Ederson backs Neymar's Ballon d'Or ambition

Dom Farrell

Ederson backs Neymar's Ballon d'Or ambition image

Neymar can become the best player in the world after his record-breaking move to Paris Saint-Germain, according to Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson.

The €222 million man dazzled on his home debut for PSG on Sunday – scoring two and laying on three more in a 6-2 rout of Toulouse.

Ederson was part of Brazil's victorious squad at the Rio Olympics in 2016, when captain Neymar scored the decisive penalty to sink Germany in the gold medal match, and he believes the sky is the limit for the former Barcelona favourite.

"Certainly, Neymar has already demonstrated that," Ederson told Omnisport when asked if the forward can break Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's stranglehold on the Ballon d'Or.

"He has the capacity for that. If he thought it was better for him to join PSG, congratulations.

"I hope he plays his best in PSG, that he wins everything he wants and that he can fight for the Ballon d'Or.

"He has all the capacity in the world. Only he knows the reason for his departure.

"If it was to get the chance to be the best player in the world, he has everything to achieve this. I wish him good luck."

Ederson now shares a dressing room with another of the stars from his country's national team, City striker Gabriel Jesus.

 

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The 20-year-old scored seven goals in eight Premier League starts last season, impressing despite suffering a broken foot a month after his January arrival from Palmeiras.

"I played with Gabriel in the Olympic team, and since then, I've always liked him," said Ederson, who became the world's most expensive goalkeeper when he joined City from Benfica for £34.7m in June.

"He is a forward who gives a lot of trouble to his opponents. He has everything to get to the highest level possible.

"Neymar is on a plateau higher than him, but he has everything to get there too by working.

"He is a boy who works a lot, who helps a lot and is a cheerful boy. He has everything to get there."

Dom Farrell

Dom Farrell Photo

Dom is the senior content producer for Sporting News UK. He previously worked as fan brands editor for Manchester City at Reach Plc. Prior to that, he built more than a decade of experience in the sports journalism industry, primarily for the Stats Perform and Press Association news agencies. Dom has covered major football events on location, including the entirety of Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Paris and St Petersburg respectively, along with numerous high-profile Premier League, Champions League and England international matches. Cricket and boxing are his other major sporting passions and he has covered the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko live from ringside.