Overshadowed!’ – Wayne Rooney claims Neymar was never world class

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney says he has never considered Brazilian forward Neymar to be world class despite his achievements for club and country.

Undoubted one of the most talented players in the world of football,. Neymar enjoyed huge success playing for top clubs like Santos, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. The forward has also dazzled in Brazil’s colours on the international stage but Rooney believes he’s not to be rated among the world class.

Neymar formed one of the most potent attacking forward the world has ever seen during his time at Barcelona, featuring alongside Messi and Luis Suarez in the infamous ‘MSN’ forward line.

He won multiple trophies in Spain before moving to PSG, where he added to his silverware collection, before heading to Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal.

Neymar during his playing days at Barcelona. (Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)

Now back in Brazil and playing for boyhood club Santos, Neymar is still showing glimpse of his attributes on the pitch.

However, Rooney when asked for his thoughts on Neymar, offered a brutal verdict on the Brazilian.

He told The Overlap, brought to you by Sky Bet: “I like Neymar but I’ve never seen him as a top, top player. Like, Messi, Ronaldo, that kind of category. He was good at Barcelona, but he was still overshadowed by Messi.”

Neymar believes he still has what it takes to play at the highest level and hopes he can get one last chance to represent Brazil at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

However, he’s been left out of manager Carlo Ancelotti’s latest squad, with the Italian explaining the reason for his omission. He told reporters: “Neymar can be at the World Cup too. If he can reach the next World Cup at 100 per cent, he can be at the World Cup. Why is he not on this list now? Because he is not 100%. We need players at 100% right now. But as I said, for the final list, the conversation is different. Neymar has to keep working and playing, showing his qualities in a good physical condition.”

It’s still unclear whether Wayne Rooney’s opinion will spark a strong reaction from fans, but Neymar’s current focus is on staying fit and securing a place in the Brazil national team squad.