Neymar surpasses Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to set incredible record after scoring for PSG in 3-0 win over Toulouse
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Neymar has surpassed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo by breaking the record of consecutive goal contributions for club and country.
The Brazilian has been in red-hot form at the start of the season, scoring a remarkable nine goals and contributing six assists in his first six appearances across competitions.
He was on the scoresheet in PSG's 3-0 victory over Toulouse on August 31 with a fine finish to break the deadlock in the 37th minute.
The former Barcelona forward's goal means he has now scored or assisted in 16 consecutive matches for both club and country.
That includes goals and assists achieved for the Brazilian national team in wins over South Korea and Japan.
It bests Ronaldo and Messi's record of 15 goal contributions in consecutive matches and sums up Neymar's fantastic start to the season.
RECORD BREAKER:
🌟RECORD BREAKER:
With his goal against Toulouse, Neymar has now scored or assisted in 16 consecutive games for club & country breaking Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 15.
INCREDIBLE! https://t.co/7u4lTRRtFc
There had been reports earlier in the summer suggesting the forward may depart the Parc des Princes following comments made by president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
The PSG president had said of Neymar's future:
"A possible departure of Neymar this summer? What I can tell you is that we expect all players to do a lot more than last season," said the PSG president. "A lot more! They all have to to be 100%. Obviously, we weren't good enough to go far."
The Brazilian was reportedly disappointed in those comments and had started to come round to the idea of leaving Paris.
However, Parisian fans will be glad he decided to stay as he flourishes alongside Messi and Mbappe.
He is now tied to the Ligue 1 champions until 2027 following the automatic renewal of his contract that occurred in July.
Neymar the closest challenger of Messi and Ronaldo
It's fair to say that the Brazilian is a polarizing figure with many taking issue with the way in which he handles himself on the pitch. The former Barca forward is not averse to going down easily or causing issues with referees.
However, when Neymar is at his very best, he is a sight to behold and is the closest we've come to a top talent challenging Messi and Ronaldo.
Neymar is the most underrated and over-hated player in the world. https://t.co/f3k5LIWiOI
That is not to say that he is at the duo's level given the somewhat unmatchable careers they have achieved.
But people need to start giving the Brazilian his flowers as he continues to wreak havoc on opposition defenders.
He has scored 109 goals in 150 appearances since joining PSG from Barcelona back in 2017 for £199.8 million.
Perhaps leading Brazil to a World Cup win later this year in Qatar will turn heads.
Simple touch 💫
@neymarjr
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