Neymar

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (born 5 February 1992), commonly known simply as Neymar, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or forward for Santos, where he also serves as captain. He is a prolific scorer and creative force, celebrated for his dribbling, technical skill, agility, passing, and finishing. Considered one of the sport’s all-time greats, performance data ranked him as Europe’s top player for three straight seasons (2016–17 through 2018–19), and he placed second in 2015–16, 2019–20, and 2020–21.

He holds Brazil’s national team records for both goals (80) and assists (59). Neymar debuted professionally for Santos in 2009 and quickly became a teenage star. In 2011, he guided the club to a Copa Libertadores title and was named the tournament’s best player. After drawing interest from top European clubs, he joined Barcelona in 2013, forming the MSN attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez.

During the 2014–15 season, he was joint top scorer in both the UEFA Champions League and the Copa del Rey as Barcelona won the continental treble. By age 23, he was considered one of the world’s three best players, alongside Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. After four seasons at Barcelona, Neymar moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for a world-record €222 million transfer. Though he became injury-prone, he remained PSG’s key player, helping them win Ligue 1 titles in 2017–18, 2019–20, and 2022–23.

However, he never won the Champions League with the club; PSG finished as runners-up in 2020 and reached the semi-finals in 2020–21. Among the club’s all-time top scorers, he is one of the few players to have scored over 100 goals for three different clubs. In 2023, he joined Saudi club Al-Hilal, then returned to Santos in January 2025 after mutually terminating his contract. Neymar earned 130 caps for Brazil, the second-most in the country’s history.

He played in four consecutive FIFA World Cups from 2014 to 2026, scoring nine goals in 15 matches. His international honors include the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup (where he won the Golden Ball), an Olympic gold medal in 2016 (Brazil’s first), and a silver medal in 2012. After missing Brazil’s 2019 Copa América victory due to injury, he led the team to the 2021 Copa América final and jointly received the Golden Ball. He retired from international football in 2026.

One of the most famous athletes globally, Neymar has been named the world’s most marketable athlete by SportsPro, regularly appears on Forbes’ list of the highest-paid athletes, and was included in the Time 100 Most Influential People list in 2017. Neymar was born in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, to Neymar Santos Sr. and Nadine da Silva, and was raised Christian. He inherited his name from his father, a former footballer who became his advisor as Neymar’s talents grew.

Neymar has said his father has been by his side since childhood, handling his finances and family matters. Growing up, he combined futsal with street football, crediting futsal for developing his technique, speed of thought, and ability to maneuver in tight spaces. His inspirations included Robinho (his “idol”), Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi, and Wayne Rooney. In 2003, Neymar moved with his family to São Vicente, where he began playing for youth side Portuguesa Santista.

Later that year, they moved to Santos, and Neymar joined Santos’ youth academy. With his youth success and added income, the family bought their first property—a house next to Vila Belmiro, Santos’ home stadium. At 15, he earned a monthly salary in reais; at 16, that amount increased. At 17, he signed his first professional contract, was promoted to the Santos first team, and began signing sponsorship deals.

Club career Santos Neymar started playing football very young and was spotted by Santos, who offered him a contract in 2003. He entered their youth academy, which had produced Brazilian internationals like Coutinho, Clodoaldo, Diego, Elano, and Alex. He followed in the footsteps of Pepe, Pelé, and Robinho, who also began their careers at the club, nicknamed Peixe. In the academy, he became close friends with Paulo Henrique Ganso.

At 14, he traveled to Spain for tryouts with Real Madrid’s youth team, but his father decided he should continue developing at Santos. 2009–11: Teenage sensation and Copa Libertadores triumph Neymar made his professional debut on 7 March 2009, a month after turning 17, in a 2–1 win against Oeste in the 2009 Campeonato Paulista. On 11 April, he scored the decisive goal in a 2–1 win against Palmeiras in the semi-final first leg of the same competition.

In the final, however, Santos lost 4–2 on aggregate to Corinthians. His rapid development continued in 2010, when he scored 42 goals in 60 matches across all competitions and helped Santos win its first Copa do Brasil title, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 11 goals. That breakout season saw him emerge as one of world football’s hottest prospects, earning comparisons to Pelé. However, his tendency to dive and a fallout with manager Dorival Júnior drew criticism.