“When he plays seriously, he’s unstoppable” - Leandro Paredes names ex-teammate who is ‘just a step behind’ Lionel Messi

Leandro Paredes believes his former teammate Neymar Jr. was 'just a step behind' Lionel Messi. He heaped praise on the Brazilian, saying that he loved to 'toy with opponents'.

Paredes shared the pitch 59 times with Neymar during their time together at Paris Saint-Germain and they combined for one goal as well. The Brazilian is known for his dribbling, and freestyle skills. Paredes spoke about it in a recent interview with Argentine streamer C0ker (via BolaVIP):

"Ney is incredible… For me, he’s just a step behind Messi. As a teammate, you could feel that he enjoys toying with opponents—he’d do things intentionally to mock them. When he plays seriously, he’s unstoppable, and when he wants to have fun, he can outwit you as well."

Explaining the difference between Neymar and Lionel Messi, Paredes said:

“Leo dribbles past players because he wants to beat them. With Neymar, it’s different—he wants to mock them.”

Paredes has also shared the pitch 70 times with Lionel Messi for Argentina and PSG. They have combined for four goals and won the FIFA World Cup, among other honors.

---

Neymar opens up on potentially reuniting with Lionel Messi

Neymar Jr. shared the pitch 206 times with Lionel Messi at PSG and Barcelona, combining for 67 goals. The duo, along with Luis Suarez, formed a lethal attacking trio at Barca, winning a treble, among other honors. The band broke when Neymar joined PSG in 2017 for a reported world-record fee of €222 million.

The Brazilian is now at Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League while Messi and Suarez now play at Inter Miami in the MLS. Neymar's contract at the Saudi side is set to expire in the summer and he's been linked with a move to Inter Miami. He recently opened up about his potential reunion, saying:

"Obviously, playing again with Messi and Suarez would be incredible. They are my friends. We still speak to each other. It would be interesting to revive this trio. I’m happy at Al-Hilal, I’m happy in Saudi Arabia, but who knows. Football is full of surprises."

“When the news came out that I was leaving Paris Saint-Germain, the transfer window was closed in the United States, so I didn’t have this option. The project they offered me (in Saudi Arabia) was very good, not just for me but also for my family, so going to Saudi Arabia was the best option.”

However, Chicago Fire have also reportedly opened talks to potentially sign the Brazilian.