Neymar Reveals He Nearly Joined Bayern Munich in 2013

The Brazilian star shared details of a late-night pitch from Pep Guardiola, but ultimately chose Barcelona to fulfill his dream of playing with Lionel Messi.

Neymar disclosed in a podcast that Pep Guardiola personally tried to recruit him to Bayern Munich in early 2013.
The meeting took place during a FIFA Gala in Zurich, where Guardiola visited Neymar's hotel room late at night with his father and a translator.
Guardiola presented a detailed plan for Neymar's role in his team, even joking he would change his name if Neymar failed to score 60 goals in a season.
At the time, Guardiola was on a sabbatical but had already signed a contract to manage Bayern starting in the summer of 2013.
Despite Guardiola's efforts, Neymar chose to join FC Barcelona instead, citing his dream of playing alongside Lionel Messi as the deciding factor.