Barcelona legend Gerard Piqué has said that Brazilian superstar Neymar could have won the Ballon d’Or had he remained at the Catalan club a little longer.
Neymar left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2017, becoming the most expensive player in football history after the French club activated his €222 million release clause.
Piqué believes that the move to France derailed Neymar’s chances of winning the prestigious individual award.
Speaking on the PodPah podcast, the former Spanish defender revealed that he and his teammates tried to persuade Neymar to stay at Camp Nou, but the forward had already made up his mind.
“I’m convinced he deserved a Ballon d’Or. I think going to PSG hurt him. We tried to convince him not to go — we did everything possible.
Everyone thought he was going to stay, even me, but it seemed that it was already decided. In the end, he had an incredible career,” Piqué said.
Neymar went on to enjoy success in France before joining Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal in 2023. He returned to his boyhood club, Santos, in 2025.
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