Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, known as Neymar, is a Brazilian professional footballer renowned for his skill, dribbling, playmaking, and finishing. He currently plays as a left winger, attacking midfielder or forward for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A team Santos, whom he captains, and the Brazil national team. He is considered one of the best players of his generation and is Brazil's all-time top goalscorer.
Barcelona is evaluating a 17-year-old Brazilian talent, potentially the 'next Neymar,' at La Masia. This follows a recommendation from sporting director Deco as Barcelona seeks South American gems.
In 1963, Santos won the Copa Libertadores with Pelé playing for the club. This was mentioned as a point of reference when Santos won the Copa Libertadores again in 2011 with Neymar.
In February 1992, Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior was born. He is a Brazilian professional footballer known for his skills as a left winger, attacking midfielder, or forward.
In 2003, Neymar and his family relocated to São Vicente and then later to Santos, where he joined the Santos youth team.
In 2003, Neymar was spotted by Santos and joined their youth academy, marking an early step in his football career.
In 2006-07 Kaká was the last compatriot to be the competition's top scorer.
In March 2009, Neymar made his professional debut for Santos at the age of 17, playing the last thirty minutes in a 2-1 win against Oeste.
In 2009, Neymar made his professional debut with Santos, marking the beginning of his senior career.
In May 2010, Neymar contributed a goal in the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals victory over Atletico-MG. Santos won the Copa do Brasil, with Neymar finishing as the tournament's top scorer with 11 goals.
In July 2010, Neymar was selected for the first time in the Brazil senior team by coach Mano Menezes for a friendly match against the United States.
On August 10, 2010, Neymar made his debut for Brazil's national team at age 18 in a friendly against the United States, scoring a header after 28 minutes. Brazil won 2-0.
In September 2010, during a league match against Atlético Goianiense, Neymar had a dispute with his manager, Dorival Júnior, over a penalty. This resulted in the manager's sacking, creating a controversy.
In November 2010, Santos sold a 5% share of Neymar's future transfer fees to Terceira Estrela Investimentos S.A. (TEISA) for R$ 3,549,900.
In December 2010, Neymar came third for the 2010 South American Footballer of the Year, behind Andrés D'Alessandro and Juan Sebastián Verón.
Despite his strong performances for Santos in early 2010, including winning the Copa do Brasil and Campeonato Paulista, Neymar was controversially omitted from Brazil's 2010 World Cup squad. Despite public pressure and a petition, coach Dunga cited Neymar's lack of international experience as the reason for his exclusion.
In 2010, Neymar continued his rapid development, scoring five goals in a match against Guarani. He also won the Campeonato Paulista with Santos, scoring 14 goals in 19 games and being named the best player in the competition.
In 2010, Santos rejected bids from West Ham United and Chelsea for Neymar, while Neymar expressed his focus on Santos, his agent suggested his future lay elsewhere.
In March 2011, Neymar signed an 11-year contract with Nike and Panasonic paid US$2.4 million to secure Neymar's services for two years.
On March 1, 2011, Neymar expressed that being on the Brazilian team was a privilege, noting the presence of marvelous players and his happiness to be among them.
On March 27, 2011, Neymar scored twice in a 2–0 win against Scotland. A banana was thrown onto the pitch after he scored from the penalty spot, leading Neymar to complain about 'constant jeering and an atmosphere of racism'.
In July 2011, Neymar scored his first goals of that year's Campeonato Brasileiro against Flamengo. His first goal later won the 2011 FIFA Puskás Award.
In September 2011, Santos threatened to report Real Madrid to FIFA over attempts to sign Neymar. On November 9, Neymar agreed to a contract extension with Santos until after the 2014 World Cup.
In 2011, Neymar scored crucial goals in the Campeonato Paulista and led Santos to win their first Copa Libertadores since 1963, earning Man of the Match honors in the final.
In 2011, Neymar scored the FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year, during his performance for Santos against Flamengo.
In 2011, Neymar was recognized as the league's Best Player and also received the FIFA Puskás Award for his outstanding solo goal. He also contributed to Santos winning their first Copa Libertadores in nearly 50 years.
In 2011, Neymar was the leading goal scorer of the South American Youth Championship with nine goals. He also participated in the 2011 Copa América, scoring two goals against Ecuador. Brazil was eliminated in the quarter-finals against Paraguay.
In February 2012, on his 20th birthday, Neymar scored his 100th goal as a professional football player against Palmeiras in the Campeonato Paulista.
In April 2012, Neymar scored a hat-trick against São Paulo, with the match ending 3–1.
