Childhood and Education Journey of Neymar in Timeline

An overview of the childhood and early education of Neymar, highlighting the experiences that shaped the journey.

Neymar Júnior is a Brazilian professional footballer renowned for his exceptional dribbling, technical skills, playmaking, and finishing abilities. He currently plays for Santos and captains the Brazil national team. Widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, Neymar is among the few players to have scored 100 goals for three different clubs. He is Brazil's all-time top goalscorer and assist provider in the UEFA Champions League, ranks second among South American men's top international goalscorers, and was formerly the all-time top assist provider in international football. He boasts over 400 career goals and 250 assists.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

February 1992: Neymar's birth

In February 1992, Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior was born. He is a Brazilian professional footballer known for his dribbling, technical ability, playmaking, and finishing.

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2003: Family Moved to São Vicente and Santos

In 2003, Neymar's family moved to São Vicente and later to Santos, where he joined the Santos youth team.

March 2011: Neymar signs with Nike and Panasonic

In March 2011, Neymar signed an 11-year contract with Nike and a two-year deal with Panasonic for US$2.4 million.

2011: Marseille victory

For the first time since 2011, Marseille were victorious, winning 1–0.

2012: Neymar cameos in music video

In 2012, Neymar made cameo appearances in the music video for "Eu Quero Tchu, Eu Quero Tcha" by João Lucas & Marcelo.

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2012: Neymar featured on Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 cover

In 2012, Neymar was featured on the North American cover of the video game Pro Evolution Soccer 2012.

2012: Pelé and others compare Neymar to Messi and Ronaldo

In 2012, Pelé declared Neymar the world's best player, while Diego Maradona suggested this was only true if Lionel Messi was from another planet. Neymar acknowledged Messi's superiority, stating he gets inspiration from Messi. Ronaldo and Zico also praised Neymar, comparing him to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. After scoring a hat-trick against Internacional, Neymar expressed his admiration for Messi and desire to emulate him in 2012.

February 2013: Neymar on the cover of TIME Magazine

In February 2013, Neymar was featured on the cover of Time magazine with the headline "The Next Pelé". Neymar mentioned that Pelé is his role model but stated that he doesn't like to be compared with him.

April 2013: Neymar Jr. in Monica's Gang comic book

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.

2013: Neymar appears on a rap music video

In 2013, Neymar appeared on a rap music video, "País do Futebol" by MC Guimê.

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2013: Neymar featured on Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 cover

In 2013, Neymar was featured on the North American cover of the video game Pro Evolution Soccer 2013.

March 2014: Neymar scores hat-trick against South Africa

In March 2014, Neymar scored a hat-trick in a friendly match against South Africa in Johannesburg. After the match, he made headlines by interacting with a young fan who ran onto the pitch, inviting him to celebrate with the Brazil team.

June 2014: Neymar appears on Vogue Brazil cover with Gisele Bündchen

In June 2014, Neymar appeared with Gisele Bündchen on the front cover of Vogue's Brazilian edition to mark the World Cup commencing in Brazil.

November 2014: Neymar in FIFA's "11 against Ebola" campaign

In November 2014, Neymar appeared in FIFA's "11 against Ebola" campaign with other football players to raise awareness of the disease and ways to combat it.

2014: Neymar stars in Beats advert

In 2014, Neymar starred in an advert for Beats alongside other football stars, with the theme of 'The Game Before The Game'.

2015: Neymar's performance in Messi's absence

In 2015, Neymar missed the UEFA Super Cup and the Supercopa de España due to having the mumps. After Messi's injury in September 2015, Neymar was praised as the best player in the world, scoring 13 goals and providing 9 assists in 8 games.

June 2016: Neymar wears Air Jordan-branded boots

In June 2016, Neymar became the first footballer to wear Air Jordan-branded boots—a custom Air Jordan V Hypervenom.

2018: Involvement in Paris Fashion Week and Other Events

In 2018, Neymar began adopting more of a "pop star" lifestyle, including attending Paris Fashion Week and hanging out with celebrities. This lifestyle change was viewed by some as a distraction from his football career.

2018: Neymar influential in PSG’s partnership with Air Jordan

In 2018, Neymar was highly influential to PSG’s groundbreaking partnership with Air Jordan.

July 2019: Rape investigation against Neymar dropped

In July 2019, police dropped a rape investigation against Neymar due to insufficient evidence.

2019: Neymar appears in The Making Of series

In 2019, Neymar appeared in DAZN's The Making Of series, recounting his performance for Santos against Flamengo in 2011 when he scored that year's FIFA Puskás Award. 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.

August 2020: Neymar's contract with Nike ends

In August 2020, Neymar's 11-year contract with Nike ended after a Nike employee made a sexual assault complaint against him, leading him to sign with Puma and adopt the PUMA King boots.

September 2020: Neymar tests positive for COVID-19

In September 2020, Neymar, along with PSG teammates, tested positive for COVID-19 after reportedly vacationing in Ibiza, leading to quarantine and testing for the team.

December 2021: Neymar signs deal with Facebook Gaming

In December 2021, Neymar signed a deal with Facebook Gaming.

2022: Neymar appears in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II

In 2022, Neymar appeared as a playable operator in the first-person shooter Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.

2022: Neymar supports Jair Bolsonaro

In 2022, Neymar publicly supported Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in the Brazilian general election.

2022: Neymar documentary series released on Netflix

In 2022, a Netflix documentary series titled Neymar: The Perfect Chaos was released.

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2022: Neymar supports Jair Bolsonaro in TikTok video

In the days leading up to the 2022 Brazilian presidential election, Neymar appeared in a TikTok video promoting President Jair Bolsonaro, receiving heavy criticism for his endorsement.

2023: Neymar faces fine for environmental violations

In the summer of 2023, Neymar faced a potential $1 million fine for environmental violations during the construction of his Mangaratiba mansion, including diverting a waterway and using beach sand without permission.

June 2024: Neymar Jr. appointed brand ambassador for Blaze

In June 2024, Neymar Jr. was appointed brand ambassador for Blaze's exclusive "crash" online gaming product.

May 2025: Neymar left over $1 billion in will

Around May 2025, a 31 year old anonymous Brazilian billionaire from Porto Alegre left Neymar over $1 billion in his will. Also in May 2025, Conor Benn called out Chris Eubank Jr. at a pre-fight press conference, alleging Eubank Jr. owed Neymar £4 million in poker debts.