Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, known as Neymar, is a Brazilian professional footballer renowned for his exceptional skills as a left winger, attacking midfielder, or forward. He currently plays for Santos and captains the Brazil national team. Widely regarded as one of the best players ever, Neymar is celebrated for his flair, dribbling prowess, playmaking abilities, and clinical finishing. He holds the distinction of being Brazil's all-time top goalscorer.
In 1963, Santos won their first Copa Libertadores. This fact is mentioned in the context of Santos winning another Copa Libertadores title in 2011, highlighting the historical significance.
In August 2023, Neymar's transfer to Al Hilal drew comparisons to former Brazil international Rivellino's transfer to the club in 1978.
In February 1992, Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior was born. He is a Brazilian professional footballer known for playing as a left winger, attacking midfielder, or forward. He is often praised as one of the best players of all time and is Brazil's all-time top goalscorer.
In 2003, Neymar began playing football and was soon spotted by Santos, who offered him a contract and inducted him into their youth academy.
In 2003, Neymar moved with his family to São Vicente and began playing for Portuguesa Santista's youth side. Later in 2003, they moved to Santos, where Neymar joined Santos.
In the 2006–07 season, Kaká was the last Brazilian compatriot before Neymar to top the Champions League scoring list.
On 7 March 2009, Neymar made his professional debut for Santos. Later in March 2009, he scored his first goal for Santos against Mogi Mirim.
In 2009, Neymar made his professional debut with Santos, marking the beginning of his senior career.
In May 2010, Neymar scored in the 3-1 Copa do Brasil quarterfinals victory over Atletico-MG.
On July 26, 2010, Neymar was selected for the first time in the Brazil senior team by new head coach Mano Menezes for a friendly match against the United States.
On August 10, 2010, Neymar made his debut for the Brazil national team, scoring a header in a 2–0 win against the United States.
On 15 September 2010, during a league match against Atlético Goianiense, Neymar's attitude came to the forefront when Santos' manager appointed another player to take a penalty. This led to a dispute, and the manager was subsequently sacked by the board.
On 30 November 2010, Santos sold a 5% share of Neymar's future transfer fees to an investment group for R$ 3,549,900 (€1.5 million).
In December 2010, Neymar came third for the 2010 South American Footballer of the Year.
In 2010, Neymar continued his rapid development, scoring five goals in a match against Guarani. Following the 2010 Campeonato Paulista, in which he scored 14 goals, Santos were crowned champions and Neymar was awarded the best player in the competition.
In 2010, after Neymar's performances in Santos' successful early season, Pelé and Romário urged coach Dunga to take Neymar to the 2010 World Cup, but he was omitted from the squad.
In the summer transfer window of 2010, Santos rejected bids for Neymar from West Ham United and Chelsea. Despite interest from European clubs, Neymar chose to stay with Santos.
In March 2011, Neymar signed an 11-year contract with Nike and a two-year deal with Panasonic for US$2.4 million.
On March 1, 2011, Neymar expressed his privilege and happiness to be among the marvelous players on the Brazilian team.
On March 27, 2011, Neymar scored twice in a 2–0 win against Scotland. A banana was thrown onto the pitch, leading Neymar to complain about racism, which Scottish officials denied, leading to controversy.
In July 2011, Neymar scored his first goals of that year's Campeonato Brasileiro, including a spectacular solo dribble against Ronaldinho's Flamengo. This goal later won the 2011 FIFA Puskás Award.
In September 2011, Santos club president Luís Ribeiro threatened to report Real Madrid to FIFA due to reports of a pre-contract agreement with Neymar. On 9 November 2011, Neymar and Santos agreed to a contract extension until after the 2014 World Cup.
In 2011, Neymar played for Santos against Flamengo and scored the FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year.
In 2011, Neymar scored crucial goals during the season, helping Santos clinch back-to-back state titles. He also scored six goals during Santos' run to the 2011 Copa Libertadores Finals, including the clinching goal in the semi-finals, contributing to Santos' first Copa Libertadores triumph since 1963.
In 2011, Neymar was awarded the league's Best Player and won the FIFA Puskás Award for a solo effort. In 2011, he also helped Santos win 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.
