"Should’ve cleaned out the Ballon d’Or from 2017 onwards" - Ex-Manchester United star hails Neymar Jr, makes bold claim

Former Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe believes Neymar Jr 'should have cleaned out the Ballon d'Or awards from 2017 onwards'. The Brazilian forward is one of the trickiest wingers to ever set foot on the pitch but has never won the coveted award in his career.

Neymar rose to prominence with Santos before becoming a household sensation at Barcelona. He moved to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2017 to carve his own legacy away from Lionel Messi's shadow, but never really lived up to his full potential.

The 32-year-old joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal in 2023 before moving back to former club Santos earlier this year. Tuanzebe, though, has labeled the Brazilian as the best player he has played against.

Speaking on The Overlap, the Ipswich Town defender insisted that Neymar Jr is frightening to play against.

"You see when people say Messi and Ronaldo, very close. But then some people say Messi’s in a different league. Sort of how I look at it in terms of Neymar and Mbappe. Yes, the two very top players. But ultimately when it comes down to mastery with the ball and the technical ability, Neymar’s daylight ahead! Yeah, he’s frightening," said Tuanzebe.

He continued:

"Yeah for me, he should have cleaned out the Ballon d’Or from 2017 really.. He’s a, yeah, he’s frightening to play again. He’s just that good. You’ve just got to respect him really and get two three players around!"

Neymar Jr has registered two goals and three assists from six games for Santos this season.

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What has Neymar Jr said about never winning the Ballon d'Or?

Neymar Jr and Lionel Messi

Neymar Jr believes that he should have won the Ballon d'Or during his time with PSG. The Brazilian forward spent six seasons at the Parc des Princes, registering 118 goals and 77 assists from 173 games. He finished third in the race for the coveted prize in 2015 and 2017.

Speaking to Telegrafi last month, Neymar acknowledged that his injuries hindered his chances of winning the award.

"I was at my best when I played for PSG. I should have won the Ballon d'Or for the way I performed there, but injuries were a problem and they hindered me. Of course, every player dreams of winning the Ballon d'Or, but not having it is not the end of the world," said Neymar.

Neymar has been linked with a return to Barcelona at the end of this season.