Messi: Neymar move to Real would be tough for Barcelona to overcome
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – It would be a major blow to Barcelona if Neymar moved from Paris Saint Germain to Real Madrid, the Brazil striker’s ex-teammate Lionel Messi said on Tuesday.
The Argentine, who won the Champions League and two of his La Liga titles with Neymar alongside him at Barcelona, said he had spoken to the Brazilian about rumors linking him with a return to Spain.
“It would be terrible, because of all that Ney means to Barcelona,” said Messi. “If he ends up at Real Madrid it would be a major blow to us. And on a footballing level Madrid would be much stronger than they already are.”
When asked if he had told the Brazilian not even to think about going to Madrid, a smiling Messi said: “He knows what I think!”
Neymar left Barcelona last August, becoming the world’s most expensive soccer player in a transfer that upset many Barcelona fans.
Yet media reports that he might leave the French capital and move to Madrid have been circulating for months, prompting the PSG chairman to declare earlier this week that Neymar will “2,000 percent” be in Paris next season.
The Brazilian has refused to talk about the speculation and said he is concentrating on recovering from a foot injury in time for next month’s World Cup.
Messi, the five-time World Player of the Year, said he was looking forward to the tournament in Russia and was targeting at least a semifinal place with Argentina.
Beaten finalists four years ago in Brazil, the Argentines have no two na major international title since 1993 when they lifted the Copa America.
They reached the final of the same tournament in 2015 and 2016 but lost both times and Messi said the successive failures weighed heavily.
“It’s a weight that we carry and we want to overcome it,” he said.
Argentina kicks off its World Cup campaign against Iceland on June 16 and then faces Nigeria and Croatia.
La Albiceleste have struggled under coach Jorge Sampaoli, who took over last year and has won just five of his 10 games in charge.
Argentina beat Italy 2-0 in a March friendly, but that victory was sandwiched by a 4-2 loss to Nigeria and a 6-1 hammering by Spain.
Spain is one of the favorites for the tournament, Messi said, along with Brazil, Germany and France.