Neymar Jr. blames ‘ego’ for fallout with PSG

Brazilian star Neymar Jr. revealed that frequent ego clashes between players led to his fallout at French side PSG, before departing in 2023.

Neymar Jr. blames ‘ego’ for fallout with PSG

Brazilian star Neymar Jr. revealed that frequent ego clashes between himself, Kylian Mbappe, and Lionel Messi led to PSG's downfall. (via NBC)

Ex-PSG star Neymar Jr. opened up about the frequent ‘ego’ clashes during his time at the club and claimed it to be a reason behind his exit. The Brazilian forward also revealed details of the tensions between himself and Kylian Mbappe at PSG.

Often viewed as one of the greatest forwards of this generation, Neymar Jr. had an impressive European career, lasting a decade. The Brazilian star initially made his mark at FC Barcelona, winning a UCL and two La Liga titles. He was signed by PSG for a record £200 million transfer fee in 2017. Neymar went on to make 173 appearances for the club, scoring 118 goals and providing 77 assists.

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In his six years in Paris, he developed an impressive partnership with teammate Kylian Mbappe. The duo was later joined by Lionel Messi in 2021. The 32-year-old revealed that Messi’s arrival was met with skepticism by Mbappe, who felt ‘jealous’ of their relationship. While Neymar agreed that Mbappe was not ‘annoying’, he did state that it did lead to ‘ego’ clashes both on and off the pitch between the duo.

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PSG enjoyed Ligue 1 dominance during that time, but failed to make a mark in the UCL. It was despite the club having a star-studded lineup, also featuring ex-Real Madrid skipper Sergio Ramos. Neymar hinted that there were many ‘big egos’ inside the PSG dressing room. This, he claimed, held back the club from achieving European success.

It is good to have egos. But you have to know that you don’t play alone. There needs to be another guy by your side. (Big) egos were almost everywhere. If nobody runs and helps, it is impossible to win anything.

Neymar Jr. on his time at PSG (H/T Daily Mail)

Neymar Jr.’s strained relationship with Mbappe remained in the spotlight during their final years at the club. The Brazilian forward subsequently went on to join Saudi PL side Al-Hilal in 2023. Meanwhile, Mbappe joined Real Madrid last year.

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Neymar Jr. reveals reason behind Barcelona departure in 2017

Back in 2017, PSG made a bold move to strengthen their squad by signing Neymar Jr. from Barcelona for a record-breaking transfer fee. He came off the back of a brilliant stint at the Catalan club, scoring 105 goals and providing 76 assists in 186 appearances.

Neymar Jr. on his Barcelona departure
Neymar Jr. opened up his Barcelona exit in 2017, to join PSG. (via GOAL)

Years after, speaking on his Barcelona departure, the 32-year-old exclaimed that he did not leave the club to be the best player in the world, contrary to claims. He rather admitted that the financial incentives drove him to Paris. In addition to that, the Al-Hilal star added that he wished to play alongside his Brazilian teammates at PSG, including Thiago Silva, Dani Alves, and Marquinhos.

Of course, the financial side was much better than it was in Barcelona. In addition, there was a group of Brazilian players in Paris… I wanted to play with them, so I decided to take this adventure.

Neyma Jr. on his Barcelona departure (via YouTube)

Nonetheless, at PSG, Neymar Jr. went on to win five Ligue 1 titles and three Coupe de France trophies. He also led the side to their first-ever UCL final in 2020, eventually losing out to Bayern Munich.