In May 2012, Neymar was selected for the Brazil Olympic football team to participate in the London 2012 Olympic Games.
On July 20, 2012, Neymar was involved in both goals of a 2–0 win against Great Britain in a warm-up match. On July 26, he scored his first goal in Brazil's opening fixture against Egypt, which ended in a 3–2 victory.
On August 25, 2012, Neymar scored two goals in the 2–1 away win against Palmeiras.
In November 2012, advertising agency Loducca created Neymar's personal brand logo, featuring the N, J, and R (Neymar Junior) with the N styled to match Neymar's shirt number 11.
In 2012, Neymar made a cameo appearance in the music video for the sertanejo hit "Eu Quero Tchu, Eu Quero Tcha" by João Lucas & Marcelo.
In 2012, Neymar was featured on the front cover of Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 on the North American version.
In 2012, Neymar won a silver medal at the Summer Olympics.
On January 19, 2013, Neymar initiated the 2013 Campeonato Paulista by scoring twice in the first match, contributing to a 3–1 win over São Bernardo. Neymar also expressed a desire to play for a major European club.
In February 2013, Neymar appeared on the cover of Time magazine, marking the first time a Brazilian athlete had done so.
In February 2013, Neymar was on the cover of Time magazine with the title 'The Next Pelé'.
In April 2013, Brazilian cartoonist Mauricio de Sousa released a Monica's Gang comic book featuring a younger version of Neymar (called Neymar Jr.) as the main character.
In May 2013, Neymar was named by SportsPro magazine as the most marketable athlete in the world and launched the Nike Hypervenom football boot.
In May 2013, SportsPro magazine named Neymar as the most marketable athlete on the planet for the second consecutive year.
On July 30, 2013, Neymar made his unofficial debut for Barcelona, coming on as a substitute in a pre-season friendly against Lechia Gdańsk, which ended in a 2–2 draw.
In 2013, Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho stated that Neymar will become the best player in the world in the next two or three seasons.
In 2013, Neymar appeared in the rap music video for "País do Futebol" by MC Guimê.
In 2013, Neymar finished the state league campaign with 12 goals and ahead of his last match for Santos, on May 26 against Flamengo, Neymar was in tears during the national anthem, with the match ending in a draw.
In 2013, Neymar joined Barcelona, forming a formidable attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, known as MSN.
In 2013, Neymar was featured on the front cover of Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 on the North American version.
In 2013, Neymar was selected as part of Luiz Felipe Scolari's Brazil squad for the Confederations Cup on home soil, and was assigned the number 10 shirt.
In January 2014, the prosecutor's office in Madrid began investigating the transfer fee that Barcelona paid for Neymar, leading to Rosell's resignation and the revelation that the transfer cost €86.2 million.
On March 5, 2014, Neymar scored a hat-trick in a friendly win against South Africa in Johannesburg. After the match, Neymar intervened when security tried to remove a young fan from the pitch, and introduced him to his Brazil teammates.
In June 2014, Neymar appeared with supermodel Gisele Bündchen on the front cover of Vogue's Brazilian edition.
In September 2014, Neymar scored his first two goals of the 2014–15 season against Athletic Bilbao and a hat-trick against Granada. He continued his streak by scoring in the next three La Liga matches, including against Real Madrid.
In November 2014, Neymar appeared in FIFA's "11 against Ebola" campaign with other top football players to raise awareness of the disease and ways to combat it.
In 2014, Neymar starred in an advertisement for Beats alongside other football stars such as Thierry Henry and Luis Suárez, with the theme of 'The Game Before The Game'.
In September 2011, Neymar agreed to a contract extension with Santos until after the 2014 World Cup.
On April 25, 2014, Neymar's agent and father revealed that Neymar intended to leave for Europe before the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
On January 24, 2015, Neymar scored twice and assisted two more goals in a 6–0 win at Elche. On January 28, he scored his 20th goal of the season in a 3–2 Copa del Rey quarter-final win over Atlético Madrid.
In March 2015, Neymar had the fourth highest social media rank in the world among sportspeople, behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and David Beckham, with 52 million Facebook fans.
On June 14, 2015, Neymar scored and assisted in Brazil's Copa América opener against Peru. After a loss to Colombia, he was red carded for kicking the ball at an opponent, resulting in a four-match ban and a $10,000 fine, which ruled him out for the remainder of the tournament.
In 2015 Neymar was shortlisted for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or alongside Messi and Ronaldo, and subsequently came third.
