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Former MLS star Herculez Gomez has explained why he believes Neymar Jr should join his former teammate Lionel Messi at Inter Miami. Gomez's comments came amid speculation of the Brazilian moving to the MLS side after his contract with Al-Hilal expires in the summer of 2025.
After an illustrous stint in Europe at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Neymar signed for Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal in the summer of 2023. However, the Brazilian superstar remained out of the pitch due to an ACL injury after making only five appearances for the Saudi outfit last season. He returned to the pitch this season in October but is yet to make a regular comeback.
Recent reports indicate that Neymar is keen on joining his former teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in Inter Miami next season. The Brazilian has also purchased a $26 million waterfront mansion in Florida, per Wall Street Journal.
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In an interview on Futbol Americas, former USA international Herculez Gomez weighed in on why Neymar Jr should join Lionel Messi in the MLS. He said (via intermiami.news):
"I think not only does he want it, I think he needs it. He needs to re-spark his career in a way only Messi and friends could do it."
Gomez added:
"And hopefully that good club form he would have in MLS and Inter Miami, which if you don’t believe that, please look at Luis Suarez as exhibit A, what he’s done, Neymar can do as well. And if he reignites his club career, that’s going to translate to the national team where Brazil desperately need him.”
Lionel Messi and Neymar's partnership is widely considered one of the greatest in football. Alongside Luis Suarez, they formed one of the most celebrated attacking trios of all time at Barcelona, popularly known as MSN (Messi, Suarez, Neymar).
Neymar Jr has shared the pitch with Lionel Messi 206 times, marking the most number of times for any teammate in the Brazilian's career. They have recorded 67 joint-goal contributions over their time at Barcelona (2013-2017) and Paris Saint-Germain (2021-2023). The duo also won the treble with La Blaugrana under Luis Enrique's guidance in the 2014-15 season, alongside other accolades.
"It is difficult now" - When Lionel Messi addressed possibilities of reuniting with Neymar Jr in Inter Miami
In a June 2024 interview with Argentine newspaper Infobae, Lionel Messi had discussed the possibilities of a potential reunion with his former teammate Neymar Jr at the MLS. He said (via beIN SPORTS):
"No, I don't know. The truth is it's difficult now; he's in Saudi Arabia. He had a tough year, dealing with many injuries that kept him out of the Copa América. Life takes so many turns that anything can happen, but as of today, no."
With Luis Suarez already with Messi at Inter Miami, Neymar Jr joining them could reunite the lethal MSN trio after their Barcelona days. However, the Brazilian arriving at Inter Miami could be complicated due to the MLS's rules on Designated Parties.
The rules state that each club can have up to three players who can be exceptions to the MLS salary cap. The Herons already have Messi, Sergio Busquets and Leonard Campana as their designated players, making Neymar Jr's arrival difficult. It remains to be seen where Neymar eventually ends up after his stint at Al-Hilal, with Santos also reportedly in the race.
