Neymar revealed that his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappé experienced “a bit of jealousy” when Lionel Messi joined the French club on a free transfer in August 2021.
During a podcast hosted by World Cup winner Romário released on Thursday, the 32-year-old Brazilian, who now plays for Saudi club Al-Hilal, mentioned that large egos hindered PSG’s performances in crucial matches. ..Continue Reading
Neymar shared these insights after Romário inquired if Mbappé, who moved to Real Madrid this season, “is annoying.”
“No, he is not. I have my things with him, we had a little fight, but he was fundamental for us when he arrived. I used to call him golden boy. I always played with him, said he was going to be one of the best. I always helped, talked to him, he came to my place, we had dinner together,” Neymar said.
“We had some good years of partnership, but after Messi came he was a little jealous. He didn’t want to split me with anyone. And then there were some fights, a change in behavior,” the Brazilian player added.
Mbappé transferred to PSG from Monaco in 2017, the same year Neymar made his high-profile switch from Barcelona to the French club, marking one of the most significant transfers in soccer history.
Both players were brought in as part of the club’s quest for its first Champions League title, a goal they have yet to achieve. Neymar mentioned that the team often faced difficulties because of big egos, though he did not specify any names.
“It is good to have egos, but you have to know that you don’t play alone. There needs to be another guy by your side. (Big) egos were almost everywhere, it can’t work,” Neymar said.
“If nobody runs and nobody helps, it is impossible to win anything.”
Neymar has not dismissed the possibility of returning to Brazil once his contract in Saudi Arabia concludes mid-year.
So far, neither Mbappé nor Messi have responded to Neymar’s remarks.
