Tag: Neymar

Inter Miami owner Beckham says Neymar meeting ‘only for dinner’

Neymar recently said he’d love to play alongside Lionel Messi once again

Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham posted a photo alongside Brazil superstar Neymar, but attempted to tamp down any speculation by saying that the meeting was “only for dinner.”

Given Miami’s recent track record of signing copious amounts of former Barcelona stars, Neymar would appear to fit the bill as an ideal addition for the Herons — roster rules notwithstanding.

Neymar added some fuel to the fire earlier this month when he told ESPN Argentina that he would love to once again play alongside Inter Miami star Lionel Messi.

“Hopefully we can play together again,” Neymar said. “Leo is a great person, everyone knows him in football and I think he is very happy and if he is happy, I am too.”

Neymar, 32, only signed with Saudi power Al Hilal last summer, and is currently recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in October.

The Brazil star has been spotted around Miami in recent days, throwing the opening pitch at a Miami Marlins game, watching tennis at the Miami Open and partying with a host of celebs.

Beckham also got some face time in with Neymar, posting a photo on Instagram with the forward and his wife Victoria. Knowing that the picture would likely lead to even more speculation, Beckham added the caption: “Welcome to Miami my friend (only for dinner).”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5GWN4ioUZv/

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Fans could not believe the photo Al-Hilal used to wish Neymar a speedy recovery from his ACL injury

They literally made the worst graphic imaginable.

The Brazil national team’s worst fears were realized on Wednesday when medical tests confirmed that star forward Neymar had suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in a World Cup qualifying loss out of CONMEBOL against Uruguay.

Neymar, who turns 32 in February, suffered the non-contact injury in first-half stoppage time after a tackle attempt led to an awkward step with possession. Neymar immediately went down in pain, and there was clear concern about the seriousness of the injury.

Over in Saudi Arabia, Neymar’s club Al-Hilal SFC appeared to be prepping a “get well soon” graphic once the ACL injury was confirmed. And let’s just say that they settled on the most unhinged photo choice imaginable.

The official team account made an entire graphic that featured two images of Neymar writhing in pain and calling for medical help. It’s wild that someone with the club settled on those photos for the graphic and a social team all apparently signed off on it.

Just a shocking graphic for an injury announcement in every sense. No wonder fans ripped the account for the photo choice. It was in terrible taste.

Neymar breaks Pele’s Brazil goalscoring record

The 31-year-old surpassed the all-time legend with his 78th and 79th international goals

Neymar has broken Pelé’s all-time Brazil men’s national team scoring record, netting his 78th and 79th career goals for the Seleção in a 5-1 win over Bolivia on Friday.

The record-breaking 78th goal came in the 61st minute of the World Cup qualifier in Belém, Brazil. Rodrygo got on the end of a cross and shifted around a Bolivia defender before being taken down, with the ball falling kindly for Neymar to slot home.

Neymar’s goal made it 4-0, with Brazil ultimately winning 5-1 after the forward added another goal late in stoppage time to reach 79 career international strikes.

The 31-year-old, who recently joined Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, has set the record in 125 caps, with his record-tying 77th goal coming in a World Cup quarterfinal defeat to Croatia last year.

Though FIFA credits Neymar with owning the record, the Brazilian federation still insists that the late Pelé actually scored 95 goals for Brazil, not 77.

The discrepancy comes from matches Brazil played against club sides, which FIFA does not count as official games.

In any case, everyone can at least agree that neither Pelé nor Neymar is actually the all-time leading goalscorer for the Brazil national team. The holder of that honor would be Marta, who has 115 goals.

Watch Neymar’s record-breaking goal

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Neymar: ‘I wouldn’t be surprised’ if the Saudi league is better than Ligue 1

“I can assure you the football in Saudi Arabia is the same. The ball is round, we have goalposts… There’s no secret.”

Did Neymar take a step down by moving from Paris Saint-Germain to the Saudi Pro League?

