Brazilian footballer Neymar has opened up about Kylian Mbappe’s feelings of “jealousy” toward Lionel Messi after the Argentine joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.
In a new podcast hosted by Brazilian football legend Romario, Neymar was asked whether Mbappe, who moved to Real Madrid this season, was “annoying.” Neymar responded, saying: “No, he’s not. I have my differences with him, we had a little conflict, but he was essential to us when he arrived. I used to call him Golden Boy.
“I always played alongside him, told him he’d be one of the best, and helped him. We’d have dinner together, and he’d come over to my place. We had some great years as teammates, but after Messi arrived, he became a bit jealous. He didn’t want to share me with anyone, and that led to some disagreements and a shift in his behavior.”
Neymar and Mbappe both joined PSG in 2017, with Neymar coming from Barcelona and Mbappe from AS Monaco. Neymar also reflected on how big egos impacted PSG’s performances in key matches.
“It’s fine to have egos, but you must understand you don’t play alone,” Neymar said. “You need someone by your side. Big egos were everywhere, and it just doesn’t work. If no one is running or helping, you can’t win anything.”
Regarding his decision to join Barcelona over Real Madrid, Neymar expressed no regrets.
“I don’t regret choosing Barcelona over Real Madrid. I followed my heart,” he said. “I wanted to play with Messi! Barcelona was the team I loved. I’ve been watching them since Ronaldinho’s era, and I always said, ‘I want to play there.’ It happened.”
Neymar shared that the decision was a whirlwind: “It was a crazy few days. I wasn’t even training; I was just going from my house to the office to sort things out. Real Madrid’s people were calling me from one side, and Barcelona’s from the other. Both presidents were talking to me. I couldn’t think clearly. I could imagine myself playing for either, but in the end, my heart chose Barcelona.”