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 in a match that ended 3–1.
On May 11, 2012, Neymar was selected for the squad of the Brazil Olympic football team to participate in the London 2012 Olympic Games.
In July 2012, Neymar scored in a warm-up match against Great Britain and scored his first goal in Brazil's opening fixture against Egypt.
On August 25, 2012, Neymar scored two goals in a 2–1 away win against Palmeiras.
In November 2012, advertising agency Loducca created Neymar's personal brand logo, featuring the N, J, and R with the N styled to match Neymar's shirt number 11.
In 2012, Neymar made a cameo appearance in the music video for "Eu Quero Tchu, Eu Quero Tcha" by João Lucas & Marcelo.
In 2012, Neymar was featured on the front cover of the video game 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 scored twice in the first match of the 2013 Campeonato Paulista, which ended in a 3–1 win over São Bernardo.
In February 2013, Neymar appeared on the cover of Time magazine, the first Brazilian athlete to do so.
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. In the same month, Neymar launched the Nike Hypervenom football boot.
On July 30, 2013, Neymar made his unofficial debut for Barcelona in a pre-season friendly against Lechia Gdańsk, coming on as a substitute in a 2–2 draw.
In 2013, Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho stated that Neymar was young, special, and would become the best player in the world within the next two or three seasons.
In 2013, Neymar appeared in a rap music video, "País do Futebol" by MC Guimê.
In 2013, Neymar joined Barcelona and formed the attacking trio MSN with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez.
In 2013, Neymar was featured on the front cover of the video game Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 on the North American version.
In 2013, Neymar was selected as part of Brazil's squad for the Confederations Cup on home soil and was assigned the number 10 shirt.
In 2022, Neymar finished the season with 13 goals and 8 assists across all competitions, registering the fewest goals scored since arriving in Europe in 2013.
On March 5, 2014, Neymar scored a hat-trick in a friendly win against South Africa. He made headlines for his conduct with a young fan after the final whistle.
In June 2014, Neymar appeared with supermodel Gisele Bündchen on the front cover of Vogue's Brazilian edition.
On September 13, 2014, Neymar scored his first two goals of the 2014–15 season in a 2–0 win against Athletic Bilbao. On September 27, 2014, he scored a hat-trick against Granada in a 6–0 win.
On October 14, 2014, Neymar scored four goals in a friendly win against Japan. He had become the fifth highest goalscorer for his national team.
In November 2014, Neymar participated in FIFA's "11 against Ebola" campaign with other football players to raise awareness of the disease.
In 2014, Neymar starred in a Beats advert alongside other football stars such as Thierry Henry and Luis Suárez.
In 2014, Neymar's contract extension with Santos meant he would stay with the club until after the 2014 World Cup.
On January 24, 2015, Neymar scored two goals and assisted two more in Barcelona's 6-0 win against Elche. On January 28, 2015, 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.
On March 26, 2015, Neymar scored in a 3–1 friendly win over France.
In 2015, Neymar finished in third place for the Ballon d'Or, behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In 2015, Neymar was expected to miss the UEFA Super Cup and the Supercopa de España due to having the mumps.
In 2015, Neymar was nominated for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, recognizing him as one of the top players in the world.
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.
In June 2016, Neymar was included in Brazil's squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics and was named the team's captain.
In 2016, ESPN ranked Neymar 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, Neymar played a crucial role in Barcelona's historic 6–1 victory over PSG in the Champions League round of 16, scoring two goals and assisting the decisive goal, making it the biggest comeback in Champions League history.
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 reportedly informed his Barcelona teammates of his intention to leave the club at Lionel Messi's wedding.
In July 2017, media speculation emerged regarding Neymar's desire to join PSG, with the club engaging in talks with Barcelona officials.
On August 13, 2017, Neymar made his debut for Paris Saint-Germain (Les Rouge-et-Bleu), contributing a goal and an assist in a 3–0 victory against Guingamp.
On August 2, 2017, Neymar officially requested Barcelona to allow him to leave the club.
