Neymar Jr. has fired back at Ballon d’Or winner Rodri for his remarks about countryman Vinicius Junior after the Manchester City midfielder advised the Real Madrid star to “pay attention” to become a better footballer.
The 28-year-old Spaniard beat Vinicius to win this year’s Ballon d’Or on October 28 in France, at a ceremony boycotted by the Brazilian winger and the entire Real Madrid organisation after learning their player fell short.
There were claims that the 24-year-old forward, who was thought to have an edge due to his impressive 2023–24 campaign for his club, missed out on the award because of his on-field antics.
However, the organisers clarified that a specific factor limited his chances.
Earlier this week, Rodri commented on his runner-up, stating that while the Madrid star is an intelligent player, he has room to grow.
“Vinicius is an intelligent guy and he will realise over time that the more he pays attention to the pitch, the better he will be.
“He is young, I’m sure that people will give him good advice, and even more so when he’s in Madrid. It’s a club with values,” the former Villarreal man said.
Neymar hits out at Rodri
Rodri’s remarks did not sit well with Vinicius’ Brazilian teammate Neymar, who hit back at the City star on Instagram.
“He [Rodri] became a talker now,” the former Barcelona forward commented, as per Madridxtra.
Rodri has been in the news frequently in recent times. Some days back, the Ballon d’Or winner shared his opinion on who he considers the GOAT of football between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
