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 dribbling, technical skills, playmaking, and finishing. Widely considered one of the greatest players, he currently plays for Santos and captains the Brazil national team. He is one of the select few to have scored 100 goals for three different clubs. Neymar holds the record as the all-time Brazilian top goalscorer and assist provider in the UEFA Champions League. He also ranks highly among South American international goalscorers and previously held the record for all-time top assist provider in international football.

Sections (7)

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

2006: Kaká last player to top Champions League scoring list before Ronaldo and Messi

In 2006–07, compatriot Kaká was the last player before Ronaldo and Messi to top the Champions League scoring list.

2010: Copa do Brasil Title

In 2010, Neymar helped Santos win its first ever Copa do Brasil title, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with 11 goals.

July 2011: Puskás Award

On July 27, 2011, Neymar scored a spectacular solo dribble in a thrilling 5–4 loss against Ronaldinho's Flamengo that went on to be awarded the 2011 FIFA Puskás Award.

2011: Finishes 10th in FIFA Ballon d'Or rankings

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

2011: IFFHS CONMEBOL The Best Man Player of the Decade

In 2011, IFFHS ranked Neymar in second place behind Messi for their CONMEBOL The Best Man Player of the Decade (2011–2020) award.

2011: Leading goalscorer at the South American Youth Championship and Copa América participation

In 2011, Neymar was the leading goalscorer of the South American Youth Championship with nine goals and participated in the 2011 Copa América, scoring two goals against Ecuador.

2011: Copa Libertadores win

In 2011, Neymar won the Copa Libertadores with Santos, scoring in the finals.

2011: FIFA Club World Cup

On December 14, 2011, Neymar scored the opening goal as Santos defeated Kashiwa Reysol 3–1 in the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup. On December 18, Santos were defeated 4-0 in the final against Barcelona. He was awarded the tournament's Bronze Ball as the third-best player. On December 31, he won the 2011 South American Footballer of the Year award for the first time.

February 2012: 100th Goal as a Professional Football Player

On February 5, 2012, Neymar scored his 100th goal as a professional football player, against Palmeiras in the Campeonato Paulista.

2012: Ranked Among 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.

2012: Olympic Silver Medal

In 2012, Neymar won silver in the Summer Olympics.

2012: Pelé Claims Neymar is the Best Player

In 2012, Pelé claimed that Neymar is the best player in the world. Diego Maradona responded by saying that Neymar might be the best player, but only if Messi is from a different planet.

2012: Santos champions

In the 2012 Campeonato Paulista Finals against Guarani, Neymar scored twice in both legs, which ended 7–2 on aggregate to crown Santos champions. He finished the 2012 Campeonato Paulista with 20 goals and was voted the Best Player and Best Forward. He was voted the Best Player of the 2012 Recopa Sudamericana, which Santos won.

February 2013: Cover of Time Magazine

In February 2013, Neymar appeared on the cover of Time magazine, becoming the first Brazilian athlete to do so.

May 2013: Named Most Marketable Athlete

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

2013: Performance at the 2013 Confederations Cup

In 2013, Neymar scored in three consecutive matches at the Confederations Cup against Japan, Mexico, and Italy. He also scored in the final against Spain, won the Golden Ball for player of the tournament, and finished 5th for the FIFA Ballon d'Or.

2013: FIFA Confederations Cup Win

In 2013, Neymar won the FIFA Confederations Cup with Brazil and received the Golden Ball.

October 2014: Four goals against Japan and fifth highest goalscorer

In October 2014, Neymar scored four goals against Japan, becoming the fifth highest goalscorer for Brazil at just 22 years old.

2014: FIFA World Cup Bronze Boot

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

2014: Stellar Season with Barcelona

Early in his career, particularly after his stellar 2014–15 season with Barcelona at 23 years old, he was unanimously expected to win the Ballon d'Or at some point in his career.

2015: Treble win with Barcelona

In 2014-2015, Neymar won the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League, finishing as the top goalscorer of both the Champions League and the Copa del Rey that season.

2015: Neymar shortlisted for FIFA Ballon d'Or

In 2015, Neymar was shortlisted for the FIFA Ballon d'Or alongside Messi and Ronaldo. He came in third place, receiving 7.86 percent of the vote.

2015: Neymar's peak performance during Messi's injury

In 2015, during Messi's two-month absence due to a knee injury, Neymar had one of the greatest peaks in his career, scoring 13 goals and providing 9 assists in just 8 games. At 23 years old, Neymar was being praised for elevating to the same level of Messi and Ronaldo, possibly being the best player in the world.

