Neymar and Kylian Mbappé formed a partnership at PSG in 2017, becoming the two most expensive players in football history.
In the beginning, their friendship seemed strong, but over time, conflicts of personality and self-interest began to surface. The tension between them also impacted PSG’s dressing room.
Managing Neymar and Mbappé became a challenge for PSG’s management and coaches, and even the arrival of superstar Lionel Messi couldn’t resolve their differences.
Eventually, after spending several years together, the two parted ways. Neymar moved to Saudi club Al Hilal, while Mbappé fulfilled his dream by joining Real Madrid. Interestingly, Real Madrid is home to four of Neymar’s Brazilian teammates: Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Endrick Felipe, and Éder Militão.
Reports suggest that Mbappé shares a warm relationship with the Brazilian players at Real, especially Vinícius.
There have been instances where Vinícius allowed Mbappé to take penalties and they’ve celebrated goals together. However, Neymar reportedly sent a warning to his Brazilian friends about playing with Mbappé, claiming it is like a “living nightmare.”
This information was shared by French journalist and television personality Cyril Hanouna. Neymar and Mbappé played 136 matches together for PSG between 2017 and 2023, scoring 54 goals combined during that time.
In the “Europe 1” podcast, Hanouna said, “Those Brazilians at Real are Neymar’s friends. There was always a conflict between Neymar and Mbappé, and in that context, Neymar sent a message to his Brazilian friends, telling them that playing with Mbappé is a disaster, like a living hell.”
Now, Neymar and Mbappé reside in two different worlds. Neymar, who plays for Al Hilal, has sidelined for almost 11 months due to injury, with no clear timeline for his return. Meanwhile, Mbappé is still finding his footing at Real Madrid. Despite not scoring in his first three La Liga matches, he netted two goals in his last two games.
