Guest on the podcast of the former Brazilian football star Romario, Neymar is on a freewheeling career. Soon to be released from his contract with Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia), with whom he has only played 2 matches in 2024, the 32-year-old Brazilian is currently negotiating a contract with an MLS club (United States), Chicago Fire. The star has just spoken freely about what caused the failure of the Messi-Neymar-Mbappé trio at PSG. Without mincing words.
In a long discussion with Romario, star of the 94 World Cup in the USA, Neymar delivers himself as never before on what the MNM trio lacked to succeed in Paris.
He confides that Kylian Mbappé, who arrived at PSG at the same time as him in the summer of 2017, was first of all " a friend who came to (his) house ": " we went out to dinner, we spent good years together"
Romario teases him and asks if Kylian Mbappé was a bit annoying or boring, Neymar smiles but doesn't confirm.
« Mbappé wasn't boring! When Messi arrived, I think he got a little jealous... "This is where his explanation of the failure of the Parisian star system is interesting.
When Kylian Mbappé arrived in Paris from Monaco, he was still just a young prodigy, a future star. Neymar, on the other hand, was a potential Ballon d'Or winner, capable of bringing the whole team with him. That's exactly what he did for the first 6 months, when he was breathtaking. Then a first injury put an end to his rise.
Kylian Mbappé then puts himself at the service of Neymar, for the team, for the game. As any player must do with the star of a team, the one who changes a match for you. But the following summer, Kylian Mbappé becomes world champion, explodes in front of the whole world. The situation changes. The Parisian decision-makers make no decisions about the leadership of the team. The coaches come and go and it is impossible for them to manage this. Especially since each one looks at the other to see who will defend the least... and score the most. Egos clash.
What had already been identified from the outside and deciphered by the sports department of Entrevue is today validated by the words of the Brazilian. I had my business with him, we had a little argument. He was a boy who was important at first, I called him Golden Boy, I talked to him, I played with him, I told him he would be one of the best, I always helped him, I always had conversations with him"
For Neymar, the turning point in their relationship came a little later. The summer of Leo Messi's arrival. Great friend of Neymar. We already know that Kylian Mbappé has asked for a release voucher for a while. But Paris absolutely wants to create this magic trio and see them as Parisians at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The rhinestones and sequins are there, the results a little less. Christophe Galtier will pay the price.
Neymar concludes: “ When Leo arrived, he got a little jealous. He didn't want to share me with anyone! That's how the fights started, the change in behavior"
Si Kylian Mbappé managed that year to perform with enormous offensive statistics, always there to conclude the actions, if Lionel Messi, as usual, did not make any waves, Neymar, between injuries and melancholy, then continued his decline. Unable to regain his level of the Final 8 of the 2020 Champions League. Unhappy in his head, unloved, the "Ney" ended up being sidelined by the management and then sent to Saudi Arabia.
