Comparing Neymar’s stats at the age of 34 with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s at the same age | OneFootball

Neymar has now turned 34 years old, but how do his stats compare with Lionel Messi‘s and Cristiano Ronaldo‘s at the same age? We’ve crunched the stats.

For many, the Brazilian is the third best player of the modern generation, only behind Messi and Ronaldo.

Neymar has never managed to get his hands on the Ballon d’Or, but he can count himself unlucky that his peak years also coincided with the two greatest players of all time.

After breaking through as a fresh-faced teenager at Santos in 2009, it quickly became clear that Brazil had a generational talent on their hands.

Given all of the hype and media speculation that surrounded Neymar as a youngster, it would’ve been easy for him to wilt under the pressure.

But he’s consistently proven his worth and despite those who claim he never reached his peak potential, he’s arguably the third-best player of the modern era. That’s still some going.

Indeed, at his best, Neymar was more than good enough to be in the conversation with Messi and Ronaldo. Given his importance to Barcelona in 2014-15, some fans still think he deserved the Ballon d’Or that year, over Messi.

Similarly, while his lucrative move to PSG was heavily scrutinised, he was unfortunate not to win a Ballon d’Or while in France, given his performance levels at the time.

However, unlike Messi and Ronaldo, who remained at the elite level well into their late thirties, Neymar hasn’t had the same longevity.

The Brazilian has struggled with injuries throughout his career and now aged 34, he barely goes a few weeks without picking up some sort of knock or setback.

However, while the 34-year-old is no longer in his prime, his numbers at the age of 34 are still comparable to Messi and Ronaldo’s.

In total, Neymar has played 747 games for club and country, has scored 450 goals and produced 288 assists.

At the same age, Messi had 745 goals and 311 assists in 925 games and Ronaldo had 677 goals and 213 assists in 945 games.

On the surface level, Messi and Ronaldo look like they are streets ahead of Neymar, but that’s largely thanks to both players playing significantly more matches.

In terms of minutes per goal contribution, the Brazilian actually has a better record than Ronaldo had at 34 and he isn’t a million miles away from Messi either.

As of writing, Neymar averages a goal or assist every 82.9 minutes, which is superior to Ronaldo’s output of a goal contribution every 85.7 minutes.

Messi does lead in this particular statistic, though, having averaged a goal contribution every 71.6 minutes upon turning 34.

Here’s the full breakdown of how each player compares to one another at the age of 34.

Neymar

Penalties: 99

Penalties: 109