"We missed Barcelona a lot" - Neymar Jr opens up on time alongside Lionel Messi at PSG, claims they 'went through hell' at the Ligue 1 club
Former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Neymar has revealed that he went through a rough patch with Lionel Messi during their time at the French club. The duo spent two seasons together at the Parc des Princes, where they often longed for a return to Barcelona, as revealed by the Brazilian.
The football world was thrown into shock in the summer of 2017 when PSG signed Neymar from Barcelona for a world-record fee. The French giants signed the Brazilian superstar for €222 million, his release clause at the time.
The 31-year-old's exit from Barcelona meant the end of his partnership with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, famously known as MSN. This partnership yielded a treble in 2015, including the club's most recent UEFA Champions League triumph.
Messi joined Neymar in Paris in 2021, and the duo quickly became easy scapegoats for the club's failure to win the UEFA Champions League. The Brazilian star revealed to Instant Foot that he and Messi missed their former club greatly.
“Lionel Messi and I went through hell in Paris. We missed Barcelona a lot."
The 2022-23 season proved to be the final straw for both superstars, as they decided to leave the club after winning the French Ligue 1 title. The Argentine forward decided to pitch his tent in the MLS with Inter Miami, while the Brazilian star preferred to move to Saudi Arabia at Al-Hilal.
Neymar featured 173 times across six seasons for PSG, with a series of injuries curtailing his involvement at times. He scored 118 goals and provided 77 assists in his time at the club, winning 14 trophies.
Lionel Messi, on the other hand, played only 75 times for the French side in two seasons, scoring 32 goals and providing 35 assists. He won the Ligue 1 in each of the seasons he spent at the club, but didn't manage to inspire them to Champions League glory.
Lionel Messi, Neymar ruled Europe with Barcelona
Neymar was long touted as the golden boy of his generation, having broken out as a teenager in Brazil. His transfer to Europe was controversial, but Barcelona beat Real Madrid to his signature in 2013 from Santos.
Having arrived at Barcelona, he quickly struck up a partnership with fellow South American Lionel Messi, with the older man taking him under his wing. The Brazilian forward flourished, playing some of the best football of his life at the club.
The duo shared the pitch 161 times at Barca, combining for 56 goals. They won eight trophies together before the Brazilian decided to move to France, where injuries have stunted his growth.
The forward is currently out injured with a ruptured ACL and is expected to return only in the closing weeks of the season. Lionel Messi and Neymar were both linked with a return to Barcelona over the years, but a move has never materialized.