Neymar has hit back at Manchester City star Rodri after he said Vinicius Junior “should be careful” to become a better player.

Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d’Or last month, beating Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr to the prestigious award. After the 28-year-old offered advice to the Brazil star, Neymar came to his team-mate’s defence with a retort aimed at Rodri.

Rodri said this week: “I think Vinicius is a smart guy and he will realise over time that the more he puts into the pitch, the better he will become. Like everyone else, Vinicius has things to improve on and off the pitch. He is young, I am sure there will be many people who will give him good advice, especially since he is at Real Madrid. It is a club with values.”

Later, in an Instagram post, Al-Hilal’s Neymar commented: “Now he [Rodri] is the talkative one.”

Neymar’s unexpected intervention sparked significant engagement on social media, attracting more than 50,000 likes and 2,100 comments. The majority came from Neymar and Vinicius Jr fans, who shared messages of support for the Brazilian stars.

There has been a growing rift surrounding the Ballon d’Or, which began with Real Madrid boycotting the ceremony in Paris when they learned Vinicius had not won. And it seems the latest comments have only added to the heat.

The escalating tension between Rodri and Vinicius Jr highlights the growing rivalry between Manchester City and Real Madrid, two of Europe’s strongest teams. Neymar’s defence of Vinicius underlines the unity among the Brazilian players and adds a layer of drama to this ongoing saga.

While Manchester City’s Rodri continues to recover from the knee injury that ended his season early, Vinicius will be focused on Real Madrid’s visit to Leganes on Sunday in La Liga.