“He didn’t want to share me with anyone!” - Neymar on how ‘jealous’ Kylian Mbappe started fight after Lionel Messi arrived at PSG
Al-Hilal ace Neymar has admitted that Kylian Mbappe became jealous and used to start fights after Lionel Messi arrived in Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). As per the Brazilian, this was because Mbappe didn't want to 'share' Neymar with Messi at the time.
Kylian Mbappe and Neymar arrived at PSG in the summer of 2017 where they would find great success together. The duo led Les Parisiens to 10 trophies together prior to Messi's arrival, including three Ligue 1 titles.
PSG were further bolstered in the summer of 2021 after Lionel Messi made the shocking decision to leave Barcelona to join the French outfit. The 37-year-old reunited with Neymar following their successful time together at Barcelona between 2013 and 2017.
The 32-year-old spoke with former Brazil star Romario where he explained why Mbappe became jealous after Messi's arrival: (via Fabrizio Romano):
"Mbappe was not annoying! When Messi came, I think he became a little jealous… I had my things with him, we had a little fight. He was a boy that in the beginning was key, I used to call him ‘Golden Boy’, I was spoke to him, played around with him, told him he’d be one of the best, I always help, always had conversations with him."
He added:
"When Leo arrived, he became a little jealous. He didn’t want to share me with anyone! [laughs] That’s how the fights started, the change in behaviour."
The trio were expected to help PSG win their maiden UEFA Champions League. However, this never came to fruition, as they won just three trophies together over the course of two seasons, including two Ligue 1 titles.
Neymar explains why PSG were unable to win the Champions League despite having Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe
The superstar trio of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar struck fear in Ligue 1 with their attacking prowess but were unable to make much of an impact in the UEFA Champions League.
From the aforementioned source, the latter has admitted ego was their downfall as each superstar was playing for themself. He said:
“What went wrong at PSG? Ego. Ego. I think having an ego is good, thinking you’re the best… but, you have realize to don’t play by yourself. Nowadays if not everyone helps, it’s impossible to win something."
Despite making the UCL finals and semi-finals during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons respectively, PSG were eliminated twice during the Round of 16 following Lionel Messi's arrival.
Lionel Messi departed the club in the summer of 2023, joining Inter Miami as a free agent in the MLS. Meanwhile, Neymar also left a month later to join Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal for a reported €90 million, while Kylian Mbappe stayed a year longer, joining Real Madrid last summer as a free agent.