The Brazil star doesn’t seem to think so. Speaking at a press conference before a World Cup qualifier against Bolivia, Neymar — who joined Al Hilal last month in a €90 million deal — said that this summer’s Saudi spending spree may have tipped the scales against Ligue 1.

“For the names that went to Saudi Arabia, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Saudi league is better than [Ligue 1],” said Neymar, though his assertion was possibly deflated by his own chuckling.

“I can assure you the football in Saudi Arabia is the same. The ball is round, we have goalposts… There’s no secret. We have intense practice there, the thirst to win is still big. I want to win trophies with Al Hilal. It doesn’t change much.”

Only the Premier League spent more than the (often government-backed) clubs of the Saudi Pro League, with Transfermarkt reporting that the league’s total transfer spending in the summer window stands at €957 million.

Neymar’s argument doesn’t require much deep thinking. When he trains with Al Hilal, he’s doing so alongside Brazil teammate Malcom, World Cup star Yassine Bounou, Senegal center back Kalidou Koulibaly, Serbia duo Aleksandar Mitrović and Sergej Milinković-Savić, and Portugal defensive midfielder Rúben Neves. These players are all very good at soccer, and could play in any league.

The counter, of course, is that Saudi clubs added 40 players on permanent transfers, spread across 18 teams. A league of that size employs around 500 players, give or take, meaning that the nearly €1 billion in transfer spending only improved about 8% of the player pool. In other words, for every Neymar or Cristiano Ronaldo to make the jump, there are dozens of players who represent the average talent level for the Saudi Pro League.

None of that seems to be bothering Neymar much, as the forward compared the talk he’s heard since making the move to what people said when he moved from Barcelona to PSG.

“Everyone said the same when I went to France, and it was the place I was [kicked] the most in my life,” said the 31-year-old. “I am sure that it won’t be easy to win the Saudi championship. Other teams got stronger, have famous players. It will be very interesting and I am sure you will be watching.”

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Neymar and Saudi Arabia consummate their inevitable marriage

The relationship had soured between Neymar and PSG, who managed to recoup €90 million for the Brazilian

Maybe it’s easy to say in hindsight but as soon as Saudi Arabia embarked upon its summer spending bonanza, it was always likely Neymar would show up in the Gulf.

It’s no secret that PSG had been open to the prospect of the Brazilian leaving the club for some time and in the state-backed Al Hilal, the Ligue 1 side found the ideal business partner.

On Tuesday, Al Hilal confirmed the signing of Neymar from PSG in a deal worth a reported €90 million.

That’s a far cry from the world-record €222 million PSG paid to land the attacker from Barcelona six years ago, but for an oft-injured 31-year-old, it is still quite the return.

There were likely few, if any, clubs willing to pay nearly that amount, which will come as a huge relief for a club which just watched its own fans literally go to Neymar’s house and tell him to get lost.

It’s hard to say Neymar was a complete bust at PSG. That would be fairly harsh on a player who won seven major trophies, including four Ligue 1 titles, while scoring 118 times in 173 appearances.

But it is that number of 173 that will sting the Brazilian and PSG, a total that represents just over half of the available minutes since his arrival.

Another figure that will be especially painful is zero, as in the number of Champions League crowns PSG has won even after investing in the likes of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.

An ill-timed series of injuries for Neymar sidelined him for several years’ worth of key Champions League matches. That, combined with a perceived lack of commitment off the pitch, ultimately soured the relationship between the player and fans.

“It’s always difficult to say goodbye to a player as exceptional as Neymar, one of the best in the world,” said Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, Chairman and CEO of PSG in a statement. “I will never forget the day he arrived at Paris Saint-Germain and what he brought to our club and the project over the past six years. We lived great moments and Neymar will always be part of our history. I want to thank Neymar and his family. We wish Neymar the best for the future and his next adventure.”

Al-Khelaïfi would never say so publicly, but he is probably glad to say that Neymar is now part of the club’s history, rather than its present.

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PSG to fans: Don’t go to Neymar’s house to yell at him

Things are getting worse and worse at PSG

Things have gotten truly ugly at Paris Saint-Germain, with fans taking their ire at the club’s superstars to a new level this week.

