Neymar, the 34-year-old Brazilian forward now with Santos, believes he reached his best form while playing for Paris Saint-Germain. In an interview reported by Football365, the former PSG player identifies his time in the French capital as the peak of his individual performance—while acknowledging that his years at FC Barcelona hold a special place in the public’s memory.
Neymar: “The best version of Neymar emerged at Paris Saint-Germain”
“For me, my best periods were at Paris Saint-Germain, when I first joined the club. I know people remember my time at Barcelona—when I was part of the ‘MSN’ trio—and everything I achieved with that team, but I believe the best version of Neymar appeared at Paris Saint-Germain. Back then, I had strength, speed, and intelligence, and I became capable of grasping every detail on the pitch.”
The recollection of a player who felt complete
By placing intelligence on the same level as strength and speed, Neymar offers a key to understanding his time in Paris. He describes a forward who felt just as capable of reading the game as he was of making a decisive impact with the ball at his feet. His own recollection goes beyond mere spectacular moments.
His 118 goals and 70 assists in 173 matches lend weight to this assessment. In Paris, his influence was also reflected in his significant statistical output. While the judgment on the best period of his career is ultimately his own, the level of play he claims to have reached is not based solely on a nostalgic fondness for a few highlight-reel plays.
The regret that this level wasn’t sustained for longer
This is also what makes the memory somewhat frustrating. Injuries—as noted by Football365—interrupted his progress and undermined his consistency. One can certainly recognize the immense quality he displayed in Paris, while simultaneously regretting that his best stretches were so frequently cut short. Here, Neymar speaks about the kind of footballer he believes he was. This sheds light on his own perspective, though it does not, in itself, provide a definitive assessment of his years at the club. For PSG, the talent on offer and the question of whether they could consistently rely on him were both significant factors. The pleasure of having seen him play at such a level—and the regret that there wasn’t more of it to enjoy—are two sides of the same memory.
