Neymar Júnior – Versatile Attacker

Neymar Júnior – Versatile Attacker

Biography

Dec 11 | Written by Debanjan Karmaker

“I think that with his quality and fitness, Neymar will become the best in the world.” – Lionel Messi

Yes, we're talking about Neymar Junior, a professional Brazilian footballer and one of the world's most adored players. He is regarded as one of the most talented players of his time. Throughout his career, he has broken several records and owns numerous more records in addition to his own. He has practically everything as a club player and a member of the Brazilian national team as a forward or winger—trophies, titles, and, most importantly, respect and affection. He is currently one of the most influential persons in the world, having influenced millions of people all over the world. However, Neymar Junior’s journey was never easy. He had ups and downs during his career, and we now regard him as the greatest football player of all time, but there is another side to the story.

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, known as Neymar Jr. was born in Mogi das Cruzes, State of Sao Paulo, is now known as one of the greatest footballers in history. He was born on February 5, 1992, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. His father is a former Brazilian football player Neymar Santos Sr, and his mother is Nadine Da Silva. Neymar also has a sister named Rafaella Santos. The two share a very close bond.

The Beginning of Neymar Junior’s Football Career

Neymar Jr. first picked up a football after getting some motivation from his father, a former professional player. Neymar has the attributes of a typical Brazilian footballer and, as a result of participating in futsal as a youngster, became well-known for his speed, fluid dribbling abilities, exceptional vision, chance-creation abilities, and signature feints.

At the age of 11, Neymar joined the junior team of Portuguese club Santos FC. He began his career on March 7, 2009, at the age of 17. He had a spectacular debut season scoring 14 goals in 48 games and earning the 'Best Young Player' title.

Neymar previously played for Brazil's U-17 squad in the 2009 FIFA Under-17 World Cup. At the age of 18, he made his maiden international appearance against England in a friendly match on August 10, 2010. He was chosen to the starting lineup and wore jersey number 11. Brazil won the match 2-0, with Neymar scored the game-winning goal in the 28th minute, when he headed in a cross from Andre Santos.

Neymar Junior’s clubs Debut and Accomplishments 

Neymar Jr. then moved to Spanish club FC Barcelona in May 2013 in reported transfer deal worth 57.1 million euros. The move shaped up the 21-year old’s career, with Neymar developing into a world class player. Neymar formed the famed MSN trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, helping the club to one of its most successful seasons.

Neymar made his competitive debut for FC Barcelona against Levante in the 2013-14 La Liga season, replacing Alexis Sánchez in the 68th minute as Barcelona won the first match of the season 7-0. Neymar scored his first Champions League goal against Celtic FC on December 11th, scoring a hattrick in a 6-1 victory. After settling in Spain and adapting to Barcelona's style of play, Neymar scored 39 goals in the Spanish League and 10 goals in the European Cup, ending as UEFA's joint top scorer alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and partner Lionel Messi. Barcelona won the triple (domestic league, domestic cup, and international cup) for the second season in a row in 2014-15, becoming the first club in history to accomplish so. Neymar scored 31 goals and assisted 27 times in 49 games the next season. He won the Spanish Champions Trophy for the second time with FC Barcelona, who also won the domestic double this season.

Following the 2016-17 season, Neymar hit the headlines when he signed from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain for $ 200 million on August 3, 2017, becoming the most expensive player in history. Fans were outraged by the decision, but Neymar has been outstanding for the French team, combining well with fellow forwards Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani. He has 27 goals and 17 assists in 26 appearances for PSG.

Achievements of Neymar Junior

This young player has many achievements in clubs and Brazilian national team along with individual. Neymar Junior has won the Golden Boot three times: in 2010, 2011, 2012 and FIFA World Cup Bronze Boot: 2014. He is the top scorer on Copa do Brasil in 2010. He was nominated as “Young Player of the Year” in 2011. Neymar did play Summer Olympics for Brazil, capturing a silver medal in 2012. Following a successful international debut, Neymar was nominated to Brazil's Confederations Cup roster in 2013. Neymar scored in three straight games and was named Player of the Match in all three. In the final, he assisted on the first goal and scored the second as Brazil beat Spain 3-0. After the competition, Neymar received the Golden Ball. In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Neymar was named team captain and led his side to victory, scoring the game-winning goal in a 1-1 tie between Brazil and Germany. He scored the game-winning penalty in the shootout, giving Brazil its first Olympic gold medal. Neymar's performance catapulted him into the elite league of footballers when he was named to the FIFA Ballon d'Or shortlist, finishing third behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Along with these, he has won FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball: 2013 and FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze Shoe: 2013. This star scored 430 goals in 696 matches in his whole career. 

At the age of 30, Neymar Junior became the Brazilian National Team's all-time co-scorer during extra time against Croatia in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals, equaling Pele's record of 77 goals.