When Paris Saint-Germain signed Lionel Messi in 2021 as a free agent, the capital club likely thought that adding the Argentine to Kylian Mbappé and Neymar Jr. would be the attacking trio to lead them to UEFA Champions League glory.
Neymar shed light on the reasons behind the team’s recent Champions League disappointments, particularly in the last two seasons. Despite boasting a formidable trio that included himself, Mbappé, and Messi, the club’s European aspirations have been thwarted with early exits in the round of 16.
“Football stuff,” Neymar said in an interview with the Youtube channel “Que Papinho” (h/t ESPN Brazil). “Galacticos didn’t win the Champions League, so it’s part of it. We had a very strong team. Me, Messi, and Mbappé are three guys who are the best in the world.
“We know that, but unfortunately, it didn’t fit. It wasn’t good for us. Obviously, we wanted to win everything, [and] we were close in the locker room, but sometimes football is not right [or] fair. It’s not like a cake recipe.”
As the Brazilian forward remains at PSG, Mbappé has an uncertain future with the Ligue 1 side. The 24-year-old opted not to trigger the option to extend his contract until 2025. Mbappé can become a free agent next summer, and PSG could be looking to sell him this summer.
Meanwhile, Messi has already begun the next chapter of his career after signing with MLS side Inter Miami. PSG is going in a different direction and Neymar might be the only player standing once the 2023-24 season starts.