2016: ESPN's Most Famous Athlete Ranking

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

2016: Olympic Gold Medal

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

March 2017: Neymar's pivotal role in Barcelona's comeback against PSG

On 8 March 2017, Neymar was vital in Barcelona's 6–1 victory over PSG in the Champions League round of 16. He contributed to all three goals in the final seven minutes, scoring twice and providing an assist in the 95th minute.

April 2017: Inclusion in Time 100

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

2017: Expectations for Ballon d'Or

From 2017 onwards, Axel Tuanzebe claimed that Neymar should have won all the Ballon d’Ors.

2017: Ballon d'Or Nomination

In 2017, Neymar finished in third place for the Ballon d'Or, only behind Messi and Ronaldo.

2017: Neymar scores in Copa del Rey Final for Barcelona

On 27 May 2017, Neymar scored his 105th and final goal for Barcelona in the 2017 Copa del Rey Final, where Barcelona defeated Alavés 3–1. This achievement made him the first player to score in three consecutive Copa del Rey finals since Ferenc Puskás in the 1960s.

2018: Ranked Among Highest-Paid Footballers

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

2019: ESPN's Most Famous Athlete Ranking

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

2019: Ranked Among Highest-Paid Athletes

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

2019: Named Best Brazilian Player Post-Pelé

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

2019: Neymar booed by fans, scores winning goal, and leads PSG to domestic treble

In 2019, the transfer speculation caused tension in Paris, Neymar's first appearance for PSG in the 2019–20 season, he was booed for 90 minutes before scoring a bicycle kick in injury time to win 1–0 against Strasbourg in Ligue 1. He matched the record of Marseille's Gunnar Andersson and PSG won the domestic treble.

October 2020: Hat-trick against Peru and second highest goalscorer

On October 13, 2020, Neymar scored a hat-trick in a World Cup qualifier against Peru, surpassing Ronaldo as Brazil's second highest goalscorer of all time.

2020: Neymar Enters PSG's Top Ten Goalscorers

Early in 2020, Neymar entered PSG's top ten goalscorers as he scored his 72nd goal for the club. He also reached 50 goals in Ligue 1 in 58 matches, becoming the fastest player in Ligue 1 history to reach this milestone. He scored twice in a 3–1 group stage victory against Manchester United and a hat-trick in a 5–1 win against İstanbul Başakşehir, becoming the first player in European Cup and Champions League history to score 20 goals for two different clubs.

2020: Ranked Among Highest-Paid Athletes

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

2020: IFFHS World’s Best Player of the Decade (2011–2020) award

In 2020, Neymar came in fourth place in the IFFHS World’s Best Player of the Decade (2011–2020) award, behind Messi, Ronaldo, and Iniesta.

January 2021: Neymar scores in Trophée des Champions and suffers injury

In January 2021, Neymar scored a penalty in PSG's 2–1 win over rivals Marseille to win the Trophée des Champions. Shortly after, he suffered his third injury of the season, causing him to miss the round of 16 tie against Barcelona in the Champions League.

September 2021: Brazil's all-time top scorer in FIFA World Cup qualification matches

On September 9, 2021, Neymar became Brazil's all-time top scorer in FIFA World Cup qualification matches, with 12 in total, after scoring against Peru.

2021: Ranked Among Highest-Paid Athletes

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

2021: Copa América Runner-Up

In 2021, Neymar was focal to Brazil's runners-up finish in the Copa América, where he was jointly awarded Best Player.

2021: Neymar Nominated for 2021 Ballon d'Or

In 2021, Neymar was nominated for the Ballon d'Or, marking his ninth nomination, a record for a Brazilian player.

2022: Son Heung-min Praises Neymar

In 2022, Son Heung-min described Neymar as the best player in the world.

2022: Named Fourth Highest-Paid Athlete by Sportico

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

2022: Hat-trick against Peru and second highest goalscorer

Neymar scored a hat-trick in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Peru, surpassing Ronaldo as the nation's second highest goalscorer of all time.

September 2023: Brazil's top goalscorer

On September 8, 2023, Neymar became Brazil's top goalscorer after reaching 78 and then 79 goals in his 125th appearance for Brazil in a 5–1 win over Bolivia.

2023: Ranked Among Highest-Paid Athletes

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

2023: Brazil's All-Time Top Goalscorer

In 2023, Neymar surpassed Pelé's 52-year long record as Brazil's all-time top goalscorer.

2023: Top Goalscorer in UEFA Champions League

In 2023, Neymar was the all-time top assist provider in international football. He also joined Saudi club Al-Hilal and surpassed Pelé's 52-year long record as Brazil's all-time top goalscorer.