Neymar is a Brazilian football star who plays for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and the Brazil national team. He is one of the most popular and skillful players in the world, with a remarkable record of goals and assists. He has also won many titles and awards with his clubs and country, as well as individually.
Early life and career
Neymar da Silva Santos Jr. was born on February 5, 1992, in Mogi das Cruzes, a city near São Paulo. He grew up in a small house in a working-class neighborhood with his father, mother, and younger sister, Rafaella. Neymar started playing football after drawing inspiration from his father who was a professional footballer himself.
He joined the youth academy of Santos FC in 2003, where he showed his talent and potential. He made his first team debut for Santos in 2009, when he was only 17 years old. He soon became a star player for the club, helping them win two Campeonato Paulista titles (2010 and 2011), a Copa do Brasil (2010) and a Copa Libertadores (2011). He also won the South American Footballer of the Year award twice, in 2011 and 2012.
Move to Europe
In 2013, Neymar moved to Europe to join Barcelona, one of the biggest clubs in the world. He formed a formidable attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, known as MSN. Together, they led Barcelona to a treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League in the 2014-15 season. Neymar also won another domestic double with Barcelona in the 2015-16 season. He scored 105 goals in 186 appearances for the Catalan club.
Transfer to PSG
In 2017, Neymar shocked the football world by transferring to PSG for a record-breaking fee of €222 million, making him the most expensive player ever3. He joined PSG with the ambition of becoming the main star of the team and winning the Champions League. He has won five Ligue 1 titles (2018–2022), three Coupe de France titles (2018, 2020 and 2021), three Coupe de la Ligue titles (2018–2020) and two Trophee des Champions (2018 and 2020) with PSG so far. He also reached his first Champions League final with PSG in the 2019-20 season, but lost to Bayern Munich. He has scored 82 goals in 112 games for PSG.
International career
Neymar has been a regular member of the Brazil national team since 2010, when he made his debut at age 18. He has represented Brazil at three World Cups (2014, 2018 and 2022), two Copa Americas (2015 and 2021) and two Olympic Games (2012 and 2016). He has scored 77 goals in 124 matches for Brazil, making him the joint-top scorer of all time for his country, alongside Pele3. He has won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013, the Olympic gold medal in 2016 and the Copa America runner-up medal in 2021 with Brazil. He has also won several individual awards, such as the Golden Ball at the Confederations Cup and the Bronze Boot at the World Cup.
Latest news
Neymar is currently recovering from an ankle surgery that he underwent in March 2023. He is expected to return to action by June 20233. However, his future at PSG is uncertain, as he has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia or a reunion with Messi at Inter Miami4 . Neymar has not confirmed or denied these rumors yet.
Neymar is undoubtedly one of the best players of his generation and one of the greatest Brazilian footballers of all time. He has achieved remarkable success and fame in his career, but he also faces challenges and controversies. He is still chasing his dream of winning the Champions League and the World Cup, which would cement his legacy as one of the legends of the game.