On August 27, 2017, Barcelona initiated legal action against Neymar, demanding the reimbursement of his contract renewal bonus, alongside €8.5 million in damages and an additional 10% for arrears, stemming from a contract renewal in 2016.
On August 3, 2017, Neymar's legal representatives paid €222 million to Barcelona, matching his release clause and marking the most expensive transfer ever.
In 2017, Neymar finished in third place for the Ballon d'Or, behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In 2017, Neymar joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a record transfer fee of €222 million, becoming the most expensive player ever.
In 2017, Neymar scored his 100th goal for Barcelona in his 177th appearance for the club.
In 2017, Neymar was nominated for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, marking his continued recognition as one of the sport's elite players.
James Westwood of Goal wrote that in 2017 Neymar had "the world at his feet" playing for Barcelona, throwing away his chance to join Pelé and Messi as a "true legend of the game" by joining PSG.
On February 25, 2018, Neymar fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot during a 3–0 defeat of Marseille. He underwent a successful operation and was later awarded Ligue 1 Player of the Year despite missing appearances due to injury.
In June 2018, Neymar made his international comeback and scored in a friendly win over Croatia. He also scored against Costa Rica in the World Cup, becoming Brazil's 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. Later in August 2018, he scored from a penalty in a 3–1 win against Guingamp.
During the 2018 World Cup, Neymar was criticized and inspired the "Neymar Challenge" on social media for his dramatic dives, leading to accusations of exaggerating injuries. He responded with a commercial promising to change his behavior.
In 2018, Pelé criticized Neymar for his off-field behavior, stating that he complicates the gift he was given by the "God of football".
In late January 2019, Neymar suffered a foot injury. After PSG was eliminated from the Champions League, Neymar was banned by UEFA for three matches for insulting video review officials on Instagram.
In May 2019, Neymar was included in Brazil's 23-man squad for the 2019 Copa América on home soil.
In July 2019, Neymar was absent from training with PSG, which took disciplinary action. Neymar wanted to leave PSG due to lack of protection from referees, jealousy from teammates, lack of appreciation from fans, and media bias.
In July 2019, police announced that the rape investigation against Neymar would be dropped due to insufficient evidence.
In August 2019, Neymar was prepared to pay €20m to facilitate a move to Barcelona, but PSG refused Barcelona's offer. Neymar's offer was dismissed due to regulations, and he agreed to stay at PSG. Real Madrid also showed interest.
In 2019, ESPN again ranked Neymar 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 in collaboration with DAZN. This documentary series revisits significant games that helped define football's modern icons. Neymar recounted his performance for Santos against Flamengo in 2011, where he scored the FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year. He was also featured in the film Neymar and the Line of King, which covers his journey to becoming one of Brazil's top players in 2019.
In 2019, Neymar made his first appearance for PSG on September 14, scoring the winning goal against Strasbourg. He suffered a hamstring injury in October and returned during a Champions League match against Real Madrid on November 26.
In 2019, on April 27, Neymar scored in the Coupe de France Final against Rennes, which Rennes won on penalties. After the match, Neymar punched a spectator and admitted he was wrong, leading to discussions about respect and conflict.
On July 24, 2020, Neymar scored his side's lone goal in a 1–0 win over Saint-Étienne in the Coupe de France Final, winning his second Coupe de France title with the club. On July 31, 2020, PSG won the 2020 Coupe de la Ligue Final 6–5 on penalties over Lyon, completing a domestic treble.
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 after reportedly vacationing in Ibiza.
On October 13, 2020, Neymar scored a hat-trick against Peru and surpassed Ronaldo as Brazil's second-highest goalscorer of all time.
In 2020, Neymar played in both matches of the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich and both semi-final confrontations against Man City in the UEFA Champions League.
In 2020, Neymar tested positive for COVID-19 and missed the first match of the season. He returned to training before a match against Marseille on September 13. PSG lost Le Classique for the first time since 2011, with Neymar receiving a red card.
In 2020, Neymar's PSG lost to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.
In June 2021, during Brazil's opening group match of the 2021 Copa América, Neymar scored from the penalty spot and assisted another goal. He continued to contribute with goals and assists throughout the competition.
