Tite: Only Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo Are Better Than 'Unstoppable' Neymar

Brazil manager Tite has said he considers Neymar to be a major force in football, suggesting only Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo are on a higher level than the Paris Saint-Germain forward.

Neymar has endured a challenging 2019, as he missed a significant chunk of PSG's season run-in because of injury before a separate problem ruled him out of the Copa America, which Brazil went on to win on home soil.

Despite not playing a competitive game for his club this season, Tite called up Neymar for the upcoming friendly matches against Colombia and Peru. Ahead of Friday's clash with the former in Miami, Tite talked up the talents of the 27-year-old, per Daniel Lewis of Goal:

"He has recovered from the injury that as everyone remembers removed him from the Copa America

"If he wasn't fit, he wouldn't be with the national team. We are not irresponsible to force a situation when it concerns the athlete's health. Me and the coaching staff will be very attentive to his development. He is ready, he is capable of doing what the team needs."

"...Fifty per cent of goals scored by Brazil with Neymar on pitch are because of his goals or an assist he makes. From individual technical quality, I put Lionel Messi on top and Cristiano Ronaldo, because they are of another generation."

Tite added that he would put Neymar and Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard in a similar bracket, although said the Brazilian "executes faster" and that makes him "unstoppable."

Neymar shared the following photo of preparations for Friday's match against Colombia:

Per the FIFA World Cup Twitter account, Neymar's record for the Selecao is only bettered by two legendary figures in football:

The forward was the subject of incessant summer transfer speculation, with former club Barcelona keen to bring him back. However, they couldn't get a deal over the line, meaning the forward will have to focus on football in Paris for the time being.

While Neymar has been among the world's best players in the past, he needs to ensure he gets regular game time to reach those standards again. With that in mind, it will be intriguing to see how he fares in Friday's encounter.

The player has at least seemed to be in good spirits ahead of his return to action:

Before leaving Barcelona to join PSG for a world-record transfer fee in 2017, Neymar did appear to be the man most likely to compete with Messi and Ronaldo for the biggest individual honours in the game. Injuries and a lack of playing time in a competitive league have prevented him from pushing on, though.

Last year, Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric beat Messi and Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or, while Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk is expected to challenge the duo for the accolade this year following a sensational 2018-19 campaign.