Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar has claimed that winning the Ballon d’Or is not a “goal” for him, despite the expectations that he sees are on him to win the award.
Neymar has come close several times to winning the Ballon d’Or but still, he has yet to collect this prestigious honor in world football.
For instance, Neymar finished in third place in the final voting for the 2015 Ballon d’Or behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Many projected that Neymar would claim a Ballon d’Or win over his first years with PSG, but this has not panned out as injuries have marred his current run with the French powerhouse.
Amid the expectations that have been placed on him to win this award, Neymar does not see that this feat is a major goal for his footballing career, which he recently detailed why (via Le10Sport).
“The Ballon d’Or is something that has always followed me during my career,” Neymar said. “Not for me, but because of the pressure I’ve been under since I started playing professionally. People always try to put on my resume the fact that I have to win the Ballon d’Or. So far, this has not happened, and it is not something that worries me.
“I know my football, what I do for many years on the field, which is the most important. I don’t know what it takes to be on the podium, but it doesn’t matter to me.
“I want to be a champion with Paris Saint-Germain, with the Brazilian national team, that’s what’s important to me. Individual awards are nice, they are cool, of course, they are engraved on my shelf, but for me, it is not a goal.”
Neymar is currently not among the favorites to win the Ballon d’Or this year, especially considering the top performances that the likes of Messi and Robert Lewandowski have orchestrated as of late.
It remains to be seen whether Neymar will be able to soon put together a complete year with both PSG and the Brazilian national team, which could go a long way in the forward possibly claiming this annual award.
Want more PSG? Visit the PSG Talk Podcast Network page and subscribe to PSG Talking, The 1970, and 24th & Parc
