Neymar says Mbappé was jealous of Messi in Paris, player egos hurt PSG’s performances

By: Mauricio Savarese, The Associated Press Posted: 8:19 PM CST Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025 Last Modified: 8:23 PM CST Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025

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SAO PAULO (AP) — Striker Neymar said his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappé became “a little jealous” after superstar Lionel Messi joined the French club in August 2021 in a free transfer.

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This article was published 16/01/2025 (626 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Speaking in a podcast hosted by World Cup winner Romário released Thursday, the 32-year-old Brazilian who plays for Saudi club Al-Hilal added that big egos affected the performances of PSG in big matches.

Neymar made his comments after Romário asked whether Mbappé, who joined Real Madrid this season, “is annoying.”

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe warms up prior to a Copa del Rey round of 16 soccer match against Celta de Vigo at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Pablo Garcia)

“No, he is not. I have my things with him, we had a little fight, but he was fundamental for us when he arrived. I used to call him golden boy. I always played with him, said he was going to be one of the best. I always helped, talked to him, he came to my place, we had dinner together,” Neymar said.

“We had some good years of partnership, but after Messi came he was a little jealous. He didn’t want to split me with anyone. And then there were some fights, a change in behaviour,” the Brazilian player added.

Mbappé joined PSG from Monaco in 2017, the same year Neymar moved from Barcelona to the French club in one of the biggest transfers in soccer history.

Both were signed as the club sought its maiden Champions League title, which it is yet to win. Neymar said the team often struggled due to big egos, but didn’t name anyone.

“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, it can’t work,” Neymar said. “If nobody runs and nobody helps, it is impossible to win anything.”

Neymar didn’t rule out returning to Brazil after his contract in Saudi Arabia expires in the middle of the year.

Neither Mbappé nor Messi have reacted to Neymar’s comments.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer