“If Messi had faced all the criticism that Neymar faced, he would’ve quit” - When Thiago Silva made bold claim on Lionel Messi handling pressure

Former Chelsea defender Thiago Silva once claimed that Lionel Messi wouldn't be able to handle the pressure from critics the way Neymar does. The Al-Hilal attacker often comes under fire for his attitude and unwillingness to stay on his feet when fouled.

However, Silva came out to defend his fellow Brazilian, with whom he's played alongside for the national team and at Paris Saint-Germain. Together, the pair have shared the pitch 143 times across competitions, bagging four joint goal contributions.

Speaking to TNT Sports about the former Barcelona attacker, Silva said in June this year (via 777 Score):

"I simply don't understand many things. If you look at Neymar's side of the field, everything he does, he makes it look so simple. It's very difficult to do everything he does. There is no player in the world who has the characteristics, the quality he has."

He continued:

"He is very strong mentally. I saw an interview with Messi. If Messi had faced all the criticism that Neymar has faced throughout his career, Messi would've quit."

The 32-year-old was unavailable for his national team during the recently concluded Copa America. He moved to Saudi Arabia from Paris in the summer of 2023 for a reported fee of €90 million.

Since then, the attacker has managed three appearances in the Saudi Pro League, where he's bagged three assists. He suffered an ACL injury in October 2023, which has kept him out of competitive action since.

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When Neymar picked Lionel Messi ahead of himself in a rapid-fire interview

Neymar is seemingly a big fan of his former Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona teammate, Lionel Messi. In a rapid-fire interview that he participated in early July this year, the Brazilian first picked the Argentina captain over the latter's arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

He was then asked to choose between himself and Messi, with whom the former has played 206 matches across competitions, bagging 67 joint goal contributions. In response to the query, the Saudi Pro League star said (via SPORTbible):

"Messi."

After his contract ran out in Paris, Messi decided to join MLS club Inter Miami in the summer of 2023. The 37-year-old managed to add a second Copa America to his CV in the summer after leading his country to World Cup success in 2022 in Qatar.

He's won 10 La Liga titles and the UEFA Champions League thrice, among other honors with Barcelona.