“A player between eras” that’s the perfect way to describe his situation

Three times you put a crown on his head, three times you took it straight off. Tifo are lowkey brutal.

"A football prince without a crown." That really defines Ney Jr.

"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." He's like the naturally smart/gifted kid that strolled through middle school but in high school and college his grades went downhill because he didn't put the work in, and kept getting passed by people less gifted that did put the work in.

The most underrated aspect of Messi and Ronaldo over the years has to be their fitness. They have almost never missed a crunch European tie over the years.

This video proves that how lucky we were to see dominance of Ronaldo and Messi at the same time.

As a Brazilian, I can confidently say it's all about mentality. People admire Neymar's skills but a lot of people hates his personality. Also, Neymar gave multiple signs that he doesn't care about the Ballon d'Or. (Update: I don't hate neymar)

Now here see messi n Ronaldo well over their 30s, scoring almost 30goals this season and still considered as average year for them.. pure legends ❤️❤️

If Neymar had the same mentality as Ronaldo or Messi he could’ve almost been on that level, I mean whenever I’ve seen him play he almost always seems to be by far the most talented player on the pitch

People's perception of Neymar is always going to be that of a topper in his class with a very cringy attitude. That's the reason why he never attained a cult-like status in the dimension of the footballing world.

Good analysis. Imho, the 2014 WC was the pivotal moment. It was his chance to immortalize himself. He really was unlucky there, as the foul that led to his back injury was nasty. Then the 1-7 happened without him and Brazil has never been quite the same since then. They play beautiful football at times, but something is missing. Something Argentina had this year. Call it team spirit or the ultimate will to win. Personally, I don't care about PSG at all. You can't buy love.

The middle child of football. Big bro (Messi) little bro (Mbappe)

"A player stuck between eras" I feel like Kaká would definitely fit that description. Sure he's won a Balon D'or, but his peak was at a moment when social media had just been starting, and his peak between 2005-2007 was kinda like the bridge between a more traditional style of football and a more polished style of European football, and also the start of the Ronaldo-Messi dominance.

Messi and Ronaldo are really legends. Still hope to see them playing together on the same team just for the hell of it

Ok, I'm brazilian. I have finally seen a great argument about Neymar's carreer and his chances to win the Ballon D'or. There is also much hate on him and people always confuse things and evaluate him differently than the others. Yes, he is a magician player and I'm that type of a guy who truly believed and believes that he deserved to be the best player in the world, but this appearences and goals statistics are really important. He actually didn't play as many games as CR7 and Messi during the past seasons. Even though I don't agree that his move to PSG was a mistake, I totally understand the he could have shown more - in and off the pitch. Great analysis. Congrats.

Honestly that "back injury" was more of an attack to take him out willingly accepting that he might not recover from it at all. I remember the game. Some guy basically jump-kicked him into the spine, which, unsurprisingly, resulted in a fracture. That could have well paralyzed him for life. I don't think it was a result of worse fitness or so compared to Messi/Ronaldo, just bad luck. There were obviously other injuries that i know less about but that one had nothing to do with him.

His attitude is the prime reason

Imagine playing for nearly ten years behind Messi and Ronaldo's shadow. Two athletes who seemed to not age It is frustrating

Ok… valid points and truly heartbreaking. I admire Neymar’s talent so much. I wish he turns this around and shocks the entire world and his critics. He deserves all the accolades before he retires. I believe in his God given abilities.

As a Brazilian, it's a shame to see what Neymar has become. I remember him tearing the league apart and making even the best brazilian (and south-american) defenders look like crap. I support a rival team that Neymar destroyed a couple of times, but he was a joy to watch. He gave us hope of better things to come after the "burocratic" Brazilian team in 2010 WC. But I don't feel the same watching him nowadays. He seems to have lost his spark and isn't taking football seriously, much like we've seen with Ronaldinho. Nowadays we hear more about his off field adventures than his on field performance.

Instead of leaving Barca afraid of being overshadowed by Leo , he should have tried to over come that and learn more from Leo

An absolute accurate video. Loved Neymar really, his flair, dribbling and stuff. His attitude doesn't quite Ballon D'Or-ish.

