Neymar, along with the rest of the Brazilian squad, endured a tough time at the recent Copa America, with Mano Menezes’ side failing to find their best form and making a disappointing exit with a penalty shoot-out loss to Paraguay in the quarter-finals.
But in an interview with FIFA.com, Pele said: “He is a good player, there’s no doubt. He will be like Kaka or Messi, or maybe even Zico, Ronaldo or Pele. He is an excellent player, and I hope that he can reach his potential.”
19-year-old Neymar looks set to stay at Santos for the time being after being courted by the likes of Real Madrid and Chelsea, but Pele does not think the striker will stay in Brazil for too much longer.
“I think it is very difficult to keep him in Brazil,” added the three-time World Cup winner. “Santos is my team and he started there with us. I hope he stays there until more or less the 2014 World Cup, but it will be a little difficult to keep him there.”
Pele continued: “He’s a good player who could play in any team, but it is difficult to say if he will come to Europe or not. Last year he had the same proposals, but he decided to play another year in Brazil.
“I think it was good for him, because I think that playing in England would be a little complicated for him. In England, Italy or Germany it would be complicated for him with his style, because the marking is very tight.”
Finally, on the Copa America failings, Pele stated: “Listen, this is football. It is a box of surprises. Before the Copa America, everyone thought we would see Neymar and Brazil against Messi and Argentina, but unfortunately they both went out.”
