A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Neymar.
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, commonly known as Neymar, is a Brazilian professional footballer renowned for his exceptional skills, dribbling, playmaking, and finishing. He plays as a left winger, attacking midfielder, or forward. Considered one of the best players of all time, Neymar has achieved the distinction of scoring at least 100 goals for three different clubs: Santos, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He is also Brazil's all-time top goalscorer.
1963: Santos' Copa Libertadores Triumph
In 1963, Santos' Copa Libertadores Triumph when Pelé was playing for the club.
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2006: Kaká tops Champions League scoring list
In 2006, Kaká topped the Champions League scoring list, the last compatriot to do so before Neymar tied for the spot in 2015.
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August 2010: Debut and Goal for Brazil National Team
On August 10, 2010, at the age of 18, Neymar debuted for the Brazil national team, scoring a header in a 2–0 win against the United States.
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December 2010: South American Footballer of the Year
In December 2010, Neymar came third for the 2010 South American Footballer of the Year, recognizing his talent and performance in South American football.
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July 2011: Spectacular Goals Against Flamengo
In July 2011, Neymar scored two goals against Flamengo, including a spectacular solo dribble, which later won the 2011 FIFA Puskás Award.
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2011: Copa Libertadores Win
In 2011, Neymar played a crucial role in helping Santos secure their first Copa Libertadores title in nearly 50 years, showcasing his talent on the continental stage.
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2011: Scored FIFA Puskás Award Goal of the Year
In 2011, Neymar recounted his performance for Santos against Flamengo when he scored that year's FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year, which was featured in "The Making Of" series.
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2011: Crucial Goals and Copa Libertadores Triumph
In 2011, Neymar scored crucial goals throughout the season, including in the Campeonato Paulista and the Copa Libertadores, where he helped Santos secure their first title since 1963. He also won man of the match honours.
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2011: Leading Goal Scorer at South American Youth Championship and Copa América Participation
In 2011, Neymar was the leading goal scorer at the South American Youth Championship and participated in the Copa América, scoring goals but being eliminated in the quarter-finals.
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2011: FIFA Puskás Award
In 2011, Neymar won the FIFA Puskás Award, recognizing his spectacular solo goal against Flamengo as the best goal of the year.
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February 2012: 100th Professional Goal
In February 2012, Neymar scored his 100th goal as a professional football player, marking a significant milestone in his career.
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September 2012: First International Hat-Trick and Winner Against Argentina
In September 2012, Neymar scored his first full international hat-trick in a win over China and scored the winner against Argentina.
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2012: Olympic Silver Medal
In 2012, Neymar won a silver medal at the Summer Olympics, contributing to Brazil's success on the international stage.
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February 2013: Cover of Time Magazine
In February 2013, Neymar appeared on the cover of Time magazine, being the first Brazilian athlete to do so.
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February 2013: Featured on Time Magazine Cover
In February 2013, Neymar was featured on the cover of Time magazine, titled 'The Next Pelé', drawing comparisons to the Brazilian legend.
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May 2013: Named Most Marketable Athlete for Second Year
In May 2013, SportsPro magazine named Neymar as the most marketable athlete on the planet for the second consecutive year.
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May 2013: Named Most Marketable Athlete
On May 8, 2013, SportsPro magazine named Neymar the most marketable athlete in the world. The same month, Neymar launched the Nike Hypervenom football boot.
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March 2015: High Social Media Ranking
In March 2015, Neymar had the fourth highest social media rank in the world among sportspeople, behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and David Beckham.
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2015: Ballon d'Or ranking
In 2015, Neymar finished in third place in the Ballon d'Or ranking, behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
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2015: Third for FIFA Ballon d'Or
In 2015, Neymar finished third for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, acknowledging his status as one of the top footballers in the world.
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2015: Ballon d'Or Shortlist
On November 30, 2015, Neymar was shortlisted for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or alongside Messi and Ronaldo, and subsequently came third.
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2016: Ranked Fourth Most Famous Athlete
In 2016, ESPN ranked Neymar as the fourth most famous athlete in the world.
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2016: Olympic Gold Medal
In 2016, Neymar captained Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men's football at the Summer Olympics, marking a significant achievement in his international career.
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February 2017: Heroic Role in Champions League Comeback
In February 2017, Neymar played a heroic role in Barcelona's comeback victory over PSG in the Champions League, scoring two goals and assisting the decisive goal.
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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.
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August 2017: Payment of release clause
On August 3, 2017, Neymar's legal representatives paid €222 million to Barcelona, triggering his release clause and making it the most expensive transfer ever.
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2017: Ballon d'Or and The Guardian Ranking
In 2017, Neymar finished in third place in the Ballon d'Or and was ranked the third-best footballer in the world by The Guardian.
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2017: Ballon d'Or ranking
In 2017, Neymar finished in third place in the Ballon d'Or ranking, behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
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2017: Third for FIFA Ballon d'Or & Time's 100 Most Influential People
In 2017, Neymar finished third for the FIFA Ballon d'Or for the second time. In 2017, Time included him in its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
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2017: Record Transfer to PSG
In 2017, Neymar transferred to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a record-breaking €222 million, becoming the most expensive player in football history and seeking a more prominent role.
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2017: 100th goal for Barcelona
In April 2017, Neymar scored his 100th goal for Barcelona and on May 27, he scored in the 2017 Copa del Rey Final.
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June 2018: International Comeback and Goal
In June 2018, Neymar made his international comeback and scored a goal in a friendly win over Croatia. He also became Brazil's joint-third highest goalscorer.
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2019: Ranked Fourth Most Famous Athlete
In 2019, ESPN again ranked Neymar the world's fourth most famous athlete.
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2019: Ranked Third-Highest-Paid Athlete
In 2019, Forbes ranked Neymar the world's third-highest-paid athlete with earnings of $105 million for the year.
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October 2020: Hat-Trick Against Peru
In October 2020, Neymar scored a hat-trick in a World Cup qualifier against Peru, surpassing Ronaldo as Brazil's second-highest goalscorer of all time.
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2021: Copa América Runner-Up
In 2021, Neymar helped Brazil finish as runner-up in the Copa América and was jointly awarded Best Player, highlighting his influence and skill in the competition.
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October 2022: Stand-out Player
By early October 2022, Neymar was considered one of the stand-out players in Europe. He had scored 11 goals and provided 9 assists in just 13 games. Manager Christophe Galtier praised Neymar for playing his best ever football in PSG.
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2022: Scoring in Three World Cups
In 2022, Neymar became the third Brazilian player to score in three World Cups, joining Pelé and Ronaldo, cementing his place in Brazilian football history.
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September 2023: Top Goalscorer for Brazil and Injury
In September 2023, Neymar became Brazil's top goalscorer, surpassing Pelé. On October 17th, Neymar suffered a knee injury during Brazil's qualifying defeat to Uruguay.
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2023: Move to Al Hilal
In 2023, Neymar was sold by PSG to Al Hilal for €90 million, setting a Saudi Pro League record transfer, though his playing time was limited due to an ACL injury.
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2023: Ballon d'Or nomination touted
Neymar's form in the first half of the season led him to be touted to win the 2023 Ballon d'Or.
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February 2025: Neymar's Re-Debut for Peixe
In February 2025, Neymar made his re-debut for Peixe as a substitute in a 1–1 draw against Botafogo-SP. Ten days later in February 2025, he scored his first goal after returning.
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