Former Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué has revealed that Neymar would have won the Ballon d’Or if he had stayed longer at the Catalan club instead of moving to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2017.

Speaking on the PodPah podcast, Piqué said he and several teammates tried to convince the Brazilian not to leave Barcelona, but Neymar had already made up his mind to join PSG — a decision Piqué believes derailed his chances of winning football’s biggest individual award.

“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,” Piqué said. “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.”

Neymar, who joined Barcelona from Santos in 2013, formed part of the legendary attacking trio “MSN” alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez. The trio led Barça to a treble in the 2014–2015 season, with Neymar finishing third in the Ballon d’Or rankings in 2015.

In 2017, PSG triggered Neymar’s €222 million release clause — making him the most expensive player in football history. He spent six years in Paris before moving to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia in 2023, and later returned to Santos in Brazil in 2025.

While Piqué acknowledged that Neymar has enjoyed a remarkable career, he believes the forward’s decision to leave Barcelona at his peak cost him the ultimate personal accolade.