Neymar vs Ronaldinho: Who is the most skilful between the two Brazilians?

Neymar vs Ronaldinho: Who is the most skilful between the two Brazilians?

Lenah Ann
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:18 PM

Brazilian football is in a great spot today. In fact, the South American nation is the favorite and potential winner of the coveted 2022 World Cup, thanks to its squad loaded with world-class players. But the question of the day is about the Neymar vs Ronaldinho debate. Who is better at dribbling; Neymar or Ronaldinho?

Neymar vs Ronaldinho
Neymar vs Ronaldinho: Who is the most skilful between the two Brazilians? Photo: (Modified by author)
Source: UGC

At this point, many of the best soccer players on the planet hail from Brazil. Some examples are Neymar, Alisson Becker, Vinicius Junior, Casemiro, Gabriel Jesus, and Marquinhos. It will only be fair for these players' strengths and weaknesses to be pointed out.

Neymar's and Ronaldinho's profile summaries

Neymar

Ronaldinho

Full name

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira

Date of birth

5 February 1992

21 March 1980

Place of birth

Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil

Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Age

30 years old as of November 2022

42 years old as of November 2022

Nationality

Brazilian

Brazilian

Ethnicity

Multi-racial

Multi-racial

Zodiac sign

Aquarius

Aries

Height

5 feet 8 inches or 175 centimetres

5 feet 11 inches or 181 centimetres

Weight

150 pounds or 68 kilograms

176 pounds or 80 kilograms

Religion

Christianity

Christianity

Marital/Relationship status

Romoured to be dating Mari Tavares

Unknown

Profession

Professional soccer player

Retired professional soccer player

Current team

Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazilian national team

Retired

Net worth

Estimated to be $200 million

Between $100 million and $125 million

Social media presence

Instagram, Twitter

Instagram, Twitter

Neymar's vs Ronaldinho's age

Neymar, whose full name is Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, is a Brazilian professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazilian national team.

He was born on 5 February 1992. Therefore, as of November 2022, he is 30 years of age. His zodiac sign is Aquarius.

On the other hand, Ronaldinho Gaucho, whose full name is Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, is a retired Brazilian professional football player who mainly played as an attacking midfielder and winger.

He was born on 21 March 1980. Therefore, as of November 2022, he is 42 years of age. His birth sign is Aries.

Neymar's vs Ronaldinho's stats

Neymar is known to be the present and future face of the Brazilian national football team. He is the only player who can stand toe to toe with Ronaldinho regarding football skills. He debuted on the soccer scene at Santos, where he won the 2011 Puskas award for his superb score.

Unlike other soccer players, Neymar did not spend so much time training as he seemed to be meant purposefully for the task. Following his impressive performance at Santos, he joined Barcelona, where he formed a lethal partnership with the legendary soccer player Lionel Messi.

During that period, they won the treble and many other awards, with Neymar being nominated for the World best player award. He later moved to PSG in 2017 for a world record fee of over $220 million.

On the other hand, Ronaldinho had quite a successful soccer career before he retired. The now-retired legend had his best years while playing for Barcelona. Aside from his soccer skills, the soccer player is remembered for his smile, especially when celebrating his wins.

Additionally, he is notably remembered for being the second player after Diego Maradona to receive a standing ovation from the Santiago Bernabeu crowd. Even though he is currently retired, his input in the soccer scene is still appreciated.

Neymar's vs Ronaldinho's skills

If there is one thing about these two legendary soccer players, it is a fact they share what could be termed as extraordinary skills. Neymar often plays the role of an inverted winger with his team, hugging the touchlines before skillfully cutting in and letting rip or teeing it off to a teammate.

On the other hand, Ronaldinho's notorious combination of searing pace, agility, skill, vision, and quick thinking made him a legend. Additionally, he was such a great penalty specialist that he scored almost every penalty at his disposal.

Neymar's vs Ronaldinho's trophies and awards

Comparing the honours and award table of a player at the peak of his career with that of a prodigy who grew up watching him would naturally result in interesting statistics. Some of the honours to Neymar's name include:

Who is more skilful between Ronaldinho and Neymar?
Neymar of Brazil looks on during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group G match against Serbia at Lusail Stadium on 24th November 2022, in Lusail City, Qatar. Photo: Markus Gilliar
Source: Getty Images
  • (2009/10, 2011/12, 2014/15) Top goalscorer
  • (2010) Brazilian cup winner
  • (2011) Footballer of the Year
  • (2011) FIFA Puskas award
  • (2013) Confederations Cup winner
  • (2014/15) Champions League winner
  • (2014/15, 2015/16) Spanish champion
  • (2015) FIFA Club World Cup winner
  • (2015/16) UEFA Supercup winner
  • (2017/18, 2019/20, 2020/21) French cup winner

On the other hand, some of Ronaldinho's honours include:

  • (1997) Under-17 World Cup champion
  • (1998/99) Copa América winner
  • (2002) World Cup winner
  • (2005 and 2005) The Best FIFA Men's Player
  • (2005) Winner of Ballon d'Or
  • (2005/6) Champions League winner
  • (2005/6, 2006/7) Spanish Super Cup winner
  • (2012/13) Copa Libertadores winner
  • (2013/14) Recopa Sudamericana winner

Neymar's vs Ronaldinho's goals

In a world where soccer is cherished, scoring even a single goal can be more significant than the game itself. For the two legendary football payers, scoring goals was more of a walk in the park. However, Ronaldinho was never much of a stats man.

Throughout his career, the long-haired Samba beast scored astonishing 276 goals with a total of 166 assists. His most notable goal was when he scored against Chelsea in 2005.

On the other side of the coin, Neymar is a different kind of energy when scoring goals. Just at 23 years of age, he had scored a total of incredible 42 goals already from just a record of 60 matches.

As of November 2022, the legendary Brazilian forward scored 430 goals in 696 matches. His highest tally of goals was when he was at Santos, where he scored a total of 136 goals in 225 games.

Neymar vs Ronaldinho's trophies and awards
Former Brazilian footballer, Ronaldinho, poses for photos ahead of a TV show appearance on 15th May 2022, in Paris, as part of the 30th edition of the UNFP trophy ceremony. Photo: Franck Fife
Source: Getty Images

So, who is more skilful between Ronaldinho and Neymar? In terms of the number of goals the two have scored, it is clear that Neymar takes the toll, especially regarding the number of goals scored.

Neymar's vs Ronaldinho's net worth

Fans have wondered how the two football players' careers have translated to their monetary success. According to various online sources, the two have made quite a fortune from their soccer careers.

Neymar's net worth

Ronaldinho's net worth

Estimated to be $200 million

Between $100 million and $125 million

By now, it is crystal clear that the discussion between Neymar and Ronaldinho is difficult, considering the two know their way around the soccer pitch pretty well. The two are both great football players and it seems hard to pick one over the other, when it comes to skills; when it comes to goals scored, Neymar takes the cake all day.

READ ALSO: Maradona vs. Pele: Who is the greatest footballer of all-time?

Sportsbrief.com has recently published an article about Maradona and Pele. Who is the greatest footballer between the two? Both Pele and Maradona have been regarded as the greatest players of all time, reflecting the bitter rivalry between their two countries. Moreover, both have impressive resumes and have competed in the prestigious World Cup.

Some argue that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the two greatest footballers of all time, but neither has ever won the World Cup, which makes for an interesting debate. Click on the link above to get more information regarding the two legendary soccer players.

Authors
Lenah Ann photo
Lenah Ann
Lenah Ann is a Kenyan-based content creator with 2 years of experience. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Media and Communication from Dedan Kimathi, Kenya in 2021.