Messi’s star teammate at Barcelona says he felt like a ‘donkey’ playing with Lionel and Neymar

In 2015, Barcelona claimed their most recent UEFA Champions League title by defeating Juventus in the final. That squad was stacked with talent, but it was the attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar Junior that truly stood out. Now, the Uruguayan forward has opened up about what it was like to play with those two global superstars.

“We were three players with different characteristics. The donkey was in the middle,” said Suarez, raising his hand to signal he was talking about himself, during a conversation with Davoo Xeneize. “I arrived and thought, ‘Where can I stand so I don’t get in their way here?’ The first few matches, I was super nervous—what if I messed up a pass?”

Luis went on to reflect more on that experience: “I’d look to one side and I had Leo, look to the other and there was Ney. I’d look behind and I had Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets. ‘Where do I go so I don’t get in the way of these guys, who all play one-touch and move so fast?’”

However, he admitted that over time, things started to settle: “I really improved my one-touch game. I had to learn that in Barcelona—how to move in my own space, go up against center-backs, hold my position. And I think that helped the team a lot.”

Luis Suarez celebrates with his teammates Lionel Messi and Neymar after during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Sporting Gijon on April 23, 2016.

Suarez joined Barcelona in 2014 and quickly proved to be the missing piece that helped the team reach its full potential. “Before, Leo would play on the right against the left-back, and then he’d also have to face one of the center-backs,” the Uruguayan said of the team before his arrival. “With me in the middle holding off the defenders, they couldn’t come out as much—and that helped create more space.”

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Lionel Messi’s 8 Ballon d’Or trophies under scrutiny by World Cup winner with Italy

Messi, Suarez and Neymar lit up world soccer

With Messi, Suarez, and Neymar, Barcelona entered a golden era in which they won every major title available. They captured two La Liga championships, three Copa del Rey titles, two Spanish Super Cups, and also claimed the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Club World Cup.

“We understood each other in an incredible way. Sometimes we’d just start running and already knew where the ball was going to drop,” Suarez said of the chemistry between the trio. “It was a time of total confidence. We knew we’d create 10 to 15 chances per game, so one was bound to go in. Everything worked out for me—and my teammates helped me a ton.”

Messi later reunited with both

That attacking trio broke up in 2017, when Neymar left for Paris Saint-Germain. In the years that followed, Lionel and Luis remained at Barcelona, but the club’s financial issues eventually forced both to leave. Between 2021 and 2023, Leo and Ney reunited in France—though their time together there was far from successful.

Currently, Messi is teammates once again with Suarez at Inter Miami, and together they led the Herons to the 2024 Supporters’ Shield title. Now, they’re focused on chasing bigger trophies, including the MLS Cup, the Concacaf Champions Cup, and the Club World Cup. Neymar, meanwhile, is working to regain his top form with Santos.