Sport
“I Didn’t Leave Barcelona to Be the Best in the World at PSG” – Neymar Opens Up
Neymar Jr has finally opened up about his decision to leave Barcelona during the 2017/18 season.
In an interview with Brazilian football legend Romário, Neymar shared the personal motivations behind his departure.
Neymar joined Barcelona in the 2013/14 season from Santos FC in a high-profile $90 million transfer. Over four seasons, Neymar won numerous titles, including the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, and Copa del Rey.
However, fans were stunned when he announced his transfer to PSG in 2017. Rumors swirled that he left to step out of Messi’s shadow and cement himself as the world’s best player. Neymar has now clarified his reasons.
“I didn’t leave Barcelona to become the best player in the world at PSG,” Neymar told Romário. “When I told Messi I was leaving, he asked, ‘Why? Do you want to be the best player in the world? I can help you achieve that.’ But I told him no. It wasn’t about that—it was personal.”
Neymar admitted financial benefits played a role in his decision but emphasized that the opportunity to reunite with his Brazilian teammates was a big factor.
“At PSG, there were Brazilians I wanted to play with—Thiago Silva, Dani Alves, Marquinhos, Lucas Moura. They were all my friends, and I wanted to share the pitch with them.”
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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