Neymar has said that Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi is his "idol".

The 21-year-old joined the Blaugrana from Santos in a deal worth £48.6m this summer, but is in no doubt as to who the main man is at Camp Nou.

"Messi is above all, I admire him," he told reporters. "He is my idol. I respect him a lot. He has been the best player in the world for four times now, and he's eager to do it again."

The Brazilian international, who scored in his country's 6-0 demolition of Australia, added that he is loving life in Catalonia.

"My life in Barcelona is quiet, but I love how everything is going," he said. "I love the city, the club and the people I work with. Everything is perfect."

Neymar has scored 24 goals in 40 appearances for the Selecao.

Written by
Michael Penkman