In August 2021, Neymar made his first appearance of the season in a 2–0 win over Reims. Lionel Messi made his debut for the French club, replacing Neymar.
In December 2021, Neymar signed a deal with Facebook Gaming.
In February 2022, Neymar returned from an ankle injury in a Champions League match against Real Madrid. He made his return to league play and his first start in 2022 in a match against Nantes; he scored a goal and missed a penalty.
By early October 2022, Neymar was considered one of the stand-out players in Europe and back to his best form, having scored 11 goals and providing 9 assists in just 13 games.
At the end of the 2022–23 season, PSG began a squad overhaul. Neymar was informed that he would not be in the team's plans for the following season and was linked with a potential return to Barcelona.
In 2022, Neymar appeared as a playable operator in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, coinciding with the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In 2022, Neymar publicly supported Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in the Brazilian general election.
In 2022, a Netflix documentary series titled Neymar: The Perfect Chaos was released, focusing on Neymar.
In 2022, leading up to the Brazilian presidential election, Neymar appeared in a TikTok video lip-syncing a campaign jingle promoting President Jair Bolsonaro. This endorsement led to heavy criticism. Bolsonaro was later defeated by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
In February 2023, following PSG's loss to Bayern Munich, Neymar defended images of him in a fast-food restaurant, saying, "It's my life, I do what I want."
In March 2023, PSG announced that Neymar would undergo surgery and miss the rest of the season, including the Champions League match against Bayern Munich. PSG supporters protested against the club and insulted Neymar, with some going to his house demanding his departure.
On August 15, 2023, Neymar completed a transfer to Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal on a two-year contract for €90 million, becoming the most expensive purchase in Saudi Pro League history. His transfer was compared to Rivellino's transfer to the club in 1978.
On September 15, 2023, Neymar made his club debut in Saudi Arabia, providing an assist.
In October 2023, Neymar scored his first goal for Al Hilal. He also ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament while on international duty.
In 2023, Neymar potentially faced a fine of about $1 million for environmental violations during the construction of his Mangaratiba mansion, including unauthorized waterway diversion and use of beach sand without permission.
In 2023, Neymar was sold by PSG to Al Hilal for €90 million, joining the Saudi Pro League.
In 2023, after Neymar's move to Saudi Arabia, media outlets dubbed him the 'Prince who never became King', citing his move to PSG as a reason for not becoming a "true legend of the game".
In 2023, the Spanish publication Marca wrote that "Neymar's star is dimming due to a seemingly endless string of injuries".
Neymar's form in the first half of the season led him to be touted to win the 2023 Ballon d'Or.
In January 2024, Al Hilal deregistered Neymar due to his season-ending injury to free up a foreign roster spot.
On October 21, 2024, Neymar returned to play for Al Hilal in their AFC Champions League match against Al Ain after a long absence due to injury.
In December 2024, Neymar announced that he is expecting his fourth child, a second daughter, with the mother of his second child.
On 17 October 2023, during Brazil's qualifying defeat to Uruguay, Neymar suffered a complete rupture of his ACL and meniscus in his left knee, ruling him out for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign and the 2024 Copa América.
In January 2025, Neymar returned to his boyhood club Santos after a period with Al Hilal, following recovery from an ACL injury.
In January 2025, Neymar was not registered for the league competition, and Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus expressed concerns about his performance level. On January 27, 2025, the club announced the termination of Neymar's contract by mutual consent.
On January 30, 2025, Neymar announced on social media that he would sign a contract with Santos, his first club. On January 31, 2025, Santos confirmed his return, and he would wear the number 10.
On February 6, 2025, Neymar made his re-debut for Peixe 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, in February 2025 Neymar scored his first goal after returning in a 3–1 win over Água Santa, he also assisted another goal. On February 23, 2025, Neymar scored from a corner kick.
In March 2025, Neymar was included in the 29-man preliminary squad for the national team.
In 2025, boxer Conor Benn claimed at a press conference that Chris Eubank Jr. owed Neymar £4 million in poker debts.
On May 8, 2025, Neymar extended his contract with PSG.
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