Messi's advice that changed Neymar's outlook

The Brazilian revealed that he had been having a tough game at Barcelona, with nothing going his way, and when he came off the pitch for half-time, he couldn't hold back tears.

"Messi saw that I was in tears because I hadn't had a good first half," Neymar explained. "He saw that I was sad, and he started to talk to me."

The Argentine gave him some advice on that day that he has kept in mind ever since. "You have to be you," Messi told him. "Play your football and don't let them intimidate you."

Since then, Neymar stated that his outlook has changed. "Whether you like it or not, playing with such big stars makes you nervous," he said. "It gives you a bit of shame. After speaking to him I began to loosen up, to show my skills and to have confidence."

This advice brought out the Neymar that we all know today. "That was when I relaxed, I found happiness and we began a great friendship," he concluded.

It's a friendship that distance hasn't been able to break. Messi, in Barcelona, and Neymar, in Paris, have continued to be friends despite the Brazilian breaking away from his former club. And it all began with that vital advice back in 2013.