Neymar Shines While Transfer Rumors Swirl as Barcelona Beats Juventus at ICC

If Neymar has played his last game for Barcelona, he certainly went out in style.

Amid persistent rumors linking him with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, per BBC Sports' Saj Chowdhury, the Brazilian superstar put on a show Saturday evening at MetLife Stadium, scoring two goals for Barcelona in the first half and leading his current club to a 2-1 win over Juventus in the International Champions Cup.

Giorgio Chiellini scored Juventus' lone goal in the second half.

The game turned in the 14th minute, as Juventus failed to capitalize on a golden scoring opportunity and Barcelona made them pay.

Stefano Sturaro opened that sequence by looping a lovely cross to the far left post, where forward Mario Mandzukic met it with a header. He guided his effort toward the near post rather than going across the face of goal, however, ultimately sending his effort just wide.

Less than a minute later, Barcelona struck. Neymar and Paco Alcacer played a brilliant one-two on the edge of the box, freeing Neymar on goal. The Brazilian superstar didn't disappoint, settling the ball at his feet and ripping the game's opening goal into the top right corner.

He didn't hide his excitement after the fantastic finish, per ESPN:

Eleven minutes later, he dazzled again.

This time, Barcelona's star winger showed off his otherworldly footwork, dribbling through the Juventus back line in the box before ripping home his second goal on the evening.

He enjoyed another celebration as well, per ESPN FC:

Certainly, if Neymar is to depart Barcelona for PSG in a record-shattering £196 million transfer, he might just be worth every penny, as Dermot Corrigan of ESPN suggested:

Max Bretos of ESPN isn't sure why PSG hasn't formally submitted its bid already:

With Barcelona making a number of substitutions after the first half, however, Neymar's evening was done after 45 minutes.

Juventus would make things interesting in the 59th minute, as Paulo Dybala made an immediate impact upon being substituted into the game. The dynamic winger's corner was headed home by Chiellini in the 63rd minute, cutting Barcelona's lead in half.

Both clubs would trade chances in a very fun and open second half, though the game would end with Barca maintaining its 2-1 advantage.

It was a fascinating match on a number of levels. While the Neymar saga took center stage, it was also Ernesto Valverde's first match as the club's manager. And it was a chance at some revenge for the Catalans after Juventus eliminated them from last year's Champions League quarterfinals.

The game also featured a number of new signings for Juventus, including Juan Cuadrado, Wojciech Szczesny and Douglas Costa, among others. The club utilized a back four in the match as well—a departure from the familiar three-man back line the team has run for years—though it was clearly an adjustment, as Neymar was often afforded acres of space to roam as Stephan Lichtsteiner often roamed too far up the pitch.

But what Neymar did with that space—and the spaces he may occupy next season, either in Barcelona or in Paris—were unquestionably the main talking points Saturday.

That will be the case barring any clarification on Neymar's future come Wednesday, when Barcelona face Manchester United in ICC play. Juventus will be in action that same day, facing PSG.