France Football magazine has attempted to explain why Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar was not even among the 30 players on the final shortlist for this year’s prestigious Ballon d’Or prize.
Just a couple of years ago many would have had Neymar down as a likely future winner of this award, but his stock has fallen in his time at PSG.
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The Brazil international was a key part of a top team at previous club Barcelona, where he starred alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to win a number of major honours, most notably the treble in 2014/15.
Now, however, Neymar’s decision to move to PSG and become the main man in a team has backfired somewhat, as he’s failed to really help the Ligue 1 giants move forward in the Champions League.
The 27-year-old has also been unfortunate with injuries in recent times, and France Football have highlighted that as one key reason he didn’t make the top 30 this year.
It’s fair to say as well that PSG haven’t really missed Neymar during his spells on the sidelines, so the former Santos man can’t really have too many complaints.
That said, some slightly bizarre players have made it on, with Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris perhaps the most surprising name, while some might also question the likes of Karim Benzema and Marquinhos, who surely have next to no chance of winning.
It’s clear Neymar now needs to bounce back from this if he is to have the great career that has for so long been expected of him.