Neymar's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Neymar.

Neymar Júnior is a Brazilian professional footballer renowned for his exceptional dribbling, technical skill, playmaking, and finishing abilities. Widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, he currently plays for Santos and captains the Brazil national team. He is one of the few players to have scored 100 goals for three different clubs and holds records as the all-time Brazilian top goalscorer and assist provider in the UEFA Champions League. Neymar is also a leading goalscorer in international football and has amassed over 400 senior career goals and over 250 assists for both club and country.

Sections (7)

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

2006: Kaká tops Champions League scoring list

In 2006, Kaká topped the Champions League scoring list, marking the first time a player other than Messi and Ronaldo achieved this since the 2006-07 season. Also on June 6 2015, Neymar scored the third goal for Barça in the 3–1 Champions League Final defeat of Italian champions Juventus at Berlin's Olympiastadion, ensuring the club won its fifth European Cup.

May 2010: Copa do Brasil Win

In May 2010, Neymar scored a goal in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil finals, contributing to Santos' victory. He finished as the tournament's top scorer with 11 goals.

December 2010: Third Place in South American Footballer of the Year

In December 2010, at the age of 18, Neymar came third for the 2010 South American Footballer of the Year award.

2010: Rapid Development and Recognition

In 2010, Neymar continued his rapid development, scoring five goals in a Brazilian Cup match against Guarani on April 15. He also won the best player award in the Campeonato Paulista, drawing comparisons to Brazilian legends.

July 2011: Spectacular Goal Against Flamengo

On July 27, 2011, Neymar scored his first goals of that year's Campeonato Brasileiro, scoring two goals in a thrilling match against Ronaldinho's Flamengo, but could not prevent defeat for his team as they lost 5–4. The first goal later won the 2011 FIFA Puskás Award.

2011: FIFA Ballon d'Or Ranking

Early in 2012, at 19 years old, Neymar finished 10th in the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or rankings.

2011: Back-to-Back State Titles and Copa Libertadores Triumph

In 2011, Neymar played a crucial role in Santos' success, scoring vital goals in the Campeonato Paulista and the Copa Libertadores, leading them to victory in both competitions. Santos won their first Copa Libertadores triumph since 1963.

2011: IFFHS's CONMEBOL The Best Man Player of the Decade Runner-up

In 2011, Neymar was runner-up for the IFFHS's CONMEBOL The Best Man Player of the Decade (2011–2020) award.

2011: Copa Libertadores Victory

In 2011, Neymar won the Copa Libertadores with Santos, contributing with a goal in the finals.

2011: South American Footballer of the Year Award

On December 31, 2011, Neymar won the 2011 South American Footballer of the Year award for the first time.

2012: Neymar Ranked Among World's Richest Players

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

2012: Olympic Silver Medal

In 2012, Neymar helped Brazil reach the final at the Summer Olympics in men's football, ultimately receiving the Olympic silver medal.

2012: Pelé claims Neymar is the best player in the world

In 2012, Pelé claimed that Neymar was the best player in the world. Diego Maradona responded by stating that Neymar could only be considered the best if Messi was from another planet. Neymar commented that Messi was above everyone and that he was inspired by watching good football. Ronaldo stated that Neymar was a great talent and the best Brazil had. Zico compared Neymar to Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi. After Neymar's hat-trick and Messi's five goals, Neymar said he was a Messi fan and supported him to score goals so he could imitate him.

2012: Campeonato Paulista and Copa Libertadores Performance

Throughout 2012, Neymar continued to excel, scoring twice in both legs of the Campeonato Paulista Finals against Guarani, finishing the competition with 20 goals, and being voted the Best Player and Best Forward. He was also joint top scorer in the Copa Libertadores, where Santos were eventually beaten by Corinthians in the semi-finals.

February 2013: Neymar on Time Magazine Cover

In February 2013, Neymar appeared on the cover of Time magazine, becoming the first Brazilian athlete to do so, with an accompanying article titled "The Next Pelé".

February 2013: Neymar on the cover of Time magazine

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

May 2013: Neymar Named Most Marketable Athlete

In May 2013, SportsPro magazine named Neymar the most marketable athlete in the world. Also in May 2013, Neymar launched the Nike Hypervenom football boot.

May 2013: Neymar Named Most Marketable Athlete by SportsPro

In May 2013, SportsPro magazine named Neymar the most marketable athlete on the planet for the second consecutive year.

2013: Golden Ball at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup

Throughout 2013, Neymar had multiple achievements, including scoring the first goal of the tournament against Japan on June 15th, scoring in consecutive matches against Mexico and Italy, and scoring in the final victory against Spain on June 30th. His performance led him to receive the Golden Ball for player of the tournament. He also finished in 5th place for the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or.

2014: Neymar nominated for Ballon d'Or

In 2014, Neymar was nominated for Ballon d'Or.

2014: Treble Win with Barcelona

In 2014, Neymar won the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League with Barcelona, finishing as the top goalscorer of the Champions League and Copa del Rey that season.

2014: FIFA World Cup Dream Team and Bronze Boot

In 2014, at the FIFA World Cup, Neymar was named in the Dream Team and received the Bronze Boot.

2015: Barcelona secures league title and wins Copa del Rey Final

After securing the league title on May 17, 2015, Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 3–1 in the 2015 Copa del Rey Final on May 30, with Neymar scoring the second goal. His ball tricks were deemed unsporting by an opponent.

