Ronaldo thinks Neymar is the heir apparent of Lionel Messi at Barcelona

Former Brazil international Ronaldo thinks Neymar is Lionel Messi's heir apparent at Barcelona. The 24-year-old star has been in stunning form for the Catalans this season, and Ronaldo thinks he has what it takes to take Messi's mantle later in his career.

The duo are currently combining with Luis Suarez to form the most feared forward line in world football, and Ronaldo is full of admiration for his countryman.

"I like Neymar a lot. He is a bit like me," Ronaldo said, according to Calciomercato. "He had some difficulties in getting used to his new environment at first, but I knew that he was going to succeed."

He added: "Can he be Messi's heir? Yes, he has everything he needs to become as strong as him."

Meanwhile, Ronaldo – who played for Real Madrid and Barcelona during the course of his record-breaking career – has revealed he expects former teammate Zinedine Zidane to make a success of his tenure at Los Blancos. The World Cup-winning Frenchman replaced Rafael Benitez as the Real manager earlier this year.

"Could this be Real Madrid's year? Yes, they must focus on the Champions League, they have everything to succeed," the former Barcelona and Real Madrid star said. "Winning at Roma [in the Champions League] was very important for Zidane."