It's not common to hear someone praising both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the same sentence -especially when we are talking about fans-, but Neymar made it possible to read in an interview with The Player's Tribune.
Speaking alongside basketball player Stephen Curry, "Ney" shared his views on both CR7 and "La Pulga", praising both of them after the time spent in La Liga playing side-by-side with the Argentinean and against the Portuguese striker.
First, Neymar spoke about Messi, a player that changed his life due to his influence both on and off the pítch.
"I had something to learn every day with Messi. To watch him play, to see him training or playing right beside him. That made me stronger and increased my abilities on the pitch. Playing right next to Messi made me idolize him," Neymar stated.
Then, the Brazilian ace turned his sights to Cristiano Ronaldo. Contrary to what you may expect, he had nothing but kind words for the Portuguese footballer.
"Cristiano is an animal. To play against him is both an honor and a privilege. When you play against him you have to be smarter, he is one of the best footballers in the world, and you can learn a lot by facing him," Neymar added.
Being a football player during an era in which both of them have dominated makes Neymar want to emulate their accomplishments, even if he can't perform alongside them as frequently as he once did.
"I can relate to Cristiano and Messi, because I always want more, I want to win, I want to score more goals and to win more titles. So, all I have to do is to try and learn as much as I can from them,"Neymar concluded.
