Bayern Munich playmaker Jamal Musiala has implied that Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstars Neymar Jr. and Lionel Messi were his idols when growing up.
Musiala’s eye-catching dribbling skills were on display at the 2022 FIFA World Cup when the 19-year-old started in all three of their group-stage games. He has slowly become a regular feature at Bayern as well.
The teenager has been on fire this season, scoring nine goals and providing seven assists in 14 Bundesliga games. Given his immaculate ball control, it is not uncommon for Musiala to be compared to some of the greatest dribblers in the game, including Neymar and Lionel Messi.
According to the Germany international himself, he grew up watching videos of the duo in a bid to hone his dribbling abilities as well. When asked who he idolized when it came to dribbling and skills, Musiala told Bundesliga.com:
“Growing up, I watched a lot of [Lionel] Messi videos and Neymar as well. It always amazed me how they went into the dribbles and it was always entertaining to watch them play.”
He has a long way to go if he wants to reach the level of Neymar and Lionel Messi, but he is certainly on the right path. The Stuttgart-born talent is arguably one of Bayern’s biggest assets at the moment.
With three-and-a-half years still left on his contract at the Allianz Arena, the Bavarian giants don’t have to worry about his immediate future. However, given his form, one can imagine a new contract offer wouldn’t be too far away.
Neymar and Lionel Messi ineffective as PSG let RC Lens make up ground in title race
Neymar and Lionel Messi were uncharacteristically ineffective as PSG slipped to a 1-0 loss against Stade Rennais on 16 January at Roazhon Park.
Both managed no shots on target, with one chance created each, and a pass accuracy of 81%. Kylian Mbappe also had no real impact on the game after being introduced 10 minutes into the second half.
This allowed RC Lens to close down the gap between them and the top of the table to just three points after 19 games. PSG’s next Ligue 1 task will be against Reims on 29 January at the Parc des Princes.
But before that, fans can hope to see Messi and co. take part in a friendly against Riyadh XI later today (January 19).