Neymar Praises 'Idol' Lionel Messi, Hopes to Replicate Barcelona Team-Mate

Betting fans may be wise to take a tip from Barcelona superstar Neymar after the Brazilian insisted club team-mate Lionel Messi already has the 2015 Ballon d'Or in the bag.

Neymar formed a devastating attacking partnership alongside Messi en route to claiming a domestic and European treble last season, recently telling Brazilian daily Lance his aspirations to emulate the Argentine, per Spanish newspaper AS (via Football Espana):

"I hope to grow next to Messi, the best in the world, and one day become the best. I’m getting better all the time and I’m a guy who watches a lot and learns a lot from the best. Messi is the best in the world, an idol on and off the pitch. I hope I can learn from him and one day win the Ballon d’Or."

It's almost poetic that two stars hailing from Brazil and Argentina, two nations who have endured an age-old rivalry down the years, should come to form one of the best attacking lineups ever witnessed.

Neymar has even gone so far as to hedge his bets for the upcoming 2015 Ballon d'Or award ceremony as the same report quoted the forward as saying after this year's Copa America tournament: "The Ballon d’Or is taken. This year the best in the world is already decided. For all he has done, Messi deserves it. We’ll have to see if I can sneak into the three nominations."

Michael Probst/Associated Press

The former Santos ace has already received an accolade at the annual Ballon d'Or ball, but he is looking to improve upon his 2011 Puskas Award with an entirely more elite class of individual recognition.

Neymar could well be on his way to breaking up the duopoly that Messi has shared with Cristiano Ronaldo over the past seven years, too, after Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo revealed he's made the initial 59-man shortlist (h/t Sport Witness):

Striker Luis Suarez is also deserving of his praise as the third piece of a South American puzzle that fits so well together at the Camp Nou, but the Uruguayan has perhaps been overshadowed in terms of global appeal.

Neymar and Messi, largely viewed as the successor to respective compatriots and football legends Pele and Maradona, are two of the most globally marketed figures in the sport, and all for good reason.

Gero Breloer/Associated Press

The Selecao striker has his chance to take an upper hand in the Ballon d'Or hunt now that Messi is sidelined with injury, having already netted three goals in five La Liga appearances this season.

He has the backing of Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu to make the final three following last season's success, per Spanish newspaper Marca, where he asserted: "Messi, Neymar Jr. and Suarez deserve to be the three FIFA Ballon d'Or finalists."

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

For the time being, Neymar will continue looking upon Messi as a mentor, a peer and even a target in some senses of the word, but he's also in arguably the best possible place to bring about success, both team-based and individual.

The 23-year-old has all the time in the world before he's under any pressure to make his leap to become the "world's best," but it won't be long before Messi is seen less as a hero and more as a rival.