Legendary Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has recently expressed that Brazilian star Neymar should have won at least five Ballon d’Or awards. 

In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Buffon praised Neymar, stating, “It’s hard to pick a rival, I’ve played against three generations: Zidane, Ronaldo, Messi, Cristiano, Iniesta… Choose one? Neymar. For the player he is and the person he is, he should have won five Ballon d’Ors.”

Despite his brilliant career, Neymar has not yet secured this prestigious individual accolade, although he has been nominated multiple times and finished third in 2015 and 2017.

Buffon’s opinion adds to the voices that believe Neymar deserves greater recognition for his skills and contributions to global football. However, competing against the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has been a decisive factor in the distribution of the Ballon d’Or over the last decade.