Brazilian players in general, specially in modern times, have a reputation for inconsistency and not being able to leave partying behind. One year they are on top and the next it seems as if their talent or drive to win banished. That has been reflected on the National team too. To give Neymar some credit he has remained very competitive and the best of his country for a long time, even if he never reached the heights people imagined he should have.

i look a neymar and think: "what if he took himself as seriously as CR7"? i mean i have always grown up with the idea that the one who works the hardest, deserves the best. Thats why i always put CR7 first, i cant thnk of anyone who puts so much time in taking care of himself as Ronaldo. I think Neymar is a better naturally giftet footballer than CR7, but Ronaldo works harder to become better

Neymar maneged to be among the 10 best players in the world playing in Brasil. It shows how great his potencial is. unfornately, the injuries and bad career decisions are resulting in this current scenario

If his sister asked him to win the Ballon D’or I reckon he’d win it in the next 2 years!

honestly, as a brazilian we all know that it is not a problem that he was born "between eras" the problem is that he is a man-child with a father that never told him no and will never have the mental strenght to be the best...that is it

unpopular opinion : I think Neymar reached Messi and CR7's level between 2014 and 2017. Of course he had less goals but that's because he wasn't in the center of his team unlike them but on the other stats he was clearly at their level if not better some years (dribble, assists, key passes, cross, dual win, etc.) and he was relevant during big games, sometimes even more than them. Unfortunatly, like said in this video, popularity and campaign for the ballon d'or is more important than the true level. I remember so many games were Neymar was the true hero of Barca but every newspaper had Messi on their first page. Of course I'm not saying that he was stolen a Ballon d'Or (whatever it means), just that in term of pur capacity, he was similar to them during that period. Unfortunatly passed 2017 he was to frequently injured too obtain it.

I know he’s getting crazy money at psg but being recognized amongst the greatest ever players is priceless if you love the game

“A player between eras” is an excellent description of Neymar. He left Barcelona to get out of Messi’s shadow and probably thought he would be Mbappe’s “mentor” for some time, but Mbappe was clearly ready for the world stage without Neymar’s guidance. Neymar is inarguably a ridiculously talented player (full of ego-motivated failings, admittedly), and he’ll have plenty of trophies by the time he retires. But there’s definitely a feeling that with the right timing, better decisions, and a bit of luck, he could’ve been king of the world.

With Modric (33) and Benzema (35) getting one late on in their careers, I think Neymar could also do the same. Although he would have to get lucky with a good World Cup run, or Mbappe and Haaland to have a bit of a down season.

“A player between eras” couldn’t have put it better myself

Neymar wanted to win the Ballon d'or and went to Ligue 1 😭😭

I never understood why people thought he would get overshadowed cause of messi. David villa, theiry Henry and even iniesta and Xavi showed their class playing with messi.

"A prince who couldn't be king" Perfect to describe him

Lmao. Aged like the finest wine ever

Because the moment the Ballon'Dor touches Neymar, he'll start rolling on the floor all the way from France to Brazil.

It's sad how he's wasting his prime years, just like Isco and Dybala settling for less than their talents

Man said Felix, Sancho and Fati with a straight face 😭😭😭

"Mbappe is younger, more socially concious, and has a direct, devastating style of play" that aged well didnt it

lewandowski should've won it last year, was a phenomenal season

1 of the dislikes is from his sister.

Neymar's way of playing is so beautiful. Its like he is performing or dancing. I love watching him play because it brings back what made football so exciting and fun to watch growing up with players like Ronaldo (9) and Ronaldhino. He doesnt get respect from the public and in my opinion other players dont respect him. He is accused of diving (i know he can be dramatic) but if you watch replays of players tackling him, they really do it viciously and many times it seems they do it on purpose. Other big players dont get tackled in the same way. So he can't be blamed for the injuries. Also the position he plays has a lot to do with how much he scores. He creates opportunities for others. For me, when assessing a player, we should look at the player as a whole and not just how much they score.