In 2015, Neymar finished in third place in the Ballon d'Or rankings, behind Messi and Ronaldo.
In 2015, Neymar was nominated and made the podium for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, acknowledging his status as one of the best players in the world.
In May of 2015, Neymar scored the last goal in a 3–0 win against Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. He scored both the team's goals in a 3–2-second leg defeat at the Allianz Arena to ensure Barça would qualify for the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final. He also scored in a 2–0 league win versus Real Sociedad.
On May 30, 2015, after securing the league title and with Barcelona's victory likely, Neymar performed tricks with the ball in the final stages of the game, which was deemed unsporting by opponent Andoni Iraola.
On May 22, 2016, Neymar scored a late goal in Barcelona's 2–0 extra time win over Sevilla in the 2016 Copa del Rey Final at the Vicente Calderón. The front three of Messi, Suárez and Neymar finished the season with 131 goals.
In late June 2016, Neymar was included in Brazil's squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics on home soil and was named the team's captain.
In 2016, ESPN ranked Neymar as the fourth most famous athlete in the world.
In 2016, Neymar captained Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men's football at the Summer Olympics.
In February 2017, during Barcelona's 6–1 victory over PSG in the Champions League round of 16, Neymar played a pivotal role in Barcelona's comeback, scoring two goals and assisting the decisive goal.
In April 2017, Neymar was included in the Time 100, Time magazine's list of the most influential people in the world.
In June 2017, Neymar informed his teammates of his desire to leave Barcelona at Messi's wedding.
By July 2017, media speculation emerged that Neymar wanted to join PSG, with the club holding talks with Barcelona officials. Neymar was motivated to leave Barcelona to step out of Messi's shadow.
On August 13, 2017, Neymar made his debut for Les Rouge-et-Bleu, scoring a goal and assisting another in a 3–0 away victory over Guingamp. The match was broadcast in 183 countries.
On August 2, 2017, Neymar formally requested that Barcelona allow him to leave the club.
On August 27, 2017, Barcelona filed a lawsuit against Neymar, demanding he return the contract renewal bonus he received as well as €8.5 million in damages and an additional 10% for the arrears. They claimed they are owed money that Neymar received as part of a renewal bonus when he signed a new contract in 2016.
In 2017, Neymar again finished in third place in the Ballon d'Or rankings, behind Messi and Ronaldo.
In 2017, Neymar moved to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a record-breaking transfer fee of €222 million, becoming the most expensive player in football history.
In 2017, Neymar scored his 100th goal for Barcelona, netting in a 4–1 win over Granada on April 2 and scored in the 2017 Copa del Rey Final on May 27.
In 2017, Neymar was nominated and made the podium for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, acknowledging his status as one of the best players in the world.
In February 2018, during a match against Marseille, Neymar fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot and underwent an operation in Belo Horizonte. Despite the injury, he concluded his first season with PSG with 28 goals in 30 matches and was awarded the Ligue 1 Player of the Year.
On June 3, 2013, Neymar was unveiled by Barcelona after passing medical tests and signing a contract that would keep him at the club through June 2018.
On June 3, 2018, Neymar made his international comeback after a foot injury and scored in a 2–0 win over Croatia. Later in June, he became Brazil's joint-third highest goalscorer.
On August 12, 2018, Neymar scored PSG's opening league goal of the 2018–19 season in a 3–0 win over Caen. He then scored from a penalty in a 3–1 win against Guingamp in Ligue 1. Later that month, Neymar scored one goal and assisted another in a 3-1 victory over Angers.
During the 2018 World Cup, Neymar's dramatic dives inspired the “Neymar Challenge” on social media. Neymar was also criticised for exaggerating injury, with Eric Cantona stating Neymar is a "great actor".
In 2018, Pelé criticized Neymar for his actions off the field, stating that he complicated the gift he was given by the 'God of football'.
In May 2019, Neymar was included in Brazil's squad for the 2019 Copa América. However, on June 5, he suffered an ankle injury in a friendly against Qatar and was ruled out of the tournament.
In July 2019, police announced that a rape investigation against Neymar would be dropped due to insufficient evidence.
In August 2019, Neymar was willing to pay €20m to PSG in installments to facilitate a move to Barcelona. On August 27, 2019, the clubs met, but PSG rejected Barcelona's written offer as insufficient. Neymar made a written offer to PSG's general manager Jean-Claude Blanc on August 30, but it was dismissed due to French football regulations, leading him to stay at PSG.
In 2019, ESPN again ranked Neymar as the world's fourth most famous athlete.
