Former Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar has revealed that Kylian Mbappé became “a little jealous” after Lionel Messi joined the French club in August 2021.
Neymar made the statement on Thursday during a podcast hosted by Brazilian World Cup winner Romário, where he shared insights about life at PSG and the dynamics within their star-studded front three.
Neymar, who joined PSG for a world-record £222 million transfer fee in 2017 after his successful stint at Barcelona, admitted there were tensions between him and Mbappé but described their relationship as generally positive.
“He’s not annoying,” Neymar said in response to Romário’s question about Mbappé.
“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 recalled.
However, Neymar added that Messi’s arrival in 2021 created a rift.
“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 behavior,” Neymar stated.
Mbappé joined PSG from Monaco in the same year as Neymar, with both players brought in to help the club secure its first UEFA Champions League title — a feat that remains elusive.
Neymar reflected on the challenges the team faced due to inflated egos within the squad.
“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.
“If nobody runs and nobody helps, it is impossible to win anything,” Neymar said.
Neymar, who now plays for Saudi club Al-Hilal, concluded his time at PSG with an impressive record of 118 goals and 77 assists in 173 appearances.
Mbappé has since moved on to Real Madrid.
The Punch
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