Neymar raves about Ballon d'Or winner Messi: 'I have fallen completely in love'

There's a love affair brewing at the Camp Nou.

Speaking just ahead of the FIFA Ballon d'Or gala on Monday, during the pre-ceremony press conference involving the three nominees for the day's marquee award, Barcelona star Neymar extolled the virtues of teammate Lionel Messi, whom he has grown quite fond of during his time at the club.

Neymar continued, saying: "I not only admire him on the pitch but outside, the kind of person he is. He has been nominated for nine years so this is really an example for me to try to be like him. To try to make and break records and I hope to be able to follow in his footsteps."

Messi was quick to reciprocate with praise of his own:

"I don't think he's anybody's successor. He'll be himself, which is great, he's going to continue to evolve and grow he has everything to become whatever he wants to be," the Argentine said of his Brazilian teammate. "He has everything he needs to do that. Aside from being an extraordinary player he's a great human being."

All the while, Cristiano Ronaldo, the other nominee for football's greatest individual honour, sat idly by.