Not Ronaldo or Messi, Neymar is the best player in the world right now

The raging debate over who is the best player in the world, between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, may be coming to an end.

Now, another star has emerged and promises to overshadow the halo of Messi and Ronaldo, that is Neymar, also known as Neymar da Silva Santos Junior.

Recently, former AC Milan player Alessandro Costacurta stated: “I believe that at the moment, Neymar is better than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in terms of performance. He is the best player in the world in 2017”.

The 25-year-old inspired Brazil to become the first national team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. And few would argue that Neymar will leave Barca for a huge fee. The British press has even suggested that Man United are ready to spend a record £173 million and a salary of £416,000 a week to win Neymar's services.

In fact, for a player, the transfer fee or weekly salary is sometimes not the most reliable measure of his talent. Paul Pogba, who joined Man United for £89 million last summer, is a good example.

Neymar has made Man United "crave".

But when United are willing to pay almost double that amount for Neymar, who can doubt Mourinho's eye for a player? The £416,000-a-week salary that United are willing to pay the Brazilian speaks volumes. It is double Neymar's salary at the Camp Nou and far more than Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Spanish newspapers claim that Man United want to secure Neymar's services at all costs, while Jose Mourinho told ESPN that he would like to sign the Brazilian star, although he said the deal would be "like breaking a safe".

Look at Neymar's recent form. He has not only played well for his club but also for his country. Neymar was the brightest star in Barca's historic comeback against PSG at Camp Nou with 2 goals and 1 assist, not Messi.

Cristiano Ronaldo has contributed a lot to help Real Madrid rise to the top of the La Liga table, but he has not made as big an impact at the national team level as Neymar this year.

Neymar has conquered the hearts of many fans.

It can be said that with his beautiful and artistic performances, Neymar not only revived the beautiful football Jogo Bonito that Pele mentioned before, but also brought back the romance in football and conquered the hearts and minds of many fans around the world.

The Samba vibe has even seeped into Neymar's victory celebrations. No wonder Neymar and his girlfriend danced all night long after Brazil became the first team to qualify for the World Cup.

Ronaldo and Messi are not in as good form as Neymar in 2017.

Meanwhile, Messi has been a disappointment after being caught up in a scandal over insulting a linesman and eventually being suspended for four matches. Argentina are finding their World Cup chances dwindling as they lost 2-0 to Bolivia in a Messi-less game. So far, Messi has failed to replicate his brilliant form at club level, while Neymar is a different story.

While Ronaldo and Messi are gradually approaching the other side of their careers, Neymar is only 25 years old and promises to conquer many more peaks in the future. It is very possible that this Brazilian player will be the one to put an end to the dominance of Messi and Ronaldo in the race for the Ballon d'Or, as Costacurta predicted: "Neymar now has the qualities of a Ballon d'Or winner."

According to TT&VH