Sport
“Calm Down, We’re Here to Help You” – Messi Helps Neymar Through Tough Start at Barcelona
Neymar Jr has revealed how Lionel Messi played a key role in helping him adjust to life at Barcelona during his early days at the club.
The Brazilian forward made a name for himself with Santos, where he debuted in 2009 and helped the team win the Copa Libertadores in 2011.
In 2013, Neymar made the high-profile move to Barcelona, joining forces with Messi and Luis Suárez to form one of the most deadly attacking trios in football history—MSN.
“I spent the first six months at Barça with butterflies in my stomach,” Neymar confessed in a conversation with Brazilian football legend Romário. “I couldn’t dribble anyone, couldn’t get past anyone, I felt like I was doing everything wrong.”
He recalled a particularly tough match against Athletic Bilbao, where he was so frustrated with his performance that he locked himself in the washroom during halftime, fighting back tears. But that’s when Messi stepped in.
“Neymar, why are you crying?” Messi asked him. Neymar tried to brush it off, saying he was fine, but Messi, along with Dani Alves, reassured him.
“Calm down, we’re here to help you. We want you to play like you did at Santos, without any pressure. If you need anything, you can count on me.
Former footballer Thierry Henry has shared his thoughts on Arsenal’s match following their loss to Atlético Madrid on October 13.
Speaking during a brief interview on CBS Sports, Henry criticised the practice of players or coaches expressing certain opinions through the media instead of addressing issues directly within the dressing room.
“I’m not a coach anymore, but I always say, whoever speaks like that, out. Keep that in the dressing room, it’s as simple as that,” Henry said on CBS Sports.
“That is the only way it can work. You have to say those things to a person’s face… going through the press, I am not really a fan of that.”
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has shared his thoughts on the 2026 Ballon d’Or award, revealing that he hopes the winner will come from his team.
The manager spoke about how hard his players have worked and expressed his belief that they deserve the recognition.
“What I hope is that we win this trophy. We have players who deserve it.”
“Last year, we were the best team. We showed that it wasn’t just Ousmane Dembélé who deserved it.”
French football pundit Walid Acherchour has named Lamine Yamal as his pick to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, sparking reactions among football fans.
Acherchour’s choice came as a surprise to some fans, who expected him to support fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappé instead.
Speaking about his prediction, Acherchour expressed confidence in Yamal’s chances of winning the prestigious individual award.
“For me, Lamine Yamal, he is going to get it [2026 Ballon d’Or]. For me, there’s no doubt anymore,” Acherchour said, as quoted by Actu Foot. That start to the season shows that in fact, he was injured during the World Cup. He was the best player in La Liga, and he won the World Cup.
“Even if, for me, in fact, he doesn’t have the Ballon d’Or unanimously because his World Cup was average, even being average, he won it with Spain. He won La Liga with Barça.”
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