A former Paris Saint-German star has revealed why Neymar has seemingly never reached his full potential.
In the early to mid-2010s, the Brazilian superstar was widely considered the next great talent and someone who would succeed both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the world’s best footballer.
For a while, that seemed like a legitimate possibility, as Neymar shined for several years at FC Barcelona before joining PSG for a world-record fee of €222 million (R4.5 billion) in 2017.
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It was heavily speculated that the attacker had joined the French giants not only to get out of Messi’s shadow in Spain, but to win the ultimate individual prize, the Ballon d’Or award.
However, none of those lofty expectations were realised by Neymar and he now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia for Al Hilal.
Former PSG player Javier Pastore has offered an explanation for the Selecao star’s shortcomings.
"If he had wanted, he would fight for the Ballon d’Or against Messi, Cristiano, and whoever, but he lives his life in a different way. He does not live for football 100%," Pastore told French media outlet LaNacion.
"I love him very much. I have written to him quite a bit now, during his injury. At first, I expected someone arrogant, and I was wrong."
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