Neymar believes that he would have won the Ballon d'Or while playing at PSG between 2017 and 2023 if it weren't for the amount of serious injuries he picked up.
While Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema all took home the prestigious individual honour during that period, Neymar suggests that he would have had a greater chance of winning if he didn't spend so much time on the sidelines.
He has received nine Ballon d'Or nominations during his playing career, with his best-place finish third, achieved in 2015 and 2017. Only three of those nominations came during his time at PSG, however, highlighting how out of the picture he truly was.
Neymar rues missed Ballon d'Or opportunity
That's despite joining PSG in 2017 aged 25, before leaving in 2023 at 31. Those six years were the prime years for Neymar, but he missed 136 games in total through injury during that period.
"I’ve been quite unlucky with injuries," Neymar told Romario, on the 58-year-old's new podcast. "For about seven years now, I’ve battled issues that have sidelined me for three to six months at a time. This has hindered my chances. If you think about it, it’s clear.
"Anyone who understands football knows my prime was at PSG. I was in a position to win the Ballon d'Or, but injuries made it difficult. Of course, every player dreams of winning it, but it doesn't nag at me. Life moves on; it wasn’t meant to be, and I accept that."
The most amount of games Neymar managed in a single season was just 31 in all competitions, coming in 2020/21, with injuries hampering his time in the French capital.
In two seasons less at Barcelona, Neymar actually made 13 more appearances, highlighting how his unavailability had an impact on his chances of individual accolades.
He did score more at PSG, though, 118 goals compared to the 105 he managed earlier in his career at Barcelona. Perhaps if he had stayed more fit at PSG, he would've challenged the aforementioned winners of the Ballon d'Or.
