Ex-Man City midfielder reveals why Neymar surprised him more than Lionel Messi

Speaking to ESPN Brasil, Fernando revealed which of the two stars left the bigger impression. His answer highlighted Neymar’s unique qualities.

“The player who surprised me the most, without a doubt, was Neymar,” he said.

“When I was studying him before facing Barcelona, I thought: ‘He’s skinny and I’ll go straight through his body.’ But honestly, mate, his pace was unbelievable.”

“His change of direction is incredible. For me, he was the most talented, the one who surprised me the most.”

Former Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano then questioned Fernando about Messi, and he replied: “With Messi, you already expect so much. But Neymar, in terms of carrying the ball, going one way, then the other, I’ve never seen anyone like him. He can go both ways, it’s unpredictable, completely different.”

His comments underline how the Brazilian superstar’s style created a different type of challenge. Even for a player accustomed to facing world class attackers, his unpredictability stood out.

Fernando’s record against Neymar and Lionel Messi highlights contrast

According to Transfermarkt, Fernando faced Neymar only twice in his career. Both meetings came in the Champions League while playing for Manchester City.

Those encounters were evenly split. His side won one match and lost the other to Neymar’s Barcelona.

His record against Messi is more extensive. Fernando faced the Argentine nine times, particularly during his time at Sevilla.

The results were less favourable. He lost five of those games, drew two and won only twice, reflecting the difficulty of containing Messi over a longer period.