Pique: 'Because Messi's shadow was too big, Neymar left Barca'

Gerard Pique revealed that Neymar left Barcelona to escape Messi's overshadowing presence, a choice that cost him the chance to win the Ballon d'Or.

In a recent conversation on the Brazilian podcast Podpah, Gerard Pique unexpectedly recalled Neymar's peak period at Barcelona and insisted that the Brazilian star could have won the Ballon d'Or if he had not left the Catalan club. According to the former Spanish defender, the move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 was the turning point that caused Neymar to lose his path to glory.

Pique said: "Based on what Neymar has achieved, I firmly believe he deserved the Ballon d'Or. I can't specify the exact year, but he reached that level. However, moving to Paris Saint-Germain caused that opportunity to disappear."

The former Barca captain revealed that Neymar left because he wanted to step out of Lionel Messi's shadow. "Neymar wanted to go to Paris to prove himself and win the Ballon d'Or, because he felt it would be difficult to achieve that while playing alongside Messi" - Pique shared.

According to Pique, Barcelona’s internal team did everything possible to keep Neymar. "We did everything we could to retain him. When I posted the status 'He will stay,' I truly believed Neymar would remain. But deep down, I knew he had already made his decision."

Even without the Ballon d'Or, Pique still holds great respect for his former teammate. He said: "Even without winning the Ballon d'Or, Neymar remains one of the greatest players. I've never seen anyone with such natural talent — his dribbling, creativity, and joy on the pitch remind me of Ronaldinho."

During four seasons at Barcelona (2013-2017), Neymar, along with Messi and Suarez, formed the legendary MSN attacking trio, helping the team win every major title like the Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey, and FIFA Club World Cup.

Pique concluded: "From the Club World Cup final between Barca and Santos, we knew Neymar was something special. Football is a team sport, and his greatness goes beyond individual awards."

After all these years, does Neymar regret leaving Barcelona to seek his own spotlight at PSG?