Neymar would’ve won Ballon d'Or if he did this one thing according to ex-Barcelona chief Javier Bordas
Former Barcelona chief Javier Bordas has shared what he believes Neymar should have done to win the Ballon d'Or. The Brazilian forward will go down as one of the best players to never win the award despite his exploits for Paris Saint Germain and the Blaugrana.
The Brazilian has played 585 games in his club career, scoring 359 while assisting 220 times. He also represented his country in 129 outings for his country, scoring 79 goals and providing 59 assists.
Neymar's exploits on the pitch and scintillating style of play see him highly rated in Europe and his native Brazil. Tebas believes he would have won the Ballon d'Or at Barcelona, saying (via PSG Talk):
“I would have liked him to stay and there were options for him to come back. If he had come back, he would have won the Ballon d’Or with Barça. He wanted to come back so much that a few weeks after his departure, he already wanted to come back.”
Neymar left Barca for PSG in a world-record fee worth €222 million and went on to score 118 goals and provide 77 assists in 173 games for the Paris-based club. Despite his impressive return for the Parisians, he could never claim the Ballon d'Or and eventually moved to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League last summer.
Javier Pastore shares why he believes Neymar never won the Ballon d'Or
Former PSG midfielder Javier Pastore has said he believes Neymar did not win the Ballon d'Or because he was not as obsessed with football as his competitors Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
In a recent interview with Essentially Sports, Pastore discussed Neymar, saying:
“A phenomenon, very good people. He lives his life the way he wants. No one is going to manage his life. Taking out Messi, I have never seen another player as talented as Ney. He has all the qualities. Reaction? The best. Speed? He is very fast. Ball driving? The best. Dribbling? He does what he wants for you. Goal? With either foot. Leap? He goes very high. He has everything. If you say a dream player, how do you want him? You say Neymar.”
The former PSG star concluded, saying:
“If he had wanted, he would fight for the Ballon d’Or against Messi, Cristiano, and whoever, but he lives his life in a different way. He does not live for football 100%. I love him very much. I have written to him quite a bit now, during his injury. At first, I expected someone arrogant, and I was wrong.”
Now 32, the Brazilian will hope to make an impact with Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia and eventually return Brazil to glory in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.