"Why would you leave?... I’m going to make you the best in the world" - Neymar Jr recalls Lionel Messi conversation before Barcelona exit
Neymar Jr. recently recalled his conversation with former teammate Lionel Messi before leaving Barcelona in 2017. The Brazilian left the Catalan outfit to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a record €222 million transfer fee.
Neymar's departure from Barcelona came as a surprise to many as he is often considered to have reached his peak at the club. The Selecao superstar represented Barca between 2013 and 2017 and was a part of their iconic 2014-15 treble-winning squad. In 186 outings for the Catalan side, Neymar Jr contributed 105 goals and 76 assists.
During his time at Barca, Neymar formed an attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, popularly known as MSN (Messi, Suarez, Neymar). The trio is considered one of the greatest attacking trios in football.
The Brazilian superstar's interview with Romario on the latter's podcast is set to release on January 16. In a small snippet from the interview, Neymar Jr. recalled a conversation with Lionel Messi before leaving Barcelona. He said (translation via Google Translate):
"Messi came to me & said, "Why would you leave? Do you want to be the best in the world? I’m going to make you the best in the world.""
In 2021, Lionel Messi was compelled to leave Barca due to the club's financial crisis. He reunited with Neymar Jr. after signing for Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent. The two played together for PSG between 2021 and 2023 before joining Inter Miami and Al-Hilal respectively.
The duo has shared the pitch in 206 games for both clubs, recording 67 joint-goal contributions. Neymar notably shares the highest number of joint-goal participations in his career with the Argentine superstar.
“It bothered me at the time" - When Lionel Messi claimed Neymar Jr.'s departure from Barcelona affected him
In a 2020 interview with Mundo Deportivo, Lionel Messi claimed that Neymar Jr.'s departure from Barcelona bothered him and he tried to stop his teammate. He said (via OneFootball):
“It bothered me at the time [when Neymar left] and we tried to convince him not to do it. But we all want to win and have the best players around us. He’s one of the best players in the world and he brought a lot to the team. But it’s understandable that people would see it as leaving in a bad way.”
“He is desperate to return and has always appeared to regret his decision. He did a lot to come back and that would be the first step in making it happen. He was always fine at Barcelona, performing at a very high level."
Neymar's contract at Al-Hilal is set to expire in June 2025 with the Brazilian being heavily linked to a potential move to Inter Miami. If he ends up joining the MLS side, he will be the only player to have played with Lionel Messi in all three of his clubs.