2015: Ballon d'Or Third Place

In 2015, Neymar finished third in the Ballon d'Or rankings, behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

2015: Neymar misses Super Cup and Supercopa due to mumps, experiences peak performance

In 2015, Neymar missed the UEFA Super Cup and the Supercopa de España due to having the mumps. After Messi's knee injury on September 26, Neymar experienced one of the greatest peaks in his career, scoring 13 goals and providing 9 assists in 8 games.

2015: Neymar's outstanding performances and Ballon d'Or nomination

In 2015, Neymar scored four goals in Barcelona's 5–2 win over Rayo Vallecano on October 17. On November 8, he scored a "stunning" goal against Villarreal. On November 21, Neymar scored one and assisted another against Real Madrid. He scored twice against Real Sociedad on November 28. He was shortlisted for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or, ultimately coming in third place.

May 2016: Neymar scores in Copa del Rey Final

On May 22, 2016, Neymar scored in Barcelona's Copa del Rey Final win over Sevilla. The front three of Messi, Suárez and Neymar finished the season with 131 goals. Neymar scored over 30 goals for the second consecutive season, scoring 31, and got 25 assists.

2016: Olympic Gold Medal

In 2016, Neymar captained Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men's football at the Summer Olympics.

2016: Neymar Ranked Among World's Most Famous Athletes

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

March 2017: Key role in Barcelona's comeback against PSG

On 8 March 2017, Neymar played a pivotal role in Barcelona's 6–1 victory over PSG in the Champions League round of 16, widely known as La Remontada. With Barcelona trailing 5–3 on aggregate in the 88th minute, Neymar scored a free-kick and a penalty, and assisted Sergi Roberto's winner in injury time. He was named man of the match.

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.

2017: Barcelona Career Milestones in 2017

In 2017, Neymar achieved several milestones with Barcelona, including surpassing Ronaldinho's goal tally and scoring his 100th goal for the club on 2 April in a 4–1 win over Granada. On 15 May, he scored his first away hat-trick for Barcelona in a 4-1 victory against Las Palmas. On 27 May, he scored in the 2017 Copa del Rey Final. He ended the season with 20 goals and 21 assists.

2017: Ballon d'Or Third Place

In 2017, Neymar finished third in the Ballon d'Or rankings, behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

January 2018: Scores Four Goals Against Dijon

On 17 January 2018, Neymar delivered a standout performance, scoring four goals and providing two assists in PSG's 8–0 victory against Dijon. He became only the second player to receive a perfect 10 rating from L'Equipe for a league match performance.

August 2018: PSG's League Goal and Penalty

In August 2018, Neymar featured in PSG's 4-0 Trophée des Champions victory over Monaco, playing for 15 minutes on 4 August. On 12 August 2018, Neymar scored PSG's opening league goal of the 2018–19 season in a 3–0 win over Caen. He also scored a penalty in a 3–1 win against Guingamp in Ligue 1. Later in the month, on 25 August, Neymar, Mbappé, and Cavani all scored in a 3–1 win over Angers, with Neymar contributing a goal and an assist.

2018: France Football Ranks Neymar as Third-Highest-Paid Footballer

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

2019: Neymar Ranked Among World's Most Famous Athletes

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

2019: Forbes Ranks Neymar as Third-Highest-Paid Athlete

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

July 2020: Coupe de France Title

On 24 July 2020, Neymar scored in PSG's 1–0 win over Saint-Étienne in the Coupe de France Final, winning his second Coupe de France title with the club. On 31 July 2020, PSG won the 2020 Coupe de la Ligue Final, completing a domestic treble, with Neymar netting one of the penalties.

2020: Neymar Ranked Fourth Highest-Paid Athlete by Forbes

In 2020, Forbes ranked Neymar as the fourth highest-paid athlete with earnings of $95.5 million.

2020: IFFHS's CONMEBOL The Best Man Player of the Decade Runner-up

In 2020, Neymar was runner-up for the IFFHS's CONMEBOL The Best Man Player of the Decade (2011–2020) award.

January 2021: Trophée des Champions Winning Goal

On 13 January 2021, Neymar scored the winning goal from a penalty in a 2–1 win over rivals Marseille in the Trophée des Champions.

June 2021: Neymar scores and assists in Copa América

In June 2021, during Brazil's opening group match of the 2021 Copa América, Neymar scored a penalty and assisted a goal in a win against Venezuela. In the following match, on June 17th, he scored again against Peru. Throughout June 2021, he assisted match-winning goals against Colombia and Chile and assisted another goal in the semi-finals against Peru. He was named player of the tournament alongside Messi.

2021: Neymar Ranked Fourth Highest-Paid Athlete by Forbes

In 2021, Forbes ranked Neymar as the fourth highest-paid athlete with earnings of $95 million.

2021: Copa América Best Player Award

In 2021, Neymar played a pivotal role in Brazil's runners-up finish at the Copa América and was jointly awarded Best Player.

2022: Sportico Names Neymar Fourth Highest-Paid Athlete

In 2022, Sportico named Neymar as the fourth highest-paid athlete.

2023: Neymar Ranked Twelfth Highest-Paid Athlete by Forbes

In 2023, Forbes ranked Neymar as the twelfth highest-paid athlete with earnings of $85 million.

October 2024: Return to Action and Hamstring Injury

In October 2024, Neymar returned to action for Al Hilal against Al Ain, but suffered a hamstring injury a few weeks later, sidelining him for the rest of the year. Also, Neymar was named as one of three winners of the Player Career Award at the Globe Soccer Awards, alongside former England defender Rio Ferdinand and Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.