Neymar Jr.

Lore & Background

Neymar made his professional debut with Santos in 2009 and soon emerged as a teenage sensation. In 2011, he led Santos to the Copa Libertadores title and was named the tournament's best player. After attracting interest from Europe's top clubs, Neymar joined Barcelona in 2013, where he was part of the MSN attacking trio alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez. He finished as the joint top scorer in the UEFA Champions League and the joint top scorer in the Copa del Rey as Barcelona completed the continental treble in 2014–15. At the age of 23, Neymar was viewed as one of the world's three best players, alongside Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. After four seasons, Neymar joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 in a world-record €222 million transfer. Despite becoming injury-prone, he remained PSG's talisman and was vital to Ligue 1 title wins in 2017–18, 2019–20 and 2022–23, but failed to win the Champions League, with PSG finishing as runners-up in 2020 and being eliminated in the 2020–21 semi-finals. As one of the club's all-time top goalscorers, he is one of the few players to have scored over 100 goals with three clubs. In 2023, he joined Saudi club Al-Hilal before returning to Santos in January 2025 after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract with Al Hilal.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights at Parc des Princes hummed against the cold Parisian night as Neymar received the ball near the halfway line. The crowd roared, a sea of red and blue anticipating the inevitable. With a quick feint, he left his marker stranded, weaving through three defenders with a rhythm that seemed to defy physics. As he approached the penalty area, time appeared to slow; a sudden shift in direction opened a sliver of space. He struck the ball with the outside of his boot, curling it perfectly into the top corner, sealing another chapter in PSG's golden era.

Reader's Guide

Neymar was capped 130 times for the Brazil national team, the second-most for the country. He appeared in four consecutive FIFA World Cups from 2014 to 2026, scoring nine goals in 15 matches. His international honours include the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, for which he won the Golden Ball, as well as an Olympic gold medal in 2016 — the nation's first — and a silver medal in 2012. After missing Brazil's triumph at the 2019 Copa América due to injury, Neymar led them to the final of the 2021 Copa América, for which he jointly received the Golden Ball. He retired from international football in 2026.

Did You Know?

• Neymar inherited his name from his father, a former footballer who became his advisor.
• He was inspired by Robinho, Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney.
• At age 14, Neymar tried out for the Real Madrid youth team but did not stay.
• He scored his 100th professional goal on his 20th birthday in 2012.
• Neymar won the 2011 FIFA Puskás Award for a spectacular solo dribble goal.