A thigh injury has ruled the 26-year-old out of action for two to three weeks but that didn't stop the Blaugrana from beating Celtic 1-0 at Parkhead in the Champions League on Tuesday or emerging victorious this weekend.
Neymar has enjoyed two consecutive starts as a result of Messi's absence but after scoring his side's fourth on Saturday, the €54 million summer signing revealed his team-mate's presence is missed.
He told Marca: Messi is always important. For everyone he is the best player on the planet.
The 21-year-old linked up well with Alexis Sanchez at Camp Nou, with the Chile international helping himself to two goals and Neymar admits the pair have a growing understanding.
I'm very happy with the performance of the whole team, he added. Alexis is really starting to understand me but the important thing is always the team.
