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 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.

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 skills as a left winger, attacking midfielder, or forward.

Others born on this day/year

2003: Moved to São Vicente and Santos

In 2003, Neymar and his family relocated to São Vicente and then later to Santos, where he joined the Santos youth team.

2003: Joined Santos Youth Academy

In 2003, Neymar was spotted by Santos and joined their youth academy, marking an early step in his football career.

November 2010: Sale of Future Transfer Fees Share

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.

March 2011: Signs with Nike and Panasonic

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.

March 2011: Privilege of being on the Brazilian Team

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.

November 2012: Personal Brand Logo Created

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.

2012: Ranked among world's richest players

In 2012, France Football ranked Neymar 13th in its list of the world's richest players, with total earnings of $18.8 million for the previous 12 months.

February 2013: Time magazine cover: 'The Next Pelé'

In February 2013, Neymar was on the cover of Time magazine with the title 'The Next Pelé'.

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

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: Ronaldinho tips Neymar to become best player

In 2013, Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho stated that Neymar will become the best player in the world in the next two or three seasons.

March 2014: Hat-Trick Against South Africa

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.

June 2014: Vogue Cover with Gisele Bündchen

In June 2014, Neymar appeared with supermodel Gisele Bündchen on the front cover of Vogue's Brazilian edition.

November 2014: FIFA's "11 against Ebola" Campaign

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.

March 2015: Fourth Highest Social Media Rank

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.

2016: Fourth Most Famous Athlete

In 2016, ESPN ranked Neymar as the fourth most famous athlete in the world.

April 2017: Included in Time 100

In April 2017, Neymar was included in the Time 100, Time magazine's list of the most influential people in the world.

2018: Third-highest-paid footballer

In 2018, France Football ranked Neymar the third-highest-paid footballer in the world, earning a total income for €81.5m ($95m) for the year.

July 2019: Rape investigation dropped

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

2019: Fourth Most Famous Athlete

In 2019, ESPN again ranked Neymar as the world's fourth most famous athlete.

2019: Third-highest-paid athlete

In 2019, Forbes ranked Neymar the world's third-highest-paid athlete with earnings of $105 million for the year.

August 2020: Nike contract ends

In August 2020, Neymar's 11-year contract with Nike ended after a Nike employee made a sexual assault complaint against him.

September 2020: Neymar tests positive for COVID-19

In September 2020, Neymar, along with PSG teammates Ángel Di María and Leandro Paredes, tested positive for COVID-19 and were quarantined.

2022: Endorsement of Jair Bolsonaro

In 2022, Neymar endorsed Brazil's right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro in a TikTok video, lip-syncing a campaign jingle, which led to heavy criticism. Bolsonaro was later defeated by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

2022: Supports Jair Bolsonaro in election

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

February 2023: Neymar defends behavior after Champions League loss

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.

August 2023: Completed transfer to Al Hilal

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.