Not Lionel Messi! Neymar Jr Picks Former PSG Captain As His All-Time Favourite Teammate | Football News

Last Updated:September 12, 2026, 23:58 IST

Neymar shares a very good bond with Messi and played some of his best football alongside the Argentine but the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is not his all-time favourite teammate.

Neymar picks his all-time favourite teammate. (Picture Credit: AFP)

Neymar Jr is one of the greatest footballers of all time and he played alongside Lionel Messi for four seasons in La Liga for FC Barcelona and two seasons in Ligue 1 for Paris Saint-Germain. Neymar, who announced his retirement from international football after Brazil’s exit in the Round of 16 stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026, shares a very good friendship with Messi and played some of his best football alongside the Argentine.

However, when he was asked to name his all-time favourite teammate, he ignored Messi and instead mentioned the name of his former PSG captain Thiago Silva.

In addition to playing alongside Thiago Silva for PSG in the French league, Neymar also represented Brazil with the central defender and played three FIFA World Cups together in 2014, 2018 and 2022.

Thiago Silva, who is one of the best central defenders of his generation, is still an active footballer. At the age of 41, he is playing for Fluminense in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A and was associated with FC Porto in the 2025-26 Primeira Liga season.

He has earlier also played for AC Milan in Serie A and Chelsea in the Premier League and went on to win the Champions League title with the London-based club.

At the international level, Silva has played four FIFA World Cups for Brazil and also has two goals to his name in football’s biggest tournament.

Apart from Messi and Thiago Silva, some of the other top players Neymar has played with at club level are Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Luis Suarez, Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria. At international level, he has played alongside Dani Alves and Marcelo, who are among the greatest full-backs of all time.

In the viral video, Neymar was also asked to name the best young player in the world, and he mentioned Barcelona and Spain star Lamine Yamal’s name. Yamal, despite being 19 years old, has made a big name for himself at the highest level. He wears the iconic No. 10 jersey for Barcelona and was also part of the Spanish team that won the Euros in 2024 and the FIFA World Cup in 2026.

In this year’s FIFA World Cup, Lamine played all eight matches for La Roja and scored one goal in their 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia in the second group-stage match. He also finished second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or race and bagged the Kopa Trophy.

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Who did Neymar Jr name as his all-time favourite teammate?

Neymar Jr named his former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) captain and Brazilian international teammate Thiago Silva as his all-time favourite teammate, choosing him over Lionel Messi.

Which young player did Neymar Jr name as the best in the world?

Neymar Jr named Barcelona and Spain star Lamine Yamal as the best young player in the world.

When did Neymar Jr retire from international football?

Neymar Jr announced his retirement from international football following Brazil’s exit in the Round of 16 stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

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Harshit BishtSenior Sub-editor

Harshit Bisht is a sports journalist at CNN-News18, where he has been covering cricket, football, and major sporting events from around the world since July 1, 2024. Driven by a passion for storytelli…Read More

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