Neymar da Silva Santos Jr. was born in Mogi Das Cruzes, Brazil on 5th February, 1992. The star footballer has made a name for himself globally by delivering some unforgettable performances.
Neymar is a prodigy by all means. He started playing professionally when he was 17 years old. His first club was Santos FC.
Named the South-American footballer of the year on two occasions, Neymar joined Barcelona football club where he played alongside the legendary Lionel Messi.
His stint with Barcelona was extremely successful as his team won Continental Treble of La Liga, the Copa Del Ray and UEFA Champions League.
Neymar transferred to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for a mammoth 222 Million Euros.
Some facts about Neymar:
With 64 goals in 103 matches for Brazil since debuting at age 18, Neymar is the second-highest goalscorer for his national team, trailing only Pelé.
He was a key player in Brazil’s victories at the 2011 South American Youth Championship, where he finished as leading goalscorer, and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, where he won the Golden Ball as player of the tournament.
On 3 August 2017, Barcelona announced that Neymar’s legal representatives made a payment of Euro 222 million to the club, equal to the release clause of his contract, which constituted the most expensive transfer ever.
The club informed UEFA so that they can determine any disciplinary responsibilities that may arise from this case.
Neymar’s greatest moment came in the 2015 season when he helped FC Barcelona secure the grand treble in the La Liga.
They won the UEFA Champions League, Copa del Rey and the La Liga title. In the UEFA Champions League, they beat Juventus 3-1 to win the title for the fifth time.
The media have often drawn comparisons between Neymar and Brazilian legend Pelé, as Neymar possesses similar attributes and also like Pelé came from the Santos Youth Academy and turned heads with his skill.
Neymar has said that Pelé is his “role model” but also saying: “I don’t like to make a comparison with Pelé”.
He has also been compared to compatriot Ronaldinho.