Despite PSG being five points clear atop Ligue 1 and on course to win a fifth straight French title, the latest chapter involves supporters setting up protests outside of club headquarters and telling players to leave the team.

Possibly more than 100 fans joined that demonstration, chanting that players like Lionel Messi and Marco Verratti are no longer wanted. A subset of those fans took things even further, heading to Neymar’s house in the suburbs to chant “Neymar, get lost!” from just outside his gate. Neymar’s bemused neighbors captured the scene on video.

Neymar hasn’t even been available for PSG since early March, when he underwent ankle surgery that is expected to keep him out until sometime in June.

PSG on Thursday issued a club statement saying that it “most strongly condemns the intolerable and insulting actions of a small group of individuals that took place on Wednesday. Whatever the differences of opinion, nothing justifies such actions. The club gives its full support to its players, its staff and all those targeted by such shameful behavior.”

Sour times at PSG

The protests are just the latest in a long series of messes at PSG. Messi has already gotten a taste of how the club’s fans have turned on the squad, being relentlessly booed during a loss to Lyon last month. On Monday, Messi was suspended by the club for two weeks after jetting off to Saudi Arabia without getting club permission.

In April, head coach Christophe Galtier denied allegations of racism dating back to his time in charge at Nice, while the club disappointingly crashed out of the Champions League in the round of 16 in March. Just before that, defender Achraf Hakimi was investigated by police after being accused of rape.

Even basic soccer matters have gone wrong. PSG has been dealing with a lengthy list of injured players all season long, and three of the last four teams to visit the Parc des Princes have beaten their hosts. The club’s poor form has given Marseille — who haven’t lost since PSG beat them 3-0 in late February — a slight chance of completing an unthinkable comeback in the Ligue 1 standings.

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Bayern condemn PSG to yet another Champions League disappointment

PSG once again came up short in the Champions League

Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League agonies will last for at least another year.

PSG’s wait for European glory carried on Wednesday as they crashed out of the Champions League in the round of 16 after a 3-0 aggregate loss to a disciplined, clinical Bayern Munich.

At the Allianz Arena, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s second half goal condemned a short-handed PSG to more Champions League disappointment, with the Ligue 1 juggernaut once again not able to translate domestic dominance at a continental level. Serge Gnabry tacked on a late goal to ensure celebrations in Bavaria.

Bayern’s game-winning goals in the two legs both came from ex-PSG players, with Choupo-Moting having left them for Bayern in 2020 and first-leg scorer Kingsley Coman a PSG academy product.

It’s been like this for a long, long time. PSG’s lone European trophy remains the 1995-96 Cup Winners’ Cup, which is a competition that stopped existing before the turn of the century. They have had some close calls, losing the 2019-20 final (again to Bayern), but today’s defeat comes at a familiar stage. This is the fifth time in the last seven seasons they’ve been eliminated at the first knockout hurdle.

That will likely result in some real pressure for manager Christophe Galtier, though injuries to Neymar (which likely influenced a formation change), Presnel Kimpembe, and Renato Sanches were further compounded by multiple enforced substitutions on Wednesday.

Despite those issues, PSG competed on equal terms for a long spell of the first half in a second leg they had to win. However, once the golden opportunity to equalize arrived, they weren’t ready.

Bayern goalkeeper Yann Sommer, having received a back-pass, was pressured by Kylian Mbappé and Achraf Hakimi, with the latter jarring the ball loose with a tackle. Sommer attempted a lunging tackle of his own on Vitinha, who calmly dodged that effort and sized up an empty net.

Surely the moment for PSG, right?

Wrong. Matthijs de Ligt sprinted onto the scene seemingly from nowhere, arriving just in time to slice Vitinha’s rolling shot off the line. Leo Messi had his head in his hands, Marco Verratti literally fell down upon seeing the shot not actually give them a lead, and PSG were stuck at 0-0.