Expectations about him were always bigger than his real performance. A few flashes of genious here and there but as many brazilian players he lacks the discipline and mentality to display his talent in a regular basis and support his ambitions. And thats especially essential in the Messi-Ronaldo era. These two are beasts, have an enormous talent but also an undeniable strong work ethic. They put football first and live for it and for that reason their performances have been always constant and over the top. Neymar only cares about fame and money and is a toxic element in any club. Football is a team sport and his ego is not a good mix to achieve success.

Neymar, and not to mention Mbappe Haaland and a host of other younger stars, have a great shot at winning the Ballon d'or but Tifo's choice is the Ivorian international Ibrahim Sangare

Maybe it wasnt quite all Neymar's fault. Messi and Ronaldo has set a whole new best player standard that overcomes every balondor holders in the past and maybe in the long future. Neymar was expected to become the next big thing because people used to believe that Leo and Cristiano would soon fall out after their thirties like every other ballondor holders, but unluckily (or more like luckily), the duo has continued to entertain us till now

Talent ,skills , hardwork may at best secure One Ballon d'or But to win it multiple times , Discipline + Commitment + Consistency is needed Thanks Cristiano & Messi for teaching us this life lesson

I've always had the feeling that Neymar could be right up there with Messi and Ronaldo. Can't explain why. It's just a feeling. Perhaps I sense his talent. But he was never going to reach messi and ronaldo's heights without mirroring their dedication.

Dude just got to stay healthy a whole season and win a ucl

The issue as I see it with Neymar is that he never had someone tell him what Mino riola told zlatan, "sell all your cars and concentrate on football". Neymar has been in the public eye since he was a teenager and let that part of his life overshadow his football. He could have skipped the cameo in xxx-the return of Xander cage.

4:55 this pretty sums up the condition too, besides being 'a player between two eras' he is also not up for the competition where the qualification is more than just skill and naturally gifted talent, you need to work hard and have the guts to win.. And that's what both Messi and Ronaldo did that makes them sit on another level

Neymar still looks and acts like a teenager. He never grew up.

Discipline is so important in literally anything.

Imo he made the wrong career choice while moving to PSG and he was unfortunate to exist in the era of arguably the two greatest players to ever live.

A player between eras is a really nice sentence here. I believe there are quite a few players who would fit in that category, Paulo Dybala immediately came to mind. would be an interesting topic of discussion, how big a role does timing hold in how big a footballer one can become.

Damn!! This is the worlds best football channel. You my friends are good👌 Your analysis is always top notch.

"... and that's of course, without considering the candidacy of players like our choice, Ibrahim Sangaré" - Tifo

it would be nice to see him win it at least once.. the '14 WC was cruel to Brazil although Germany proved to everybody they deserved it. Neymar has definitely marked the beginning of a social media craze, whether it is his flair, his hairstyle, attitude, shoes and more recently contractural headlines, and being a player between eras - it would just be nice to see him hold the Ballon d'Or for the people and fans.. thank you for the amazing video

I'd like to share this video with my friends in Brazil, but they don't speak english. Your videos are amazing and has great analysis. Congratulations

I think if he actually stays fit to play a full season he could still win. I think he's definitely more talented that Mbappe IMHO. If PSG can win a CL and Neymar stays healthy he can win it. I don't think he'll ever reach the heights of Messi or Ronaldo but nobody else will either that's not Neymar's fault

Pretty detailed. I must admit, when I saw the title I assumed it was going to be one of those Neymar rant videos but this really did change nh perspective. Great job as always Tifo!

Lewandowski deserves it far and away this year no one else comes close

Excellent video. There's no doubt he's incredibly skilled, but it's tough to respect a sportsman who doesn't respect their own talent.

Right to the point! "A player between eras". Greetings from Brazil.

Wow. This had got to be the best piece of writing on the channel. Kudos to the people involved. 👏👏

What he did to Haaland last season explains it all. Maybe if he could correct his childish behaviors and mature a little, then he might stand a chance one day.

