Lasting Legacy of Neymar: A Look at the Influence on History

A detailed timeline of the impact and legacy of Neymar across different fields.

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

1963: Santos' Copa Libertadores triumph

In 2011, Neymar won the Copa Libertadores which brought Santos their first Copa Libertadores triumph since 1963, when Pelé was playing for the club.

2006: Kaká tops the Champions League scoring list

On June 6, Neymar scored in the Champions League Final, securing Barcelona's victory. This made Barcelona the first club to twice win the treble. Neymar became the eighth player to win both the Copa Libertadores and the UEFA Champions League, and the first to score in final victories in both competitions. Neymar ended the season with 39 goals and was joint highest scorer in the Champions League. He was the first player apart from Messi and Ronaldo to top the competition's scoring list since Kaká in 2006–07. The attacking trio of Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar, dubbed MSN, ended with 122 goals, the most in a season for an attacking trio in Spanish football history.

November 2012: Neymar's personal brand logo created

In November 2012, advertising agency Loducca created Neymar's personal brand logo, featuring the letters N, J, and R styled to match his shirt number 11.

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.

March 2017: Key role in La Remontada

In March 2017, Neymar played a crucial role in Barcelona's 6-1 victory over PSG in the Champions League round of 16, widely known as La Remontada. He scored a free-kick and a penalty, and also provided the assist for Sergi Roberto's winning goal, being named man of the match on March 8, 2017.

April 2017: Neymar 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: Criticism for excessive diving

During the 2018 World Cup, Neymar was criticized for excessive diving, leading to the "Neymar Challenge" on social media. He later addressed the criticism in a commercial, promising to change his behavior. He was also criticized by Pele for complicating his God-given gift by his behavior off the pitch.

2019: Best Brazilian player post-Pelé

In 2019, Neymar was named the best Brazilian player post-Pelé by Placar, a Brazilian sports magazine.

2022: Praised as the best player in the world

In 2022, Son Heung-min described Neymar as the best player in the world. Current and former players have praised Neymar as one of the greatest players of all time.

September 2023: Brazil's all-time top goalscorer

In September 2023, Neymar became Brazil's all-time top goalscorer with his 78th and 79th goals in a match against Bolivia, surpassing Pelé's record. He stated that he never imagined reaching this milestone.

2025: Neymar responds to criticism about his career

In a 2025 interview, Neymar addressed claims that he didn't reach expected heights, citing injuries while expressing satisfaction with his achievements.