Background Information
Born on February 5, 1992, Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, also known as Neymar or Neymar Júnior (abbreviated Neymar Jr.), is a Brazilian professional football player who plays as an offensive midfielder for both the Brazil national team and Santos, the team he captains in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. He is considered one of the best players of all time because of his dribbling, technical skill, playmaking, and finishing.
Neymar joined Santos as a professional in 2009, and he played a key role in their 2011 Copa Libertadores victory. He was controversially acquired by Barcelona in 2013, and he quickly joined Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez to form MSN, a formidable attacking trio.
In 2014–15, Neymar finished as the top goal scorer in both the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, winning the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, and the Copa del Rey. After his €222 million release clause was activated in 2017, he left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain, making him the most expensive player in history. Neymar led PSG to their first-ever Champions League final in 2020, where they lost by a slim margin. He won five Ligue 1 titles. He became one of PSG’s all-time leading goal scorers despite having little playing time due to injury. Before going back to Santos in January 2025, he joined the Saudi club Al-Hilal in 2023.
After making his debut for Brazil at the age of 18, Neymar has since surpassed Cafu to become the country’s second-most-capped player. He has scored 79 goals in 128 games, making him the country’s all-time leading goal scorer. Neymar helped Brazil go to the men’s football final at the 2012 Summer Olympics, where he won the silver medal. He was awarded the Golden Ball and won the FIFA Confederations Cup the following year. He was selected for the Dream Team and won the Bronze Boot at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He led Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men’s football at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He guided Brazil to the Copa América final in 2021, when they were defeated by Argentina, and he shared the Best Player award. With 12 goals before to the 2022 World Cup, he became Brazil’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup qualifying. With 59 assists in 2023, he broke Pelé’s long-standing record for most goals scored for Brazil and took the lead in assists in international football history.
Neymar placed third in the 2015 and 2017 Ballon d’Or and FIFA The Best Men’s Player competitions during the Messi–Ronaldo rivalry. He received two selections to the UEFA Team of the Year and the FIFA FIFPro World11. He has won the Copa Libertadores Best Player award, the FIFA Puskás Award, the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Best Player, the La Liga Best American Player, and the Ligue 1 Player of the Year. He won two South American Footballer of the Year awards on a global scale and finished second behind Messi in the IFFHS’s CONMEBOL The Best Man Player of the Decade (2011–2020) competition.
Neymar Jr. Early Life
Born to Neymar Santos Sr. and Nadine da Silva in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Neymar Jr. was raised as a Christian. His father, a former football player, gave him his name and started advising him as Neymar’s skills developed. Regarding his father’s role, Neymar says, “My father has supported me since I was a young child. He looks after my family, my finances, and other things.” Neymar mixed his passion for street football and futsal as a child. Neymar claimed that futsal had a significant impact on his development as a child, aiding in the improvement of his technique, mental agility, and capacity for maneuvering in confined places. He was influenced by Wayne Rooney, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Ronaldinho, Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Neymar Jr. started playing for Portuguesa Santista’s junior team after relocating to São Vicente with his family in 2003. Later in 2003, they relocated to Santos, where Neymar became a member. The family purchased their first home, a house close to Vila Belmiro, Santos’ home stadium, with the money they had earned from his successful youth career. With Neymar earning 10,000 reais a month at the age of 15 and 125,000 reais at the age of 16, their family life improved. He started negotiating his first sponsorship deals at the age of 17, signed his first full professional contract, and was promoted to the Santos first squad.
Club Career
Santos
Early on, Neymar started playing football, and Santos noticed him. In 2003, they offered him a contract and accepted him into their junior system, which had previously produced Brazilian internationals like Coutinho, Clodoaldo, Diego, Elano, and Alex. Like Pepe, Pelé, and Robinho, he began his career at the club under the pseudonym Peixe. Neymar became close friends with Paulo Henrique Ganso while they were both in the junior program. Neymar traveled to Spain at the age of 14 to try out for the Real Madrid juvenile squad. However, his father decided at the time that he would rather the young prodigy continue to grow up while playing at Santos; thus, he left Madrid.
One month after turning seventeen, on March 7, 2009, Neymar made his professional debut. In a 2-1 victory over Oeste, he was substituted in for the latter half. He scored his first goal for Santos against Mogi Mirim the following week. On April 11, 2009, Neymar scored the game-winning goal in the first leg of the 2009 Campeonato Paulista semi-final, defeating Palmeiras 2-1. However, Santos lost to Corinthians 4–2 on aggregate in the final. Neymar scored 14 goals in 48 appearances during his first campaign.
