Neymar Jr. Reveals Key Moments in His Career

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Choosing Barcelona Over Real Madrid

In a recent interview with Podpah, Neymar Jr. opened up about his decision to join Barcelona instead of Real Madrid despite receiving a lucrative offer from Los Blancos.

“Real Madrid offered me a blank check” – Neymar revealed that Real Madrid presented him with a blank check, allowing him to name his price. “They told me I could have whatever I wanted… but I wanted Barça with my heart,” he stated.
Turning Down Triple the Money – Despite the financial incentive, Neymar chose passion over profit. “I would have made three times more money at Real Madrid. Florentino Pérez always liked me,” he admitted.
Inspired by Ronaldinho, Driven by Messi – A key factor in Neymar’s decision was his admiration for Ronaldinho, who had previously starred for Barcelona. “Ronaldinho played there, and I wanted to
play with Messi,” he added, highlighting his dream of sharing the pitch with the Argentine legend.

Neymar on His Olimpico Goal

Scoring with Intention – Neymar confirmed that his olímpico goal was intentional. “I can confirm the olímpico goal was on purpose.”
A Message to the Fans – He shared his mindset during the moment: “I was thinking to myself… Man, if I score this, their fans are gonna see!”
His Celebration – After scoring, Neymar turned to the opposing fans and said, “Well, now what?”

Neymar on Training with Messi

Helping Messi with Penalties – Neymar recalled a training session where Messi asked him for penalty tips. “We were in training, and he asked me… ‘How do you take penalties like that?’”
Encouraging the GOAT – Neymar responded humorously, saying, “Are you crazy? You’re Messi! If I can do it, you can too.”
Messi’s Practice – Neymar explained that after his advice, Messi trained and improved his penalties.

Neymar on Almost Joining Bayern Munich

Pep Guardiola’s Influence – Neymar revealed that he was close to joining Bayern Munich because of Pep Guardiola. “After I won the Puskás Award, my dad kept calling me at 2 AM. I answered, and he told me to open the door… I was in boxers. It was my dad, Pep Guardiola, and the translator!”
Pep’s Promise – Guardiola personally tried to convince Neymar, saying, “I want to sign you and bring you with me, to whatever club I go to. I will make you the best player in the world.”
Tactical Vision – Neymar shared that Pep showed him a paper, opened his laptop, and explained where he would play. Guardiola even joked, “If you don’t score 60 goals in a season, I’ll change my name.”
The Final Decision – Despite the compelling pitch, Neymar ultimately decided to join Barcelona. “I convinced him to tell me the team, and he said: ‘I’m signing with Bayern.’ I knew it was a cold city, but he told me he would take care of me. In the end, I chose Barça.”