In retrospect, it was a moment that changed the match. PSG’s Champions League misfortunes only grew: Marquinhos had been substituted due to a possible hip injury just two minutes before de Ligt’s denial, compounding PSG’s availability problems.

It only got worse, though, as his replacement Nordi Mukiele was then replaced at halftime by El Chadaille Bitshiabu.

Bayern sensed a foe that lacked the confidence befitting a side that can start Mbappé and Messi together, and pounced as the second half wore on. Choupo-Moting thought he had his goal in the 51st minute, but VAR ended up pulling it back after Thomas Müller was judged to be offside and involved in the play as he reached out for what turned out to be an unnecessary stab at a finish.

This should have been the wake-up call for PSG, but they never really got going again. Choupo-Moting would strike again shortly thereafter, and this time PSG wasn’t saved by VAR. Müller and Leon Goretzka pressured Verratti into a turnover, with Goretzka drawing the defense before sliding a pass over to the Cameroon striker for a simple finish.

For Choupo-Moting it marked his team-leading 17th of the season; for PSG, it was effectively game over. The Parisians only truly came close to making a game of it through Sergio Ramos’ 64th minute header, only for Sommer to come up with a top-drawer save. Such is life when you’re PSG in the Champions League.

Serge Gnabry would finish the game off late, firing home after João Cancelo’s 70-yard run left a scrambling PSG defense with little hope of intervention.

Bayern will join Chelsea, AC Milan, Benfica, and four more teams in the quarterfinal draw, while PSG’s herd of superstars will be left pondering what it will take to actually advance in this competition.

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Neymar likely out for season with ankle injury

The Brazilian star will be sidelined for 3-4 months after he undergoes ankle surgery

Neymar has suffered another major injury setback, as PSG announced the Brazilian superstar will require ankle surgery and will be sidelined 3-4 months.

With just about three months remaining in the season, the 31-year-old looks likely to be out for the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign.

Neymar suffered the injury in a win over Lille on February 19, as he was stretchered off midway through the first half.

“Neymar Jr has sustained a number of instances of instability in his right ankle in recent years,” read a PSG statement. “Following his latest sprain … the Paris Saint-Germain medical staff recommended a ligament repair operation to avoid a major risk of recurrence. All the experts consulted have confirmed this necessity.

“The surgery will be performed in the next few days at the ASPETAR hospital in Doha. It will take 3-4 months before he can return to training with the team.”

Neymar was in the midst of another standout campaign, with 18 goals and 17 assists in all competitions.

PSG currently leads Ligue 1 by eight points, and will face Bayern Munich on Wednesday in a Champions League last-16 second leg. The Bundesliga giants won the first leg 1-0 in Paris last month.

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Neymar joins ever-expanding list of PSG absentees for Bayern clash

Neymar is one of a possible five absentees for a must-win match

Paris Saint-Germain’s quest to finally win a Champions League just keeps getting more difficult.

Speaking ahead of his side’s home match against Nantes, PSG boss Christophe Gaultier has confirmed that Neymar will be out for both this weekend’s game as well as Wednesday’s second leg at Bayern Munich.

“Neymar will not be available in the next two games,” Galtier told reporters on Friday. “Without him, we may play with two [central] midfielders and three attackers, or three midfielders and two attackers.”

Back on February 19, Neymar appeared to roll his ankle in PSG’s wild 4-3 comeback win over Lille, leaving the game early in the second half on a stretcher. The following weekend, PSG adjusted to his absence in a 3-0 win at Marseille by bringing Marquinhos in at the back, shifting into a 3-5-2 formation.

Against Lille, Galtier sent Hugo Ekitiké in as Neymar’s replacement, but the 20-year-old is a very different sort of player. That wasn’t the only injury-enforced change for PSG on the day, as Nuno Mendes left the match after just 31 minutes. The Portuguese left back’s status for PSG’s upcoming games is uncertain.

PSG badly shorthanded vs. Bayern

While the win over Marseille was potentially decisive in Ligue 1 — PSG moved eight points ahead of l’OM, their closest competition for the league title at the moment — it came with yet another serious injury. Presnel Kimpembe suffered a torn Achilles tendon, adding to a growing list of injury doubts as PSG faces its biggest challenge of the season at the Allianz Arena.

