When Will Neymar Overtake Lionel Messi as Barcelona's Best Player?

Barcelona is a club complete with legends. From days of photos, to black-and-white television, to colour and now high definition, the list of names who have graced the Camp Nou is too long, too extensive.

The name atop that list of greats, though, could easily be Lionel Messi. Barca's all-time leading goalscorer, and not yet 30 years of age, his name appears everywhere in the club's record books and will remain there for years.

A difference exists, however, between "great" and "best," specifically current best. The former will forever remain Messi's title, but the latter is more fluid in nature. It is dependent on time, form, attrition and the upcoming class of stars.

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While still the consensus option for "world's best player," the 28-year-old's reign at Barcelona is coming under serious threat. Messi tore the internal collateral ligament in his left knee—which ruled him sidelined for two months—and has recently returned to find Neymar has grown in stature.

The fear after Messi's injury was Barcelona would struggle because of their talisman's exit. Neymar had different ideas. In the eight matches his team-mate missed, the 23-year-old was directly responsible for 16 goals, in all competitions, scoring 10 and assisting six.

It appears fear was not the proper emotion when Messi fell—anticipation would have been more appropriate. In tandem with Luis Suarez, the former Brazilian wunderkind, now legitimate star, took the responsibility once placed on Messi, and proved to his employers (and possibly himself) he can flourish without the club's greatest player holding his hand.

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Neymar's eight-game run has created the question of how long Messi can maintain his freakish level, and how long before his younger counterpart overtakes him in the Barcelona hierarchy. 

Debuting for Barca's senior team at 17, Messi is not the usual 28-year-old footballer. He has been in football's consciousness over a decade, and his copious attacking statistics and individual awards bear that knowledge. Though still in his prime, the Argentinian must start slowing down at some point.

Messi's ability to avoid major injury has been crucial to his success. Playing over 50 matches in six of the last seven seasons, the four-time Ballon d'Or winner rarely misses games, but consistency can precipitate wear. If the knee injury is an individual occurrence, we can expect at least four solid seasons from the diminutive attacker, but were they to become more chronic, his window might be closing.

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Filling, and waiting, to close the gap is Neymar. The 23-year-old is still a developing talent, and as the world's best under-23 attacker, the notion is rather scary. Supremely skilled and charismatic, with an aura in possession, Brazil's "No. 10," has the complete package in his locker.

His rise in the Barcelona ranks would come at the expense of Messi.

The Argentina international is a vacuum when in full form. The attention he requires from defences makes life easier on the whole of Enrique's side. While fantastic for collective ambitions, Neymar—to reach the heights of his own potential—must receive the same treatment Messi enjoys.

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One cannot have two kings in a kingdom, and Messi is the unquestioned king, but for how much longer?

Neymar has another couple of seasons to mature, learn and master his role; come 2017/18, a sea-change should occur, and Messi's era will wind down—whether by acceptance or force.

Luckily for them, as witnessed over the past two months, Barcelona have a ready-made successor when that day arrives.

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*Stats via WhoScored.com; transfer fees via Soccerbase where not noted.