Breh you talking like someone gave City to De Bruyne...
Fans can see with their eyes who the better player is, and just assume it's that persons team. Neymar is not a better player than Messi, would probably never be. If he was THAT nikka we'd crown him. Maybe Neymar just came to Barca at the wrong time, Messi wasn't close to falling off, even 3 whole years after he left, Messi won another Balon Dor.
Look at United for example, Pogba is great, but we all know and can see this is Bruno's team now. Not because of some media narrative, it's just obvious, we can all see it on our screens.
Bruno's been at Man City for half a damn season calm the fukk down. Man U ain't no ones team. Gollum At the Wheel.
But to my point, Adams to Viera, Keane to Neville, etc...there's a very clear line of who is the next man to lead the club armband or not. Ramos may have worn the armband but that was CR7's team. Same thing with Ronaldinho to Messi at Barca. And yes, essentially your veteran players set up a younger player with leadership qualities to lead the club.
If captain = best player then CR7 woulda lead Madrid, Gheorghe Popescu wouldn't have been captain at Barca when Ronaldo Nazario was there, John Terry shouldn't have been captain of anything.