In his press conference, Galtier noted that wingback Achraf Hakimi — who is being investigated for rape by French authorities — is questionable due to “muscle pain” that the coach says stems from an injury picked up during the World Cup.

Renato Sanches, meanwhile, seems sure to remain out after suffering a reoccurrence of a hamstring strain last month.

It’s not a great recipe for a PSG side that were outplayed in Paris by Bayern, falling 1-0 on a goal from Kingsley Coman. At full strength, they would have an enormously difficult task on their hands: no one has beaten Bayern at home since Eintracht Frankfurt notched a 2-1 victory back on October 3, 2021.

But without Neymar and so many other important players? It’s hard to see PSG managing to advance to the quarterfinals, leaving their pursuit of Champions League glory on hold for at least another year.

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Slumping PSG on the verge of another Champions League disappointment

PSG is looking at yet another early Champions League exit

What if Paris Saint-Germain added a fourth player who at some point was in the argument for the world’s best player? Would that work?

Something has to give for PSG, whose Champions League disappointments may well continue after they fell to a 1-0 home loss to Bayern Munich in their round of 16 first leg match on Tuesday.

Despite their many superstars, PSG have suddenly lost more games in the last six days than they had all season.

The latest defeat almost felt expected. With Kylian Mbappé only able to play 33 minutes off the bench, PSG looked flat from kickoff and seemed to be hoping to simply get through this first leg with a chance to take the tie with a second-leg win. They may have been lucky that Bayern decided to approach the match with patience rather than firing on all cylinders.

In the end, Kingsley Coman’s 53rd minute goal sneaked past Gianluigi Donnarumma, leaving PSG — even with Mbappé, Leo Messi, and Neymar all in the fold — staring at the massive disappointment of an early Champions League exit.

PSG has now lost three straight matches, falling 2-1 at Marseille in the Coupe de France on February 8, and then being beaten at Monaco 3-1 in Ligue 1 three days later. That hasn’t happened since 2020, when they fell in the final game of the 2019-2020 season and then lost their first two matches after the abbreviated break between seasons.

If they can’t figure out how to win at the Allianz Arena on March 8, it’ll be the latest European disappointment for a team built to, you know, win the Champions League.

Round of 16 exit not acceptable

Mbappé, Messi, and Neymar are joined by Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi, Fabián, Marco Verratti, and one of Europe’s great young prospects in Warren Zaïre-Emery in the kind of squad assembled when you expect to win everything. Another failure may result in Christophe Galtier becoming the latest high-profile manager to fall short at PSG, where winning Ligue 1 is considered a matter of course at this point.

The fact is, though, that PSG has a long history of not making it happen on the European stage. Their only trophy in UEFA competition remains the 1995-1996 Cup Winners’ Cup, a competition so old that it is literally defunct. The only other European adventure that went well for them was the 2001 Intertoto Cup, a competition that was really little more than an expanded qualification process for the old UEFA Cup.

Last year, PSG saw a 2-0 aggregate lead disappear at this same stage, with Karim Benzema scoring a hat trick in the final 30 minutes to send Real Madrid through instead. In 2020-21, PSG got as far as the semifinals, but were brushed aside by Manchester City. A year earlier, this same result — 1-0 against Bayern, with Coman scoring in the final of the pandemic-shortened version of that year’s Champions League (which was the first game in the aforementioned previous three-game losing streak for the club).

Mbappé’s second-half return from injury will probably mean a quick reversal in their overall form. Without the France star, they scraped out a 2-1 win over Toulouse before beginning this three-game losing streak. And sure enough, even looking less than 100%, the PSG attack suddenly found more space due to the threat of Mbappé’s runs in behind.

Still, while Mbappé’s return will most likely change PSG’s poor form in French play, it seems like it’ll take more than that to end whatever the hex is that hangs over them once the opening chords of the Champions League theme starts to ring out on matchday.

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