There have been many reasons for why Brazilian star Neymar would move to France. Some have pointed out how he was at the shadow of Lionel Messi at Barcelona and how he needed his own space to shine.
Some others claimed the deal was all about money for the player, his family, more for being the World Cup ambassador and PSG getting the benefits on the pitch. Some other preferred the idea that Neymar badly wanted to win the Ballon d’Or – which might take him three more years to win when the Messi-Ronaldo war ends.
Speaking of, Cristiano Ronaldo is set to equal Messi’s five-time Ballon d’Or awards in the next event for his record achievements for Real Madrid and Portugal. Messi still has two to three years at the top level so the pair would continue the decade-old battle until retirement.
Neymar has been ranked the third best player behind the duo but the move to PSG could shake things up as age slows down Ronaldo and Messi. The 25-year old is in his prime and with the support of his teammates at Paris Parc de Princes, Neymar could end the war by being the next Ballon d’Or winner.
Barcelona never expected PSG to trigger the release clause of the player at €222 million. That of Ronaldo is reportedly $1.5 billion but the actions of the state-backed club show that such clauses are not out-of-this-world. PSG have spent around $800 million since 2011. While they have enjoyed local dominance, the dream is continental glory and Neymar can help. If the Champions League winner can deliver this at PSG within the next two years, why should he not be crowned the next Ballon d’Or winner?