Before moving to Barcelona, Neymar was hailed with great enthusiasm. “Neymar is young though, and I can’t explain how special he will become,” said Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho, who predicted that he will become the world’s finest player. “He will emerge as the top player in the upcoming two or three seasons.” “Logically, Messi is better right now, but Neymar is a great talent who will show the world that he will be number one,” said Ronaldo, another Brazilian legend who thought Neymar might become the best in the world. When Neymar was at Santos, former Real Madrid sporting director Jorge Valdano also gave him high marks, saying, “I really like Neymar.
Barcelona
Santos declared on May 24, 2013, that they had received two proposals for Neymar. After competing in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, Neymar declared the next day that he will sign a contract with Barcelona on May 27 and join the squad. Other than stating that he inked a five-year contract, neither Neymar nor the clubs disclosed any information regarding the transfer amount or personal terms. After completing medical exams and agreeing to a deal that would keep him at Barcelona until June 2018, Neymar was introduced by the team on June 3.
56,500 spectators attended Neymar’s presentation at Camp Nou, setting a record for a Brazilian player. At first, club vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu stated that Neymar’s release clause was set at €190 million and his transfer fee was €57.1 million. According to Barcelona’s doctor, he might need to put on some weight in order to be physically capable of playing Spanish football.
At Messi’s wedding in June 2017, Neymar told his teammates that he wanted to leave Barcelona, according to former Barcelona teammate Xavi. Media rumors surfaced in July that Neymar was interested in joining PSG, as the team was in negotiations with Barcelona executives. According to a lot of media, Neymar was motivated to leave Barcelona in order to become the only star and eclipse Messi, which would increase his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or. Neymar scored twice in a 2-1 victory over Juventus in a preseason friendly on July 22. It was called a “ridiculous” goal as he beat five defenders to score his second goal. In a 3–2 victory over Real Madrid on July 29, he played his final unofficial game for Barcelona.
“Neymar is one of our best players, and so we don’t want to lose that player,” Barcelona president Bartomeu said, acknowledging that he was helpless to halt his desire to go. “We hope he will stay with us. There is nothing more to say because he still has four years left on his deal. You are aware that players have the freedom to choose whether or not to leave. Neymar requested permission to leave Barcelona on August 2. According to Fox Sports, Neymar had a lasting impression on Barcelona during his brief tenure there and was a “crucial piece” to their success during that period.
Paris Saint-Germain
Barcelona declared on August 3, 2017, that Neymar’s lawyers had paid the club €222 million, which was the same amount as his contract’s release clause. This was the most costly trade in history. In order for UEFA to assess any potential disciplinary obligations resulting from this case, the club notified them. The BBC claims that in Spain, the football player must initiate the release clause. The price was given to the team directly after La Liga refused to accept it, which made the case unique. In order to release the player from his contract, La Liga often deposits the buyout clause. The league then transfers the funds to the selling club.
La Liga, however, denied the payment, claiming that PSG, who are supported by funds from the Gulf state of Qatar, had broken Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
Although it is thought that Neymar joined PSG in order to increase his prospects of becoming the greatest player in the world, he stated that he wanted a new challenge, which included the possibility to lead a team at the club level once more. “At PSG, Neymar faced the greater challenge of creating history where there was little,” a sports writer wrote. “At Barcelona, he would have continued to be one of several prominent players in a team.”
Neymar Jr. was not desperate to win the Ballon d’Or, according to Neymar’s father, who told the media that if he were, he would have stayed at Barcelona because “he had everything” there. Neymar wanted to step outside of his comfort zone, according to his father. Additionally, Neymar’s father disclosed that PSG had made an offer the year before, but this time it was “very interesting.”
Neymar doubled his Barcelona wage and became the second-highest paid player in the world when he signed a contract with PSG that would last until 2022, earning almost €30 million annually. Additionally, he received €40 million in advance, which was allegedly delivered to his father. Money was cited by many in the media as one of the reasons he joined PSG. Claims that Neymar was a mercenary for joining PSG were refuted by Cafu, who said that the move gave him the potential to become “an idol, a star” and contribute to PSG’s Champions League hopes.
Rivaldo, a former Barcelona player, agreed that Messi’s presence made it difficult for him to be the main player and that he had to leave Barcelona to do so. In 2025, Neymar also disclosed that he left Barcelona due to the greater deal and the chance to play with his other Brazilian teammates, Thiago Silva, Dani Alves, Marquinhos, and Lucas Moura.
Departure
Neymar and Marco Verratti were told they would not be part of PSG’s plans for the upcoming season after the club started a roster revamp at the end of the 2022–23 season and failed to extend the contracts of Sergio Ramos and Messi when Luis Enrique took over as manager. Neymar’s possible return to Barcelona was mentioned. However, because Barcelona’s manager Xavi was not interested in signing him, the two clubs were never able to come to an agreement. As a result, Barcelona’s hierarchy never got to the point where they could talk more specific economic specifics and prospects.
