Neymar Flops Penalty Kick Against Saudi All Stars After Seeking Messi’s Permission to Take It

Neymar Flops Penalty Kick Against Saudi All Stars After Seeking Messi’s Permission to Take It

Chukwu Ikechukwu
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:23 PM
In this article:
French Ligue 1 logo
FRA Ligue 1
France
Lionel Messi logo
L.Messi
Inter Miami CF logoFArgentina logo
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior logo
Neymar
Al-Hilal Saudi FC logoFBrazil logo
  • Neymar asked PSG teammate Lionel Messi before taking a penalty kick against Riyadh XI
  • The Brazil international won the spot kick in first-half stoppage time after a tackle in the box
  • PSG beat a selected eleven from Saudi clubs Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr to win the Riyadh Cup

Neymar and Lionel Messi have a special connection on the football pitch, as was evident in Paris Saint-Germain’s friendly game against Riyadh XI, captained by Cristiano Ronaldo.

The French champions defeated the Saudi All-Stars team 5-4, with Messi, Ronaldo, and Kylian Mbappe all registering their names on the scoresheet.

Neymar, Lionel Messi, Paris Saint-Germain, PSG, Saudi Arabia
Neymar requested Lionel Messi's permission to take the penalty against Riyadh XI but saw his spot kick saved. Photo by Yasser Bakhsh.
Source: Getty Images

Neymar had an opportunity to extend PSG’s lead when the game was 2-1, when he was brought down inside the box for a penalty to the Ligue 1 giants.

The Brazilian sought the permission of teammate and World Cup winner, Messi to take the penalty. The Argentine then gave Neymar the nod, Sportskeeda reports.

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However, the Brazilian star would fluff his lines as the attempt was comfortably saved by the opposition goalkeeper, who correctly dived to his left side and blocked the shot.

Neymar and Messi were both substituted in the 62nd minute, as PSG manager, Christophe Galtier made several changes in the friendly encounter.

PSG react to Neymar criticism

Meanwhile, directors of PSG are perplexed by all the 'attacks' on Neymar in the French media, following the club’s last league defeat, Marca reports.

The Brazilian was heavily criticised following PSG's 1-0 loss to Rennes, but those at the club know how important the star was for the team in the first half of the season.

PSG's directors are confident that Neymar will hit those same heights again soon and have called for patience among their fans.

Neymar branded the biggest flop

Earlier, Sports Brief reported on Neymar receiving heavy backlash from PSG supporters, after another underwhelming performance for the Ligue 1 champions.

The Brazilian star was part of PSG's starting XI alongside Messi, as the club lost 1-0 to Rennes in the French league on Sunday, sparking fans to turn on the Selecao star.

According to journalist, Daniel Riolo, the 30-year-old forward has failed to find his spark after the World Cup, and slammed his transfer from Barcelona to the Parisians.

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Chukwu Ikechukwu photo
Chukwu Ikechukwu
Chukwu Ikechukwu Godwin is a journalist with over 9 years of experience in the Nigerian media industry. He has worked both in Radio (Today FM, Rhythm FM, Wish FM) and Television (Silverbird TV) as a Sports Analyst..
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