the stats highlight the selflessness which has come to the fore this season. Neymar is creating scoring chances at a rate of four per game. It's twice as high as Messi, a huge increase on his average last season, and it puts him well clear at the top of La Liga's creativity charts.
It all adds up to a phenomenal year for Neymar, and he has started his campaign for the 2016 Ballon d'Or in equally ludicrous style. On November 21, just 24 hours after the voting had closed for last year's award, he led Barcelona's stunning 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid at the Bernabeu with a devastating individual performance.
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With Messi only fit enough to appear as a second-half substitute, perhaps Neymar's display was symbolic. The heir to the Argentine's throne making his case on the grandest stage - and overshadowing Ronaldo in the process.
It was Andres Iniesta who earned the Ronaldinho-esque ovation from Real Madrid's mutinous supporters as he made his way from the pitch, but Neymar's brilliant backheel for the midfielder's goal was one of six chances he created for his team-mates, and the Brazilian scored Barcelona's second goal himself. The hosts couldn't cope, and frustration boiled over when Isco hacked him down to earn a red card.
In eight appearances since then, four more goals and three more assists have followed for Neymar, including his brilliantly crafted and perfectly executed volley in last week's 4-1 win over Espanyol in the Copa del Rey.
There is, however, a familiar issue, and it comes in the shape of the 5ft 7in phenomenon and team-mate he describes as his "idol". Since the end of November, a fit-again Messi has been making up for lost time, with 11 goals and three assists in 10 appearances eclipsing Neymar's contribution.
It is a timely reminder of why he is still top dog, but it's surely Neymar, not Ronaldo, who will run him closest in the years to come. "I'm getting better all the time and I'm a guy who watches a lot and learns a lot from the best," Neymar said in October. "Messi is the best in the world, an idol on and off the pitch. I hope I can learn from him and one day become the best."
Neymar could hardly have done more in the race for last year's Ballon d'Or, and in any other circumstances he would have made a worthy winner. But while recent evidence suggests Messi won't be slowing down any time soon, his 23-year-old team-mate looks destined to get his hands on the big prize eventually.
