Neymar: Lionel Messi and Myself 'Lived Through Hell' with PSG

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Following his move to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, star forward Neymar doesn't look back fondly on the end of his time with Paris Saint-Germain.

In an interview on Esporte Espetacular (via ESPN's Adriana Garcia) that aired Sunday, the 31-year-old discussed former teammate Lionel Messi and the difficulties they experienced at PSG.

"I was very happy for the year he had, but at the same time very sad, because he lived both sides of the coin," Neymar said. "He went to heaven with the Argentina team, won everything in recent years, and with Paris he lived hell, we lived through hell, both he and I."

Paris Saint-Germain finished only one point ahead of Lens to secure an 11th Ligue 1 title last year, a margin that wasn't considered large enough given the resources at the club's disposal. PSG had finished 15 points clear of Marseille in 2021-22.

Compounding matters, the Parisians once again fell well short of their goal of winning the Champions League. They lost 3-0 on aggregate to Bayern Munich in the round of 16.

As the campaign wore on, Messi and Neymar became lightning rods for frustrated supporters. The former received a brief suspension after making an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia, and the latter had long faced questions over his level of commitment.

For a section of PSG fans, Messi and Neymar also symbolized the club's ambitions beyond the pitch. The more and more Paris Saint-Germain attempts to build itself as a global brand with marquee international stars, it risks losing any local identity.

Now, Messi and Neymar are far away from the French capital, and in the case of Messi, he looks rejuvenated thanks to a change of scenery. Perhaps Neymar will find life in Saudi Arabia similarly restorative.