Legendary Brazil forward Ronaldinho was in Paris to see PSG’s win over RB Leipzig on Tuesday and he has since offered words of encouragement to Lionel Messi and Neymar
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Messi trains with Argentina ahead of World Cup qualifiers
Ronaldinho has sent personal messages to Lionel Messi and Neymar after meeting the former Barcelona duo in Paris.
The Brazilian legend was at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday to see Paris Saint-Germain’s 3-2 win over RB Leipzig in the Champions League.
Ronaldinho was in attendance as a guest of honour for PSG – the club he first moved to in Europe after leaving Brazil to start his career in 2001.
His visit also allowed him to catch up with Messi and Neymar, whom he describes as “very good friends”.
It was an enjoyable night on and off the pitch, as Messi scored twice, including an audacious Panenka penalty, to ensure PSG claimed the points.
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Image:
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Ronaldinho has since given an interview to Le Parisien newspaper, who asked the 41-year-old what he made about comparisons of his style to Neymar..
“No, I don’t like comparisons. Everyone has their own moment,” Ronaldinho said.
“We have all been through difficult times. But I think everyone in Brazil knows that he is the best player right now.
“Only, when things are not going well, it is more difficult for him, because he is the greatest. When things don’t go well, there is a lot more pressure on him.”
Neymar missed Tuesday’s game after picking up an abductor injury while playing for Brazil against Uruguay last week in a World Cup qualifier.
With the Brazilian forced to watch on from the sidelines, it was left to Messi and Kylian Mbappe to steal the show for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Watching Messi move onto 123 career Champions League goals stirred memories for Ronaldinho of when he first met the Argentina playmaker after moving from PSG to Barcelona in 2003.
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“When I arrived in Barcelona, there was already talk of a fantastic young man like Messi. And later, when we trained together, I saw his quality,” he said.
“In each game and in each training session we saw that it was different. It was a pleasure watching him do it. He became a true friend to me.
“I am very happy to see him at the club where I started in Europe. It is something that I did not think about in my life.
“He was sure that his career at Barcelona would end. And, for me, it was a surprise. As I like PSG, it was a surprise, but I never thought I would see him with another shirt that was not the Barcelona one.”
Messi’s move from Barca to PSG certainly came as a surprise after the financial package the Spanish club were initially offering fell through.
But the 34-year-old has now truly begun to settle into his new surroundings, having scored three goals in three Champions League matches.
He is yet to get off the mark in Ligue 1, but Messi will have a chance to make amends when PSG take on Marseille on Sunday.
His lack of goals is not hurting his team, who are already nine points clear at the top of the table after 10 matches.
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