It's pretty obvious. He joined the sport during the time of Ronaldo and Messi. Not only that for much of his time he played alongside talents bigger than himself. He feeds those bigger talents, and scoring goals will always be worth more than setting up the goal. Then you get into the issue, that players like Messi, or Mbappe, don't need Neymar to help them. He's unfortunately been placed in the trap of playing for high profile clubs with the greatest players in the world, and not being the center piece of those clubs. If he was a striker, and not a winger he would be talked about differently. Also the crying and pretending you broke your ankle doesn't help either.

This video broke my heart. It's sad to see such talent not being fully utilised.

It makes me sad that forwards are the only players really considered these days. The defenders that shut them down just get ignored because they're not as flashy or standout

Next from Tifo: *Why Ibrahim Sangare will definitely win the Ballon d'Or*

I feel like excpectations could be a part of it too, you know. I mean, neymar comes from a country which traditionally has had a lot of great players. And, you can't only critique neymar after a Pelé, for example. Brazil has had a host of great players, like ronaldinho gaucho, ronaldo lima , romario, just to name a few . At least on the national team, you can't excpect him to win 1, 2 or 3 world cups. That was only possible for pelé, but Pelé played for some of the greatest brazilian national teams though. Anyways, neymar will always be a brazilian great who might not have lived up to the hype of some . But he is brazilian after all, its not that easy being a Brazilian playing for Brazil, knowing their history.

The fact the video is 2 years old and has reached 1 million subscribers, shows what kind of prediction it was from Tifo Football. Now in 2023 Neymar left Europe and join Saudi pro League. He may not won ballondor in his career but won multiple individual awards and team trophy. Hope he enjoy his career in Al Hilal.

Can't wait for Mbappe and Haaland to battle for that crown. Interesting and more enjoyable future of football is ahead.

Really hope Lewandowski wins this year, he’s really deserved one these past two years!

next year he’s got this my boi gonna ace it the next 5 years at PSG 🇫🇷🔥

I'm listening to this for probably tenth time right now, your a great story teller. Props to you.

Besides what was said in the video, it really is the environment around him too that hindered neymar. The players around him, and his injuries are largely to blame to the constant knocks and clashes he goes against when defenders slide in to take him out. It’s really unfortunate to not see him at his full potential

Men, shout out to Tifo Mehn. You guys rock!. Great Job Tifo team. The voice texture, the delivery, the flow, thea analysis. Yeah, everything is so on point!

I love the way you put Leo and Cr7 Popupp always Together!!🔥❤️❤️🐐🐐🐐

I remember telling my friend this in 2016 and here we are.

Neymar not winning a Ballan D'or and Messi not winning an international trophy by the end of their respective careers seems injustice to their talent and legacy but at the same time pretty much realistic at this point of time . 😔 Edit: Messi won Copa America 🙏🙏❤

Wow, this video only came out today and there's already 1,171 comments. That's Neymar for you.. and obviously Tifo's ability to create brilliant, thought-provoking, well-illustrated videos that get to the heart of popular talking points and more obscure stories.

this is the first video Im watching from this channel and I love it, you have my subscription

That injury this year destroyed all his plans about ballon d'or. He misses a lot of games in french and matchs in ucl. With this and if he became the champion of ucl, he will be a strong candidate

Compulsive self- improvement Singular focus Determination never to leave the pitch. 🔥🔥🔥

Super Gigi never got that "award". Andrea Pirlo same story. Both of them redefined their role and raised the bar but never scored 50 goals a year (what became dominantly the biggest thing that counts).

I am brasillian and we know , as much as him deserved the ballon de oro, however also he had very blame in your "failure", but play a lot. Como dizemos aqui no Brasil, Joga muitoooo !!!!

The amount of talent he possesses, he should have been ahead of both Messi Ronaldo by now. He isn't even close. Them both carrying struggling teams with debt to champions league spots, he's losing league titles with oil money IN FRANCE.

He may not win the ballon d'or but he is enjoying life. Living the dream. He may want to win something for the team though to make him a legend in the club.

Still some fans compare him to Messi Ronaldo. They have 11 ballon d'ors and they play for it every second. Where this guy is like that insanely talented kid who never grew up.

My Boi Benzi ❤😎 He deserves the world.

