"He didn't want to take Messi's place, he didn't want to be the guy" - Neymar Jr's father on why his son left Barcelona
Neymar Jr's father has claimed his son left Barcelona in 2017 because he did not want to take Lionel Messi's place at the club. The Brazilian superstar left the Catalan giants to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a record €222 million transfer fee.
Neymar enjoyed his most successful years at Barcelona between 2013 and 2017. Alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, he was a part of one of the greatest attacking trios of all time. The Brazil international won two LaLiga titles, one UEFA Champions League, and three Copas del Rey at Barca. Neymar Jr. was also a part of the club's iconic 2014-15 treble-winning squad. In 186 outings for La Blaugrana, he recorded 105 goals and 76 assists.
Despite his successful stint in Catalonia, Neymar left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, leaving many surprised. In an interview with the Brazilian Jota Jota podcast, Neymar Jr's father, Neymar Santos Sr. opened up about his son's surprising move to PSG. He said (via CNN Brasil):
“Those guys made our lives difficult because I really wanted my son to stay in Barca, I really wanted him. We did everything we could until the last few days to keep him from leaving, and he did. Even though he was in love with those guys, he didn’t want to put himself in the position of Barca’s biggest star. And he decided: ‘I’m going to go my own way’. And he went to PSG."
Speaking further about his son not wanting to take Messi's position on the Catalan side, he added:
“When he went to PSG, it was his dream, his thought, his decision. He decided to change. But why? At the time, it was a bit strange. We were in a difficult situation with Barcelona, because we didn’t really know what the board thought."
“They said things as if he was going to occupy a position he didn’t want. He didn’t want to take Messi’s place, he didn’t want to be the guy: ‘I don’t want any of that, I’m going to go to my corner, I’m going to another place’. And he didn’t want to, they didn’t accept it."
After Neymar Jr. departed from Camp Nou, he reunited with Messi once again in 2021 when the Argentine superstar left Barca to join PSG. The duo played together from 2021 to 2023 before they joined Al-Hilal and Inter Miami, respectively.
"He is desperate to return" - Lionel Messi on Neymar Jr. leaving Barcelona
In a 2020 interview with Mundo Deportivo, Lionel Messi claimed that Neymar Jr. always regretted leaving Barcelona and was willing to wear the Blaugrana colors again. Messi said (via One Football):
“It bothered me at the time [when Neymar left] and we tried to convince him not to do it. 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 added:
“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 Barca, performing at a very high level.”
La Pulga has shared the pitch with Neymar Jr. 206 times across Barcelona and PSG, recording 67 joint goal participations. Multiple reports indicate that the duo may reunite if the Selecao superstar joins Inter Miami after his contract with Al-Hilal expires in 2025.