 "Ballon d'Or 2022: Neymar praises Benzema, fumes over Vinicius Jr's ranking; fans note no word for Mbappe")
synopsis
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Neymar was furious at his countryman Vinícius Júnior’s Ballon d’Or 2022 ranking, but was quite content that Real Madrid star Karim Benzema had won this year’s trophy despite being a former rival during his days at Barcelona.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Neymar has sparked a massive outburst among football enthusiasts after the Brazilian icon fumed over his countryman Vinicius Junior's Ballon d'Or 2022 ranking. The Real Madrid winger finished 8th on the list, just behind PSG's Kylian Mbappe (6th) and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (7th).
However, Neymar was content that Real Madrid icon Karim Benzema bagged this year's Ballon d'Or despite being a former rival during his days at Barcelona.
In a tweet, Neymar congratulated Benzema and stated that his compatriot Vinicius Junior deserved to be in the top 3 and not ranked 8th.
"Benzema deserved... crack!! Now for Vini jr to be at 8 it's not possible Minimum between 3," noted the PSG star.
Like fellow PSG striker Lionel Messi, Neymar could not qualify for the 2022 Ballon d'Or final 30. However, since the 2022–23 season started, the Brazilian has been in excellent form. The former Barcelona icon has accumulated nine goals and seven assists from 11 Ligue 1 games this season before the World Cup.
Also read: Karim Benzema, oldest Ballon d'Or winner since 1956, opens up on World Cup ambition
However, Neymar's tweet has forced fans to note that there was no mention of his PSG teammate Mbappe. The two stars have reportedly been having issues with each other in the PSG dressing room. Since August's infamous 'penalty-gate' during PSG's 5-2 win over Montpellier, speculations of the bitter feud continue to gather steam, although the two have denied the same.
"Crying he doesn't rate Mbappe at all," noted one Twitter user. Another added, "Neymar did a lot in just one tweet - Congratulate Benzema, Hype Vinicius, Shade Mbappe."
"Note: Neymar did not say anything about Mbappé finishing 6th," said a third user.
Here's a look at some of the reactions:
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