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At the end of the 2016-17 season, Neymar made the big money switch from Barcelona to Paris Saint Germain. Since then, there has been a lot of turbulence surrounding his move with reports of Neymar not getting along well with Edinson Cavani and also of a rift with then coach of PSG, Unai Emery, who left for Arsenal this season.
For many years now, Neymar has been considered to be the third best player in the world, just behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But this year, Neymar was not even in the list of 10 players considered for the FIFA Best Player of the year after PSG went out in the Round of 16 in the Champions League and Brazil were knocked out by Belgium in the World Cup. However, Neymar's performance was good enough to be included in the nominees for the Ballon d'Or award.
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Let's take a look at 3 reasons why Neymar can win the Ballon d'Or in 2019:
#1 Neymar has shown more intensity in the Champions League fixtures this season:
To say that Neymar was solely responsible for PSG's exit in the round of 16 last season would be incorrect. But Neymar was the star man that PSG relied on once they reached the Knockout Round of the Champions League. In the first leg of the Round of 16 clash with Real Madrid, PSG were a goal ahead but surrendered their lead to Zidane's men and ended up losing 3-1.
Between the two legs of the Round of 16, Neymar was injured in a Ligue 1 match against Marseille. PSG missed Neymar and his Champions League pedigree in the return fixture. Even with Mbappe and Cavani, PSG ended up losing 1-2 and were knocked out of the Round of 16 for the second straight year.
This season, PSG has seen changes with Thomas Tuchel replacing the outgoing Unai Emery. PSG have been dominating the Ligue 1 as expected this season as well, but their start in this season's Champions League fixture was far from perfect.
They lost at Anfield to Liverpool 2-3 via a last minute goal from Firmino. But since then, they have shown character winning against at home against Red Star Belgrade and drawing with a strong Napoli side both home and away.
Neymar's biggest contribution has thus far come with his brilliant performance against Liverpool on Match Day 5. His first-half performance showed his hunger and eagerness to deliver when it matters the most. Going forward, Neymar will be the key man for PSG and if he combines well with the likes of Mbappe and Di Maria, PSG would most certainly go deep in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
#2 A better Copa America performance with Brazil after a disappointing World Cup in Russia:
Brazil had one of their best squads in the World Cup this year and most people had them as favourites going into the tournament. With Neymar leading the way and joined by players such as Coutinho, Casemiro and Marcelo, this was Brazil's best chance of winning the World Cup after 16 years, since they won in 2002.
Neymar was coming off an injury and was trying to race against time to be fit for the World Cup. Though there were flashes of brilliance from him, his diving was something that became popular. Neymar at his prime was expected to lead Brazil to the trophy but instead what became a worldwide phenomenon was the Neymar diving challenge.
Brazil were knocked out of the World Cup by Belgium in the quarter-finals and Neymar was once again at the forefront with another disappointing performance. Post the World Cup, Neymar would have definitely learnt the lesson the hard way. Tite has made him the Brazil captain and he has been a solid figure through his performances in the International Friendlies since.
However, the real challenge in the international arena awaits Brazil and Neymar in 2019's Copa America which will be hosted by Brazil. An improved squad with a spark of youth can definitely help Brazil in their search for ultimate glory in the Copa America. Neymar, now as captain, and more experienced with his failures would be hungry to grab this opportunity and not waste it like the World Cup.
#3 Repeat the domestic league and cup treble in France this season with greater consistency:
Paris Saint Germain have been a dominant force in France for the past few seasons. They have five of the last six Ligue 1 titles, only finishing second to Monaco in 2016-17.
Additionally, PSG have also won the last five Coupe de La Ligue and last four Coupe de France. At the start of the 2017-18 season, PSG made their ambitions quite clear by signing Neymar and Mbappe that they wanted to dominate the Champions League as well.
For Thomas Tuchel it has been completely reasonable to play Neymar only in crucial Ligue 1 games and save him for Champions League performance. However, Neymar like the top performers in Europe such as Ronaldo and Messi should strive for greater consistency in terms of matches played as well as fitness. With all the noise surrounding his signing from Barcelona, there have been reports that he has been unhappy in Paris.
This season, however, Neymar has looked sharp in the Ligue 1 and has been pivotal to PSG's domestic success this season. After 14 rounds of Ligue 1 matches, PSG are undefeated with Neymar being involved directly in 10 goals and 5 assists.
While Messi and Ronaldo are playing almost every week in their domestic leagues, it is imperative for Neymar to play week in and week out and deliver on a more consistent basis.
Neymar has looked more of a team player this season under Tuchel and fans are enjoying the camaraderie with Mbappe. Last season it felt as if the two domestic cups were a burden for Neymar, even though PSG defeated Monaco in the Coupe de La Ligue and third division side Les Herbiers in the Coupe de France finals.
With such a high profile move and just in his second season at PSG, repeating the domestic treble would help Neymar solidify his standing in terms of goals scored at the end of the season. Last season's Ligue 1 player of the year, Neymar has the talent to achieve the highest number of goals scored in the league this season in Europe and realistically win the Golden Shoe.
