Losing Lionel Messi to a knee injury for approximately seven to eight weeks could not have been welcomed news for Barcelona or fans of the sport, but the 28-year-old’s spell on the sidelines should provide a brief yet substantial view into what life after Messi at the Camp Nou could look like.
For the next two months, Neymar should effectively take over as Barcelona’s No. 10. The 23-year-old will get the opportunity to replace Lionel Messi as lead conductor of Barcelona’s orchestra, rather than only serving as one of the key soloists for the Argentine maestro.
In his third season at Barcelona, Neymar plays out wide and openly defers to Messi because, well, he’s Messi. But with the Brazilian national team, Neymar chiefly plays as the No. 10 and excels in the central role, regularly bagging goals at a history-making rate.
Already, he ranks fifth on Brazil’s all-time scoring list with 46 goals in 67 games. Zico (48 goals), Romario (55 goals) and Ronaldo (62 goals) likely have no chance of holding off Neymar as he makes his way up the charts. Pele’s 77 goals for the Selecao is still a long way away, but Neymar has started well enough to spur chatter of surpassing the greatest Brazilian footballer ever.
Barcelona’s purchase of the Brazilian in the summer of 2013, when he was still only 21, seemed to point to the former Santos man one day replacing Messi as the central figure for the club on and off the pitch. That would mean Neymar playing as the No. 10 for next two months. (Agencies)
