Neymar and Lionel Messi. Two names that struck fear into opponents when listed alongside one another on the team sheet.
The South American duo were two-thirds of one of football’s most devastating triumvirates, forging a remarkable relationship alongside Luis Suárez at Barcelona. The fabled ‘MSN’ trio spent three years together in Catalonia before Neymar’s record-breaking move to Paris Saint-Germain, but Messi would follow him to the French capital four years later.
They reunited for two seasons at Parc des Princes before once again going their separate ways, Neymar making the unsuccessful journey to Al Hilal and Messi opting for Inter Miami.
If recent reports are to be believed, Neymar could well be joining the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner in Florida in the near future, linking up with his close friend one last time.
Here’s how Neymar and Messi fared when playing together previously.
Games Played Together
Neymar and Messi shared the field plenty at Barcelona and then PSG. In fact, they featured alongside each other in a grand total of 206 matches, their first appearance together in August 2013 and their most recent in February 2023.
Due to Neymar’s worsening injury issues, only 45 of those matches came while they played for PSG, with the other 161 for Barça.
When lining up together, they enjoyed an impressive points-per-game ratio of 2.3, securing 149 wins and only losing on 30 occasions. There were only ten matches in which they were both named in the squad but didn’t share the pitch at the same time.
Goals Scored
Unsurprisingly, Neymar and Messi were pretty darn good together. In their 206 matches alongside one another, they combined for 67 goals in total, 27 of which were scored by the Brazilian and 40 of which were netted by the Argentine. Only 11 of the goals they assisted for one another came at PSG.
Messi was more prolific and creative when the duo shared the pitch, however, scoring 166 goals and producing 94 assists during the 206 games. The bulk of those contributions came at Barcelona, with just 39 of them managed during time shared at PSG.
Neymar wasn’t far off Messi in terms of invention, managing 84 total assists, but his tally of 109 goals pales in comparison to that of his magical teammate.
Trophy Haul
Neymar and Messi have not struggled for silverware both individual and collective across their careers, and they won plenty together. In the six total seasons they spent sharing the field, they lifted 11 trophies aloft.
The 2014–15 Champions League was their most impressive triumph with Barcelona, where they also combined for three Copa del Reys, two La Liga titles, the Spanish Super Cup and the old FIFA Club World Cup. Quite the haul in just four years together in Catalonia.
In two seasons at PSG, they were comfortable Ligue 1 victors in both, while they also clinched the Trophée des Champions in 2022. Notably, they failed to win the Champions League despite forming a new terrifying forward trio along with Kylian Mbappé.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Neymar’s Record Playing With Lionel Messi Amid Inter Miami Reunion Links.
