Lionel Messi has opened up on why he rejected the chance to wear the No.10 shirt at Paris Saint-Germain.
Neymar was willing to give the Argentine his jersey when he arrived at the French club in August.
Messi refused the Brazil international's generous offer and chose to wear the No.30 instead, his first squad number at Barcelona.
The forward's decision stunned many within European football, as he wore the No10 for the previous 13 seasons in Spain.
Speaking to France Football via Get French Football News, Messi insisted it was "fair" for Neymar to keep the famous jersey.
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"He’s the number 10," said Messi. "I’m new at the club, I was coming to help. It’s a fantastic gesture on his part. I was expecting it, because I know Ney well.
"We spent time together at Barcelona and we’re friends. It seemed fairer to me that he keep the number 10. It’s why I took another number I liked."
Messi was speaking to France Football after claiming their prestigious Ballon d'Or award for a record seventh time on Monday.
Many believe that triumph has secured the Barcelona icon's legacy as the greatest footballer of all time, but he doesn't see it that way.
"I've never said it, thought it, or even tried to get used to the idea of it," added Messi.
"For me, the fact alone that I can be considered among the best in the world is more than enough. It’s something which I never would have dared to imagine or dream of.
"But… [pauses] I don’t know how to say this without being misinterpreted… It’s not that it doesn’t interest me, but let’s say that I don’t attach a lot of importance to all of that.
"Being the best or not doesn’t change anything for me. Nor have I ever looked to be the best."
Despite receiving dozens of individual honours throughout his illustrious career, Messi has always remained humble.
He agreed to lie down behind the wall for a Manchester City free kick in their Champions League clash in September.
"At that precise moment, it’s what we needed," said Messi, discussing that incident. "We were winning.
"There was no one to do it, and since I was there, I lied down. Honestly, it’s nothing. We all have to contribute in order to get results."
Although Messi has won the Ballon d'Or more times than Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten combined, his time PSG hasn't started too well.
The Argentine has scored just once in Ligue 1 this season, although he's found the back of the net three times in the Champions League.
PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino has backed Messi to regain his form and help the team win plenty of silverware this term.
"Leo has an incredible talent and has always scored, so he will score plenty more here," said Pochettino, as quoted by Reuters.
"It's a matter of time and efficiency. He gets a lot of chances in every game. The ball will eventually go in and he will help us a lot, as he already does."
