
Neymar has opened up about the ego wars during his time at PSG, claiming Kylian Mbappe was 'jealous' of Lionel Messi.
Neymar, 32, is regarded as one of the greatest footballers of his generation, with the Brazilian being the all-time record goalscorer for his country.
After breaking through with Santos in his homeland, he made his name at Barcelona before joining PSG in 2017 for a world record £200million.
During six years in Paris, Neymar developed an impressive partnership with Mbappe, while Messi played for the French giants between 2021 and 2023, meaning the club had one of the most fearsome front lines in history.
However, while the Parisians regularly won Ligue 1 and domestic trophies in France, they were never able to cross the line in the Champions League, with Neymar's time at the club marred by several chastening European exits.
And during a podcast by Brazilian World Cup winner Romario, Neymar opened up about life at PSG and the divisions within the front three when Messi joined.
“No, he (Mbappe) is not (annoying),” he said. “I have my stuff with him, we had a bit of a fight but he was essential for us when he arrived.
'I always called him golden boy. I always played with him and said he would be one of the best.
'I always helped, talked to him, he came to my house, we had dinner together.
'We had some good years of cooperation, but after Messi came he was a bit jealous.
'He didn't want to share me with anyone. And then there were some arguments, a change in behavior.'
Neymar, who now plays for Saudi side Al-Hilal, scored 118 goals and added 77 assists in 173 appearances for PSG.
However, during his final years at the club, the Brazilian's relationship with Mbappe was thrust into the spotlight.
Media reports claimed the two stars had developed a feud, while during a Ligue 1 match against Montpellier in August 2022, the pair clashed over who would take a penalty.
Meanwhile, PSG were desperate to win the Champions League with Mbappe and Neymar, with club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi later claiming it was an 'obsession', but the French giants repeatedly fell short.
They regularly crashed out in knockout matches, including in the last 16 against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, when the club's attack consisted of Messi, Mbappe and Neymar.
During that time, the three stars reportedly had a total week of £3.25 million, while several other players such as Sergio Ramos, Marco Verratti and Gianluigi Donnarumma also earned astronomical wages.
And looking back on those European frustrations, Neymar hinted that there were almost too many 'big egos' in the dressing room to get through the tough moments in those big games.
“It's good to have egos,” the Brazilian added. 'But you have to know that you are not playing alone.
'There needs to be another man by your side. (Big) egos were almost everywhere, it can't work.
“If no one runs and no one helps, it's impossible to win anything.”
Comments