This is our first publication featuring football quotes by Neymar about Messi. In this material, we collected only statements originally made in Portuguese – that were not widely covered in the press and which you may have missed. It is probably not a complete list, but many of them are presented in English here for the first time.
Neymar about Messi while playing in Santos
2011: “What Lionel Messi does is unreal. There’s no comparison. He’s an alien playing among humans.”
2012: “I’m a ‘Messi-ist.’ If he makes a short dribble, I already sit there amazed in front of the TV.”
2012: “Asking for his shirt was a fan instinct, not an opponent’s instinct. He’s the man.”
I am not the biggest fan of Neymar Jr., but when a Brazilian player says something like this about an Argentine player, it says a lot about Neymar as a professional who simply enjoys the game.
Neymar Jr. about Lionel Messi while joining him at FC Barcelona
2014, interview with Mauro Beting: “At first, I was embarrassed to talk to him. I would look to the side and think: ‘wow, it’s Messi.’”
2015, the Brazilian YouTube channel “Fui Clear”: “Leo gave me a hand when I needed it the most. In the locker room, he told me: ‘Be yourself.’ That’s when I gained confidence.”
2016, Neymar Jr. YouTube channel: “Messi sees the play before it even exists. It’s like he plays with a remote control in his hand.”
While I was preparing this publication, I just understood why Lionel Messi is the GOAT for me – it’s because he earned his authority just by making magic on the pitch. And as a fan of Real Madrid CF, I also want to pay respect to FC Barcelona, where leadership is based purely on what you do on the field.
This is not just a publication about Messi, but a reminder of the time when the MSN trio was one of the greatest attacking trios we have ever seen in football – a nightmare for almost every team in the world. And, more importantly, it shows that their power was built not only on the skills and talent of these three players, but also on the respect and friendship between them – they were ready to support each other and defend each other.
Statements given to Brazilian journalists in the mixed zone, which did not make it into official press releases.
(2021, after the final Copa América 2021): “Losing f*cks me up, but seeing this guy (Messi) smiling with a trophy for his national team eases any pain. Football owed him this.”
(2021, Instagram post after the final Copa América 2021): “Thank you for being my mirror. You are the greatest I have ever seen step onto a pitch.”
