“Idol and friend. Thank you football” – PSG superstar Neymar hails Lionel Messi with tribute on Instagram
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Neymar has paid a short-and-sweet tribute to his teammate Lionel Messi on Instagram. He posted a picture of himself with Messi in which they were seen talking during PSG's 7-1 win over Lille.
Neymar hailed Messi as a friend and an idol, thanking football for bringing them together. Both players were heavily involved in PSG's win over Lille in their Ligue 1 fixture on Sunday.
The Brazil international bagged a brace while the former Barcelona maestro scored a goal and picked up an assist. Kylian Mbappe scored a quick opener, which came in the eighth second of the match, en route to a hat-trick.
PSG's No.10 and the Argentine superstar developed a strong on-field chemistry during their spell together at Barcelona.
His post on Instagram had a caption which roughly translates as:
"Idol and friend. Thank you football."
The post received over 2.4 million likes on Instagram. Leandro Paredes, the duo's teammate at the French club, commented with fire and a heart emoji.
The 7-1 win over Lille and the Brazilian's post came in the aftermath of reports that there was a rift in the dressing room. Mbappe, who missed a penalty in the game against Montpellier, was said to have differences with Messi over Neymar's future at the club.
The Frenchman bagged a hat-trick against Lille to put all speculations to bed.
PSG on fireas Galtier begins to unleash the full potential of Neymar, Messi, and Mbappe
PSG have kickstarted their 2022-23 campaign on a solid note and have maintained a 100% record across all competitions.
They began their campaign with a 4-0 win over Nantes in the Tropee des Champions last month. In the three league games since, they have scored 17 goals, with their deadly trio scoring 12 of those.
The trio have also combined for nine assists this season, with the Brazilian star accounting for six himself.
The former Santos and Barcelona star has been outstanding this season, with five goals and six assists in three league games thus far.
It should be noted that the player was linked with a move away from the club throughout the summer but has silenced his critics with his performances on the field.