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Messi on Neymar: What's Missing in Football?

Saturday, May 9, 2026
5 min read
Messi on Neymar: What's Missing in Football?

Messi basically made it clear something’s missing. Football, he said, just doesn't feel right without Neymar around.

“We want the best players there,” Messi commented during an appearance on Lo del Pollo .

“I can’t be objective,” he admitted. “Neymar is a friend.” He leaned into it. “I’d love for him to be there. For good things to happen to him. He deserves it, you know? For the kind of person he is.”

You have to remember where they came from. Those South American icons. They shared that legendary time at Barcelona. One-third of that MSN trio, alongside Suarez. Then PSG, and then they just split in 2023.

It’s a strange path. Messi went to Inter Miami, MLS. Neymar chased something different, landing at Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. Then back to Santos in Brazil.

And the stuff that follows is complicated. Recurring injuries. Inconsistent form.

Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, seventy-nine international goals, he’s been absent from Carlo Ancelotti’s squads since the Italian took over earlier this year.

People still hold onto that idea.

Messi still sees something unique about him. Not just the stats.

“He has a very special charisma,” Messi said. He talked about how Neymar just lives his life. Without worrying about the noise. He’s happy. Very natural. It’s that quality that sticks.

It’s a different kind of talent, maybe. Something beyond the game itself. Still, that belief in him coming back—that’s what keeps the hope going. It’s just… messy.

Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board

Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

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