Al-Hilal
Neymar joined a group of European league players who signed with the Saudi Pro League team Al-Hilal, including Rúben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Sergej Milinković-Savić, on August 15, 2023, after completing a two-year contract. He was the most costly acquisition in Saudi Pro League history, with the transfer fee reportedly totaling €90 million. Additionally, it was reported that he was receiving €150 million annually at Al-Hilal, which was six times his salary at PSG. The Independent claims that Barcelona was the only European team that genuinely wanted to sign Neymar; other elite teams rejected him mainly because of his expensive salary and the anticipated transfer cost.
As a headline signing, Neymar’s arrival to Al-Hilal prompted comparisons to former Brazil international Rivellino’s transfer to the club in 1978. The ‘Prince who never became King’ was the moniker given by some media outlets to Neymar for leaving Europe without winning the Ballon d’Or and for refusing to stay in a top European league. But with more elite players like Ronaldo and Karim Benzema joining the league, Neymar said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Saudi league is better than the French.”
Santos Return
Neymar Jr. declared on social media on January 30, 2025, that he would be signing a contract with Santos, his first club. Santos confirmed his comeback the next day. Neymar’s return to Santos was partly motivated by his desire to get back to his best before the 2026 World Cup. The jersey number 10 that Pelé had worn from 1956 to 1974 was the one he immediately adopted. On February 6, 2025, Neymar made his comeback for Peixe when he replaced Gabriel Bontempo at halftime in a 1-1 home tie with Botafogo-SP for Campeonato Paulista.
Reuters reports that “The Urbano Caldeira stadium erupted in celebration as jubilant and tearful fans lit up their mobile phones to give the striker, who left the club 12 years ago, a hero’s welcome before kick-off.” After the game, he was named Man of the Match.
International Career
Former Brazilian football players Pelé and Romário reportedly urged coach Dunga to bring Neymar Jr. to the 2010 World Cup after Neymar’s performances for Santos in their successful early 2010 season, which included winning the 2010 Copa do Brasil, where he was the top goalscorer, and the 2010 Campeonato Paulista, where he scored 14 goals. Neymar was left off of both the squad of 23 and the stand-by list, despite the fact that there was pressure on Dunga to select him and a petition with 14,000 signatures expressing the belief that he should be included in his squad. Despite calling Neymar “extremely talented,” Dunga claimed that the 18-year-old had not been put to the test enough on the international scene to secure a World Cup spot and had not made enough of an impression while playing for his country.
Style of Play
Neymar, who primarily plays as an attacking midfielder or winger, scores goals frequently and has excellent playmaking skills. He has more than 400 goals to his credit and more than 300 assists. Because of his speed and ability to create plays, he began his career playing exclusively as a left winger for both club and nation in the 4–3–3 configuration. This position allowed him to shoot with his better foot and create opportunities for teammates. He is characterized as both “electric” and “explosive” in his vision, passing, finishing, dribbling, feints, and first touch. He is renowned for frequently employing the rainbow flick.
Early in his career, the media referred to Neymar as “a true phenomenon” and regarded him as a very promising player. He was well-known at Santos for his quick speed and flare, routinely outplaying opponents and displaying too skillful plays that verged on showboating. He improved his passing and general decision-making skills at Barcelona by being more proficient and efficient in his provisioning. He developed into a complete number 10 after joining PSG, able to control play and make really challenging passes. Neymar reflected on his time at PSG, saying that it was there that he played his best football.
“Neymar is a master dribbler, and he sees openings that other players don’t,” stated Goal’s Westwood. In addition to having the finishing touch or game-winning final pass to match his inventiveness with the ball, he can create chances out of nothing. Neymar’s style of play is also described by Bobby Ghosh of Time magazine, who writes: “In an era of pass-and-move, Neymar is not afraid to keep the ball, dribble and weave past his opponents rather than simply figure out the most effective way of moving it forward.” According to Lima, a former Santos player from the Os Santásticos period, “Neymar has something that even Pelé doesn’t, the speed of his feet and the way he can move the ball.”
Neymar Jr. Perosnal Life
Neymar Jr. and his sister, Rafaella Beckran, have a tight sibling bond. Beckran honored him by getting her face inked on his arm, and she reciprocated by getting her brother’s eyes inked on hers. Neymar has three girls and one son, two of whom he has with his current partner.
Neymar Jr. Faith
Neymar Jr. is a member of the Pentecostal branch of Christianity. “Life only makes sense when our highest ideal is to serve Christ!” Neymar Jr. has stated in reference to his faith. Furthermore, he has a headband that reads “100% Jesus” on it. Neymar has identified Kaká as his religious role model and donates a portion of his earnings to his church. In order to raise money for food for underprivileged families, Neymar and fellow Brazilian football player Nenê organize a charity game in Nenê’s hometown of Jundiaí each year. Neymar Jr. speaks Spanish in addition to his native Portuguese.
