Gianluigi Buffon feels Brazilian winger deserves 5 Ballon d'Or award

Neymar should win five Ballons d'Or, according to Gianluigi Buffon, who believes the Brazilian is more gifted than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Throughout his incredible career, World Cup champion Buffon played alongside and against many legendary people. The former Italy international goalie lined up against Messi and countless other generations of talented players, sharing a dressing room with players like Ronaldo, Neymar, and Zinedine Zidane.

Before ultimately hanging up his boots in 2023, Buffon competed well into his 40s. He now enjoys looking back on all that he accomplished with nostalgia. Talk has inevitably shifted to the finest players he has ever faced on the pitch.

In 2018–19, Buffon and Neymar played together at Paris Saint-Germain for a season. He went back to Juventus to train with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won five Golden Balls and is hoping to follow in his former teammate's footsteps by continuing to play at the top level into the age of forty.

The former Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper spoke about Neymar as he said, “I played with three generations, how can I choose? Zidane, Ronaldo, Messi, CR7, [Andres] Iniesta… But if I have to pick one I’d say Neymar. For the player and the boy he is, he should have won five Ballons d’Or!”

Why does Buffon believe Neymar deserves five Ballon d’Ors?

Without a doubt, among the most fascinating and contentious soccer stars of his time is Neymar. While some people are quick to condemn him, others adore him. Additionally, he has unshakable technical skill on the field. According to Buffon, Neymar's technical skill set placed him in a different league and he "should have won five Ballon d'Ors."

Not only does Gianluigi Buffon acknowledge Neymar as a star, but he also acknowledges that he had the potential to reach even higher levels. It is a great compliment, but it also has unrealized potential. Neymar is undoubtedly still among the most talented soccer players due to his genius, ability to change the course of games, and charismatic demeanor.