Neymar picks his legendary all-time PSG XI
Paris Saint-Germain have had more than their fair share of outstanding players in years gone by, one of which is Brazilian winger Neymar.
To celebrate the club’s 50th anniversary, PSG asked Neymar to whittle down his that list of all-time greats to just one starting XI of players – something Neymar admitted was tres difficile.
Here’s what the Brazilian came up with.
Gianluigi Buffon (GK) – Starting with one of Neymar’s idols, Buffon spent just one year in Paris in 2018/19, but he clearly did enough in his 25 appearances for the club to earn a spot in Neymar’s team.
Dani Alves (RB) – Widely seen as one of the best right-backs of all time, Alves obviously makes the cut here. Neymar admitted it was a ‚great honour‘ to play alongside him.
David Luiz (CB) – Many claimed that Luiz’s spell in Paris between 2014 and 2016 helped turn him into a reliable defender, and he was part of a dominant centre-back duo alongside…
Alex (CB) – Oh, where’s Thiago Silva? Instead of the man who made 315 PSG appearances and won a joint-record seven Ligue 1 titles, Neymar opted for Alex, who preceded Luiz at PSG with an 18-month spell between 2012 and 2014.
Maxwell (LB) – Finishing off the all-Brazilian back line is Maxwell, who Neymar admitted showed ‚gigantic quality‘ during his time in France.
Thiago Motta (DM) – Because of his ‚indisputable quality‘, Motta makes the cut in midfield. The Italian ended his career in 2018 after a six-year spell in Paris.
David Beckham (RM) – The ‚exceptional‘ Beckham retired on PSG’s books in 2013 after spending just one year at the club, having been one of several big names to join the club that year.
Nene (LM) – At left wing, Neymar opted for close friend Nene, who was part of PSG before it was cool. He spent three years at the club before leaving halfway through the team’s Ligue 1 title win in 2012/13.
Ronaldinho (AM) – One we probably all saw coming, it was with PSG that Ronaldinho cut his teeth in Europe. The ‚football magician‘ spent two years in Paris before leaving for Barcelona, where he went on to win the Ballon d’Or.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (ST) – Signing Ibrahimovic was the catalyst for PSG’s resurgence in 2012. The Swede won four Ligue 1 titles and was the club’s all-time leading goalscorer when he left in 2016, only to see Edinson Cavani overtake him two years later.
George Weah (ST) – Somebody’s been reading the history books. Weah was PSG’s star striker between 1992 and 1995, and his goals helped fire PSG to four trophies. He was the 1994/95 Champions League top scorer, and he won the Ballon d’Or six months after leaving for AC Milan.