"You will never have the Ballon d'Or" - Sport Recife fans mock Neymar Jr with banners during clash against Santos

Sport Reclife attempted to get under the skin of former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Neymar during the 2-2 draw with Santos on Saturday, July 26. The plan seems to have worked with the Brazilian attacker failing to register a joint goal contribution in this tie.

The home fans got loudspeakers and several wore masks of the 33-year-old's ex-girlfriend, Brazilian actress Bruna Marquezine. They held up banners too, one of which reminded the former Al-Hilal man of his troubles in winning the Ballon d'Or. It read (via Tribuna):

"will never have the Ballon d'Or."

Life for Neymar does seem to be tough at Santos after he returned to the club for the first time in 12 years. He came to the Serie A side in January 2025 after a torrid spell at Al-Hilal.

He missed several months due to injury and eventually made seven appearances across competitions for the Saudi Pro League team, bagging a goal and three assists. The ex-Blaugrana man then joined Santos, where he's contracted till December of this year.

Since returning to his boyhood club, Neymar has scored just once in eight Brazilian top-flight appearances. Santos are struggling in the league, placed 16th and only one position above the relegation zone.

Up next for them is a home match against 19th-placed Juventude at MorumBIS on August 04.

When Neymar said he would have won Ballon d'Or if not for injuries

Neymar has never managed to win the Ballon d'Or award, but claims he would have during his time at PSG. He spent six years with the Parisians from 2017 to 2023.

During that time, the forward scored 118 goals and bagged 79 assists in 173 appearances across competitions. Speaking to Romario in a podcast in January this year, he said (via FourFourTwo):

"I’ve been quite unlucky with injuries. For about seven years now, I’ve battled issues that have sidelined me for three to six months at a time. This has hindered my chances. If you think about it, it’s clear."

"Anyone who understands football knows my prime was at PSG. I was in a position to win the Ballon d'Or, but injuries made it difficult. Of course, every player dreams of winning it, but it doesn't nag at me."

Despite failing to win this individual honor, the Santos superstar has a UEFA Champions League trophy and two La Liga titles to his name. He hasn't won the World Cup with Brazil.

About the author

Rahul has been a European football journalist for Sportskeeda since 2023. A B.B.A. L.L.B. graduate, he captained his university football team and also played for Boca Juniors Football School during his initial years, and also coached his university's girls team. He always aims to translate his tactical awareness, knowledge of the sport and first-hand experience into well-researched articles for his readers.

A follower of the beautiful game since 2014, Rahul is an avid Arsenal and a match-going Bengaluru FC fan. His favorite footballer is Mesut Ozil due to his love for nimble-footed playmakers, while his favorite manager is the legendary Arsene Wenger owing to the Frenchman's attractive style of football.

Rahul, whose favorite FIFA World Cup moment is Lionel Messi lifting the trophy in 2022, has interviewed grassroots expert Tom Byer in the past and gained insight into Japanese football. He also believes Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland can rule the footballing world and take Ronaldo and Messi's place.

When he is not writing, Rahul likes to spend his time playing football, following the Indian Super League and watching other sports. He is also a huge cricket fan and supports Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Know More

Edited by Rahul Naresh