Opinion 

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My belief that Neymar is the most disrespected player of his generation was only reinforced after listening to this week’s edition of the usually excellent ‘Stick to Football’. The award-winning show has deservedly received numerous accolades to cement its place as the biggest football podcast in the United Kingdom. It often balances genuine insight with applaudable comedic banter – usually from Roy Keane – and the famous faces have utilised their contact books to attract star-studded guests.

Ultimately, football is all about opinions and that’s just one aspect behind why it’s so adored. People debate the beautiful game around the world, whether with friends or on increasingly volatile social media platforms. But the debate around Neymar only strengthened the notion that you’re not automatically an expert on the game, just because you played the game professionally. Wayne Rooney, surprisingly, claimed that he has never viewed Neymar as an elite player, while Jill Scott’s opinion that Sadio Mané was a superior player was beyond perplexing. Perhaps it was ignorance as he never played in the English Premier League but my opinion? It’s pure disrespect.

Why Neymar should never be compared to Sadio Mané

Firstly, Mané was a brilliant footballer and he was unquestionably world-class during his peak years at Liverpool. The Senegal international was instrumental to Jürgen Klopp’s thrilling style of football that yielded one Premier League title and the Champions League. And Mané was undeniably better than Neymar from a defensive perspective as he was incredible at pressing. But to suggest that the former Bayern Munich winger was a better footballer is, in my opinion, ludicrous. It’s undeniable that Neymar’s career petered out as he opted for the financial allure of Saudi Arabia and injuries curtailed his brilliance.

There’s a reason, however, why the Brazilian remains the most expensive player in history as he was a phenomenal footballer and one of the best in the world for several years. Neymar was often overshadowed by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo but he was performing at a similar level during his final two seasons at Barcelona and first two at PSG. While his hysterics angered many, Neymar played with an incredible flair and his technical ability was unbelievable. He’s been cited by a plethora of current superstars as their idol and he got people off their seats with his skillset – something badly missed in modern football.

Few people would agree with the assertion that Mané was better than Neymar and a working pair of eyes would suffice to see that, but the numbers also back it. As the graphic above illustrates, Neymar’s numbers are superior in every single attacking metric. He’s scored more goals and provided more assists at a better rate – Neymar has registered 1.09 goal contributions per 90 across his career, Mané stands at 0.71. It’s also sometimes forgotten that Neymar is Brazil’s record all-time scorer and he possesses a glittering trophy collection. Everybody is entitled to their opinion and that should be encouraged but the disrespect shown towards Neymar is often preposterous.