We tried to stop him — Pique explains why former teammate failed to win Ballon d'Or

Barcelona legend Gerard Pique recently reflected on the career of former teammate Neymar, stating his conviction that the Brazilian star would have won the prestigious Ballon d'Or had he not made the controversial move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Neymar, who was widely regarded as the closest challenger to the dominance of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, shocked the football world by leaving Camp Nou for PSG in 2017, becoming the world's costliest player at a staggering €222 million.

Speaking on the PodPah podcast, Pique, who played alongside Neymar for many years, revealed he personally tried to persuade the forward to stay at the club:

“I’m convinced he deserved a Ballon d’Or. I think going to PSG hurt him. We tried to convince him not to go, we did everything possible.

“Everyone thought he was going to stay, even me, but it seemed that it was already decided. In the end, he had an incredible career,” Piqué said.

Neymar went on to play for PSG until 2023 before moving to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia. He returned to his home country with Santos in 2025.

Piqué's comments highlight the common belief that the move fractured Neymar's ascent to individual greatness, preventing him from reaching the heights of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.