Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez has added his voice to the long-standing debate about Neymar’s legacy. The previous Actual Madrid star believes the Brazilian would have gained a number of Ballon d’Or titles if not for the dominance of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
“For my part, if not for Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar would have gained three Ballon d’Or. However he needed to compete with these beasts,” Rodriguez stated throughout an look on the Los Amigos de Edu program (by way of Tribuna).
This assertion reignites discussions about Neymar’s place in soccer historical past. Regardless of being one of the crucial naturally gifted gamers of his technology, he has by no means gained the Ballon d’Or, largely as a consequence of enjoying in the identical period as two of the game’s greatest-ever gamers.
Neymar’s Ballon d’Or close to misses
Since being first nominated for the Ballon d’Or in 2011, the Brazilian has completed within the prime three twice. His closest possibilities got here in 2015 and 2017 when he completed third behind Messi and Ronaldo.
SeasonMembershipRank2011Santos10th2012Santos13th2013Santos/Barcelona5th2014Barcelona7th2015Barcelonathird2016Barcelona5th2017Barcelona/PSGthird2018PSG12th2021PSG16th
When Neymar left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for a world-record $242 million, one in all his principal motivations was to step out of Lionel Messi’s shadow and win the Ballon d’Or. Nonetheless, regardless of a number of league titles and home trophies, the person honor eluded him, typically as a consequence of accidents and the dominance of Messi and Ronaldo.
Final yr, the veteran himself admitted he felt he ought to have gained the award throughout his time at PSG: “I used to be at my finest after I performed for PSG. I ought to have gained the Ballon d’Or for the best way I carried out there, however accidents have been an issue and so they hindered me.”
How are James and Neymar presently faring?
Each Rodriguez and Neymar have moved away from Europe within the later phases of their careers. The previous, now 33, joined Mexican facet Membership Leon in January 2024, after a stint with Rayo Vallecano in Spain.
Neymar, in the meantime, returned to his boyhood membership Santos earlier this yr after an injury-plagued spell at Al Hilal within the Saudi Professional League. Regardless of his setbacks, Neymar has been spectacular within the Campeonato Paulista, scoring three targets and offering three assists in seven appearances.