One of the greatest soccer players in the world
Neymar Santos Jr., a Brazilian professional soccer player who was noticed at an early age for his impressive skills. Neymar Santos, Jr. was a Brazilian professional soccer player who gained attention at a young age due to his impressive abilities. In 2016, he also helped Brazil win its first Olympic Gold Medal in Rio de Janeiro.
Neymar was conceived on February 5, 1992 in Mogi das Cruzes in the southeastern part of Sao Paulo. Neymar Sr. and Nadine Da Silva are his parents. Neymar learned to love soccer from his father. He played futsal, a type of indoor soccer, as well as street soccer.
Neymar joined the Portuguesa Santista youth club in Santos, Brazil in 1999. Neymar kept improving and in four more years he joined the youth academy of Santos FC. Neymar emulated soccer greats like Robinho, Pepe and Pele by signing with Santos FC. Neymar was able to impress Europe after two years of playing and training in the youth system. Real Madrid sent recruiters to Neymar in 2005 if he had passed the Real Madrid trials. Santos FC paid Neymar up to one million reais ($200k) in order to keep him on the Brazilian soil.
Neymar’s professional career began in 2009, when he made his debut for Santos during the final half-hour of an Oeste FC game. He scored his first goal against Mogi Mirim EC, another Brazilian club, a week later. In 2010, he had become a star for Santos and helped them win the Copa do Brasil.
Neymar played 134 games for Santos FC in five years. He scored 70 goals, and assisted 35 others. In his first five years as Santos FC’s captain, Neymar led the team to a Copa Libertadores championship, something they hadn’t achieved in 48 year. In a 2012 CNN interview, Neymar said:
“I’m always trying to perfect everything–dribbling, shooting, headers, and control. “You can always improve.”
Neymar moved to Europe in 2013, when he joined FC Barcelona. The club is known for having some of the top players in the world like Neymar’s teammate Lionel Messi. Neymar’s five-year deal, signed in spring 2013, was worth EUR57m (about $76-$78m at the time), which made it one of most lucrative soccer contracts in history. Santos FC received EUR17 million from that amount as payment for Neymar.
Neymar’s winning streak continued in 2014 when he led FC Barcelona to the Confederations Cup title. Neymar was a world-class footballer at the age of 21. Neymar, who only uses his first name, formed the “MSN” trinity with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and other players. This trio was an impressive trident which gave Barcelona its best season ever. FC Barcelona sued Neymar in 2017 for breaching contract. In August of that year, he transferred to Paris Saint-Germain for a fee far exceeding the amount paid by the Spanish club. He led PSG to a Ligue 1 championship after suffering multiple injuries.
