The recent Ballon d’Or win by Rodri Hernández continues to stir debate in the football world. During an interview on the show “El Larguero,” the Spanish midfielder from Manchester City praised his competitor in the voting, Vinícius Júnior, but also emphasized that the Brazilian still has areas to improve.

These statements did not go unnoticed and prompted an immediate response from Neymar, who came to the defense of his friend and national team colleague.

Rodri remarked that Vinícius is “one of the best players in the world” and that over time, he has learned to focus more on his performance on the field. However, he added that the Real Madrid player “still has facets to improve.”

Although the recent Ballon d’Or winner’s words were measured, Neymar interpreted the comment as a criticism and did not hesitate to respond via social media with a pointed message: “Now he has become a talker.”

The Real Madrid winger has been one of the standout figures of the season, but his absence at the Ballon d’Or ceremony was also a point of controversy.