In 2019, Forbes ranked Neymar the world's third-highest-paid athlete with earnings of $105 million for the year.
In 2019, Neymar appeared in 'The Making Of' series by DAZN, documentaries that relive defining games of football icons. Neymar recounted his 2011 performance for Santos against Flamengo, when he scored the FIFA Puskás Award-winning Goal of the Year. Also in 2019, the film 'Neymar and the Line of King' which covers Neymar's journey in becoming one of Brazil's top players was released.
In July 2020, Neymar scored in PSG's first professional game after the COVID-19 pandemic, a 1–0 win over Saint-Étienne in the Coupe de France Final, winning his second title. On July 31, 2020, PSG won the Coupe de la Ligue Final against Lyon, completing a domestic treble, with Neymar netting one of the penalties.
In August 2020, Neymar's 11-year contract with Nike ended after a Nike employee made a sexual assault complaint against him.
In September 2020, Neymar, along with PSG teammates Ángel Di María and Leandro Paredes, tested positive for COVID-19 and were quarantined.
On October 13, 2020, Neymar scored a hat-trick in a World Cup qualifier against Peru, surpassing Ronaldo as Brazil's second highest goalscorer of all time.
In 2020, Neymar played a crucial role in helping PSG reach its first Champions League final, earning him a place in the UEFA Team of the Year for the second time.
During June 2021, in Brazil's opening group match of the 2021 Copa América, Neymar scored a goal from the penalty spot and assisted another. He scored again in the following match against Peru. He assisted the match-winning goal against Colombia. He was later named player of the tournament alongside Messi.
In August 2021, Lionel Messi signed for PSG, joining Neymar. On August 29, 2021, Neymar made his first appearance of the season in a 2–0 win over Reims, with Messi making his debut after replacing Neymar in the 66th minute.
In December 2021, Neymar signed a deal with Facebook Gaming.
In 2022, Neymar appeared as a playable operator in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.
In 2022, Neymar supported Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in the Brazilian general election.
In 2022, Neymar was the subject of a Netflix documentary series titled 'Neymar: The Perfect Chaos'.
In February 2023, Neymar defended his behavior, stating "It's my life, I do what I want," after images of him in a fast-food restaurant surfaced on social media the day after PSG lost to Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16.
On August 15, 2023, Neymar completed a transfer to Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal on a two-year contract, with a transfer fee reported to be worth €90 million. He is reportedly being paid €150m a year at Al Hilal. This move was compared to Rivellino's transfer to the club in 1978.
In 2023, Neymar faced a potential fine of about $1 million for environmental violations during the construction of his Mangaratiba mansion.
In 2023, Neymar was sold by PSG to Al Hilal for €90 million, becoming part of the Saudi Pro League.
In 2023, Spanish publication Marca noted that Neymar's star was dimming due to a seemingly endless string of injuries.
In 2023, after his move to Saudi Arabia, Neymar was dubbed the 'Prince who never became King' by various media outlets.
In October 2024, Neymar returned to play for Al Hilal in an AFC Champions League match against Al Ain after a long absence. However, he suffered a hamstring injury a few weeks later, which sidelined him for the remainder of 2024.
In December 2024, Neymar announced he is expecting his fourth child; a second daughter with the mother of his second child.
In October 2023, during Brazil's 2–0 qualifying defeat to Uruguay, Neymar suffered a complete rupture of his ACL and meniscus in his left knee, which was later confirmed. As a result, he was expected to miss the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign and was excluded from Brazil's squad for the 2024 Copa América.
In January 2025, Neymar was not registered for the league competition during the second half of the 2024–25 season. On January 27, 2025, Al Hilal announced an agreement for the termination of Neymar's contract by mutual consent after coach Jorge Jesus stated that Neymar could no longer perform at the expected level.
In January 2025, after rarely playing due to an ACL injury, Neymar returned to his boyhood club, Santos.
On February 6, 2025, Neymar made his re-debut for Santos as a half-time substitute in a 1–1 draw against Botafogo-SP. He received a hero's welcome and the Man of the Match award.
Ten days after his re-debut, Neymar scored his first goal in a 3–1 win over Água Santa, through a penalty, and assisted another goal on February 16, 2025. On February 23, 2025, he scored directly from a corner kick.
In March 2025, Neymar was named in the 29 men in the preliminary squad for the national team.
In 2025, boxer Conor Benn alleged that Chris Eubank Jr. owed Neymar £4 million in poker debts at a pre-fight press conference.
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