Neymar left Barcelona because of Messi – Pele

Pele has said Neymar made the right decision to leave Barcelona and step out of Lionel Messi’s shadow.

Neymar swapped Barca for Paris Saint-Germain last month, after the Ligue 1 giants activated his €222million release clause.

The 25-year-old has hit the ground running in Paris, scoring three goals and tallying as many assists.

And his compatriot, Pele, has endorsed Neymar’s transfer to PSG.

“At the moment the best player in Brazil is Neymar and I think the move for him was very good because there was huge competition with Messi at Barcelona,” Pele told Marca.

“I think it’s a good opportunity for him and he needed to move because now he can really play and show what he’s capable of. But it’s also very dangerous when you get given that responsibility.”

Asked whether Neymar can emulate Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaka as the only Brazilians to win the Ballon d’Or, Pele replied: “Of course he can.

“Neymar has a football at his feet, which is all he needs. [Philippe] Coutinho is a player I think we should all look at too because he is excellent for his team. No doubts at the moment, though, that Neymar is the one.”