Neymar was a star in Brazil since he was a kid always labelled the "Chosen one" and in 2014 it seemed like he could fulfill that destiny that if we're being honest was not a destiny he chose for himself and when that injury against Colombia happened it meant his destiny was gone forever and ever since a sense of self-entitlement crept in and he has not been able to shake it off

I think it didn’t help for Neymar that the hype for him coming from Brazil was so loud that by the time he arrived in Europe we were bound to think he was overrated. When he came from Santos to Barca the talk was that he would almost immediately displace Messi and was not just Leo but Pele’s natural heir. That first season and then the 2014 WC while he was adjusting to Europe and Stardom were then very underwhelming

That ending got me feeling so sad for Neymar now 😢

I think the 2022-23 season will be it. He seems more determined than ever, since it will probably be his last world cup as well, and he does also want to win the champions League. He looks the most concentrated out of PSG at the moment.

I always think goals per game scored is a great measure of an attacker's potency. It's not what I would use to sign a player, since an injured player is no good to a team, but as a fan, Neymar's injury record does not detract from how great he is when he is on the field. Plus... at what price beauty? The way he plays is extraordinary.

Neymar definitely used to not take his talent as seriously as he should have in the earlier years at PSG but in the last few seasons he’s definitely sharpened up and committed more the only problem is all those injuries that keep happening to him but even with all that being said I still think he can commit more and PSG need more from him and I think if he worked as hard as Cristiano and Messi I feel like he could be up there with them and have those kinds of numbers now that he’s signed a new deal I guess we’ll see what happens

Cristiano and Lionel just made everyone else look bad. Before these two, no Ballon d'Or winner could play at an absurd level for more than 1-3 seasons in a row and that's one of the main reasons few players won the award in the last decade. Cristiano and Lionel both had GOAT-like peaks alongside GOAT-like onsistency. Say whatever you want, but Neymar's 2015 would have been enough to win the award in most seasons in history. There's not a single flaw to that season of his. He had the goals, big moments, titles etc. But guess what? Messi scored 50 times, assisted 30 and also had absurd goals, dribbling efficiency and well, it's Messi. Many Ballon d'Or winners never had ANYTHING CLOSE to this level of competition. Just look at all the great scorers we have right now (scoring is easier to quantify). Aguero, Kane (one of the players with most goals/assists in PL), Lewandowski, Zlatan, Suarez, Cavani, Benzema (about to surpass Raul's CL record even though he was in Cristiano's shadow most of his career), Salah, Rooney Neymar himself etc etc. All of these guys broke some sort of scoring record, either club/national team or competition wise, and played most of their peaks during the Messi-Ronaldo era of dominance. (Yes, Lewa deservedly won a Ballon d'Or and he's still peaking right now, but before last season, he was being overlooked as an all-time great). Midfielders? KDB, Xavi, Iniesta, Modric, Kante, Kroos, Casemiro, Bastian, Ribery, Robben (more of an offensive player but still), Pogba, Hazard etc etc. (Modric also won a Ballon d'Or but his career was already an all-time great one before that). Defenders? Thiago Silva, Sergio Ramos, Chiellini, Godin, Miranda, Van Dijk, Varane, Lahm, Dani Alves, Marcelo etc etc. Keepers? Neuer, Oblak, De Gea, Ter Stegen, Casillas, Julio Cesar, Handanovic, Alisson etc etc. *The 80s-early 90s generation was INSANE* and Neymar certainly was one of the best and most complete players of this generation. Unfortunately, his peak didn't last long (+ happened during Messi/Cristiano) and he's too injury prone nowadays. He's going to be underrated in the future for not winning the award. Mark my words.

I personally think it’s possible. With the world cup in Qatar coming up, if brazil were able to win, neymar would surely be a top choice especially considering he is the face of brazils national team. Just like how Modric won it, if he is exceptional, he can too. Also, like how Benzema won it this year for his performance in the Champions League, neymar has already been very good this year and if he continues and wins the title with Psg, and manages to win the world cup, there is no doubt in my mind that he will win the ballon dor

Don’t forget FODEN. The kid is 20 and already shows the biggest possible balls out there against crazy top teams such as PSG themselves.