Past vs Present: Ronaldinho vs Neymar - Who is Brazil's greatest modern-day Number 10?

The Master and The ApprenticeWhat is it with Brazil and No. 10s? Right from the time a certain Edson Arantes Do Nascimento set the world alight in the 1958 World Cup, the country has produced a string of fabulous footballers following in the footsteps of that great man, better known as Pele.Also worn by other greats of the game like Zico, Rivelino and Rivaldo, the Selecao No. 10 shirt has an almost mystical feel to it. Three men have worn it with aplomb this century – Ronaldinho, Kaka and Neymar. And while the former Milan and Real Madrid superstar was the greatest player on earth during his heyday, he could never reproduce the same magic while playing for his country.So it’s a straight shootout between the master and the apprentice. Between the past and the present. Between Ronaldinho and Neymar.Let’s decode one of modern footall’s biggest debates. Let’s find out the greatest modern day No. 10 of Brazil!

#1 Goals

Ronaldinho was never much of a stats man. A master of the assist before the assist more than anything else, the long-haired Samba magician has still scored an astonishing 276 goals throughout his club career, with 166 assists to boot. This is a remarkable tally for a player who’s often been criticised for his lack of end product. His best goals were the ones he scored against Chelsea in 2005 and the ones in that incredible performance at the Bernabeu.

On the Selecao front, he’s scored 33 goals in 97 matches, with the brilliant free kick that deceived David Seaman in the 2002 World Cup standing out.

However, Neymar is a different animal as far as goals are concerned. The 23-year-old has amassed an incredible 42 goals already from just 60 matches, a tally that is more Ronaldo and Romario-esque than that of his contemporary in question. Needless to say, there’s every chance of him going on to triple figures for the Selecao.

Also, he has slowly started to find his feet at the Camp Nou with goals pouring in right now, albeit with the help of Leo Messi and Luis Suarez.

Winner – Neymar

#2 Trophies

Comparing the honours table of a player in the twilight of his career with that of a prodigy who grew up watching him would naturally result in skewed statistics. Neymar has a solid 10-12 years to amass all kinds of team accolades, to add to his Copa Libertadores and Confederations Cup winner’s medals. One can expect a fair number of La Liga crowns as well as a Champions League or two, before he hangs up his boots. Him winning the World Cup with this team though is a bit of a stretch.

Ronaldinho, on the other hand, conquered the world and Europe almost single-handedly during his peak. Winning the Copa America and the World Cup at a very young age, he went on to play a stellar role in the Selecao winning the 2005 Confederations Cup. He has also won the La Liga twice with the Blaugrana, as well as the Champions League in 2006. Add the Serie A and Copa Libertadores winner’s medals to that list, and you get a measure of the greatness of this man.

Neymar, you have miles to go, son.

Winner – Ronaldinho

#3 Versatility

Neymar plays the role of an inverted winger with Barcelona, a la Eden Hazard and Marco Reus. He hugs the touchlines before skilfully cutting in and letting rip or teeing it off to a teammate. He hasn’t yet played in a more central role for the club, and in Barcelona, the centre of the park is where the bulk of the action is.

For the Selecao however, he plays a more Cristiano Ronaldo-esque role, as moves in centrally a lot and often plays the role of a second striker, with a lot of creative duty being thrust upon him.

Ronaldinho played a much more central role for both club and country. With his devastating combination of searing pace, agility, skill, vision and quick thinking, he has played across all attacking positions, with his wing-play never being given the credit it deserves.

He was also a fantastic set-piece taker, as well as a penalty specialist. He’s never been as good as his younger compatriot in his forward positioning, but Neymar’s passing ability as of now cannot hold a candle next to that of this buck-toothed sorcerer.

Winner – Tie

#4 Entertainment factor

Neymar has a bagful of tricks that only few in the game can even aspire to. The 23-year-old is adept at the rabona, the fake rabona, the rainbow, the step over, the 360 flick and all kinds of body feints. Add to this his natural charisma, and it isn’t hard to figure out why he’s the heartthrob an entire nation. His inventive celebrations, replete with those very Brazilian dance moves, are a joy to watch as well.

If Neymar is the heartthrob of a nation, Ronaldinho was the darling of the world during his time – the king of entertainment. The man who made Kobe Bryant imitate his stepovers while celebrating, is arguably the most skilful footballer the world has ever seen. He is as close as anybody can ever get to fusing football, futsal and freestyling into a single entity.

His outrageous overhead kicks, mazy runs and that infectious, child-like smile while celebrating have made him a marketer’s dream. For a man who dances and make defenders dance while playing the beautiful game, entertainment comes as naturally as red cards come for Joey Barton. Ronaldinho is probably the greatest entertainer football has ever been lucky to witness.

Winner – Ronaldinho

#5 Individual accolades

Individual records like team ones can be accumulated only over a period of time. And a footballer arguably reaches his peak when he’s about 26-27. To think that Neymar is only 23 and still has 3-4 years of incremental development from his already high level, is scary. Right now, the only accolades he has are the shining praises he’s received from the greats of the game including Pele, Lionel Messi, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho himself.

“Neymar is young though, and I can't explain how special he will become. In the next two or three seasons he will become the best player." This is what the two-time World Player of the Year Ronaldinho had to say about the Selecao skipper.

Talking about the two-time FIFA World Player of the Year himself, Ronaldo’s career has been filled with all kinds of individual awards with the aforementioned two being the most special. The former Gremio man has also won the Ballon D’Or, the FIFPro World Player of the Year and the South American Player of the year during a career that has scaled unimaginable heights.

Winner – Ronaldinho, although the jury is still out on Neymar.

#6 Performance at Barcelona

Other than being the two best Brazilian players of their generation, Ronaldinho and Neymar have been/are also part of one of the biggest football clubs in the planet – FC Barcelona. Ronaldinho single-handedly carried the club on his shoulders, taking them from under-achievers to world beaters who played scintillating football. He made them a terrifying force to be reckoned with, and led them to silverware after silverware, with that night in the summer of 2006 standing out.

Also, it was under his tutelage that a youngster learnt the tricks of the trade and started making his name in the game. That kid, Lionel Messi, is to Neymar today what Ronaldinho was to him. And while comparing Neymar’s fledgling Barcelona career to that of the great man would be unfair on the former, his impact and role in the team right now is secondary compared to that of Leo Messi.

It is for this reason and this reason alone, that Ronaldinho will always be considered as one of their own by the Catalans, unlike the youngster. Neymar still has the talent and the time to be given such adulation, but he has to climb out of Messi’s shadows first, and that is no easy task.

Winner – Ronaldinho

#7 Conclusion

With more than a decade separating them age-wise, it was always going to be difficult to compare Ronaldinho and Neymar. One thing is for certain though – the current Selecao captain’s playing style and image are very, very reminiscent of the man he worshipped as a child.

But in a world that deems the biggest lies of them all – statistics – as more worthy than any other criterion, a winner has to be chosen. And as of now, there is only one winner – Ronaldinho.

Now comparing an almost retired veteran to a youngster is indeed unfair, but even if one projects Neymar’s career graph at its current rate, seeing him match his illustrious senior’s individual and team haul is difficult.

But so much for graphs and projections. Neymar has the world at his feet, and maybe 10 years from now, the world will see him in the same light as Ronaldinho Gaucho. Till then, however, there is only one undisputed king among the modern day Number 10s of Brazil.

So let’s stop comparing and start celebrating the football of the king and the prince. This video is a start.