Neymar threatens reign of Messi and Cristiano

Neymar is king of the world, at least until Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo lace up their boots again. He proved as much during the Confederations Cup. The tournament sanctified him and put him on a level with the other two greats of world football. Luckily for La Liga enthusiasts, all three of them will be playing in Spain next season.

During the course of the Confederations Cup, Neymar has proved what Barcelona suspected when it signed him and what Real believed when it tried to bring him to Madrid: that he is the number one. He is much more than just a picture card or a marketing ploy – Neymar is a player who decides the outcome of matches and wins titles.

He played his first big tournament with Brazil to perfection. Forget about adapting to European football, a lack of muscle or anything else. The Brazilian walked all over his opponents in every one of the five games in which he played.

The image of Neymar leaving the Maracaná was spectacular. He literally could not hold all the awards in his hands. He had to juggle them – something he is used to doing on the field of play – whilst talking to the cameras with so many trophies, but he did not let go of a single one. He wanted to carry them all by himself. "He has three other man-of-the match awards on the bus," said Rodrigo Paiva, Brazil's chief press officer. Neymar took home a total of seven awards for his trophy cabinet, although the most important thing for him was to have silenced the doubters who questioned his ability to perform in the big games.