Neymar Suggests Lionel Messi Wasn't the Reason He Left Barcelona for PSG

Neymar addressed the media for the first time as a Paris Saint-Germain player on Friday and said his decision join the French giants was not motivated by a desire to outshine Lionel Messi.

The Brazilian was unveiled by the Ligue 1 side following his world-record transfer from Barcelona and fielded a string of questions about his motivation for leaving the Camp Nou.

As suggested by the Guardian’s Sid Lowe, there have been reports that Neymar decided to move on in order to escape the vast shadow cast by Messi. When quizzed about being the main man at a club, Neymar was adamant that didn’t come into his thinking.

"No. It's not that I wanted to be the big star at Barcelona," he said, per Nick Miller of the Guardian. "That's not what I'm looking for here. I'm looking for a new challenge, new trophies, and this is what motivates me."

Per BBC Breaking News, Neymar said he felt compelled to make the £200 million switch to the Parc des Princes:

Asked specifically about Messi, Neymar described the Barcelona man as his "role model" and insisted they had an excellent relationship.

The Brazilian was also pressed on whether the financials behind the deal encouraged him to make the switch to Paris; according to BBC Sport, he will earn a staggering £775,477 a week over the course of his five-year contract.

"These people don't know anything about me," he rebuffed. "Money was never my motivation. I want to be happy, and I want my family to be happy. I'm really sad to hear that people think this way. If it was just about money, I could have gone somewhere else."

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The French giants begin their Ligue 1 campaign on Saturday against Amiens, and while Neymar has yet to have a training session as a PSG player, he insisted he is ready to feature, per the club's official Twitter account:

Neymar also thanked Javier Pastore for vacating the No. 10 jersey for the coming campaign.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi accompanied Neymar as he faced the press. As noted by journalist Jonathan Johnson, he was delighted to have got the man he believes is the best footballer on the planet:

Al-Khelaifi also discussed the impact Neymar has already had at PSG in terms of the valuation of the club, per Get French Football News:

Neymar's signing is a major statement for the Ligue 1 side, and the president admitted it is the club's "dream" to win the UEFA Champions League. The acquisition of the Brazilian will undoubtedly be a huge boost for them in pursuit of club football's biggest prize.

As noted by Johnson, when asked for a final word at the end of his press conference, Neymar said "PSG is magic." Al-Khelaifi and all those tied to the Parc des Princes outfit will be hoping their new No. 10 is too.