10 Fun Facts About Neymar

All the information you need to know about the Brazilian sensation!

Brazil’s Mogi das Cruzes is where Neymar was born on February 5, 1992. He started playing football at a young age and, at just 11 years old, enrolled in Santos FC’s youth academy.

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At the age of 17, he made his Santos professional football debut, instantly establishing himself as one of the game’s most promising young prospects. By scoring important goals in both competitions, he assisted Santos in winning the Cup do Brasil in 2010 and the Copa Libertadores in 2011.

Neymar made his national team debut for Brazil in 2011 and rapidly established himself as a significant member of the squad.

In 2013 and 2016, he contributed to the team’s Confederations Cup and Olympic gold medal victories. Top European clubs took notice of Neymar’s talents for Santos and the Brazilian national team, and in 2013 he joined FC Barcelona.

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A Santos icon

Santos won the Copa Libertadores for the first time in 48 years in 2011 thanks to Neymar. Neymar scored six goals during the competition, including two against Penarol of Uruguay in the championship match.

Comes from a sporting family

Neymar da Silva Sr., the Brazilian’s father, was a former soccer player who played for various Brazilian clubs. Neymar’s father, who served as both his mentor and first coach, was crucial to his early growth as a football player. Rafaella Beckran, his younger sister, is also a professional football player. Before giving up football to concentrate on her career in fashion, she played for Santos FC’s women’s team.

100th goal on 20th birthday

On his 20th birthday, Neymar scored his 100th goal for Santos against Palmeiras in a league match. Sadly, his team’s team was defeated 2-1.

Was close to joining Real Madrid

Hard to believe, but as a 13-year-old, the former Barcelona star came very, very close to signing with their bitter rivals Real Madrid. It so happened that Neymar visited Madrid in 2005 with his father and participated in a club trial. He appeared in photographs taken at the Santiago Bernabeu and even posed in the team’s locker area. The gifted child was prepared to join Real Madrid, and a contract was nearly completed until Santos stepped in and persuaded Neymar Sr. to keep the boy in Brazil.

An Olympic gold medalist

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, which were hosted in his native Rio de Janeiro, Neymar was a key component of Brazil’s gold-medal triumph in the men’s football competition. Brazil’s first-ever gold medal win in the men’s football competition at the Olympics was hailed as a major triumph for the nation, which has a long and illustrious history in the sport. The Olympic captain for Brazil, Neymar, registered four goals in the competition, including a significant free kick in the final versus Germany.

Neymar scored the winning penalty kick in the shootout after the game ended in a 1-1 draw to give Brazil the gold medal. Neymar received high plaudits for his Olympic performance and was regarded as a crucial component of Brazil’s triumph.

Fastest goal in Olympic history

In just 14 seconds of play against Honduras during the 2016 Summer Olympics, Neymar scored the quickest goal in Olympic football history.

Almost a West Ham player!

In 2010, Premier League club West Ham United was one of the first teams to express interest in signing the Brazilian superstar. They apparently even made Santos a £16 million bid, but the Brazilian team rejected it at the time. In 2013, he finally completed his infamous move to Barcelona and left Santos.

Puma deal!

Neymar parted ways with Nike in September 2020 by signing a long-term contract with the German sportswear manufacturer Puma. Neymar will reportedly earn about €25 million annually from the contract, making him one of Puma’s highest-paid brand ambassadors.

Neymar assumed the role of the face of Puma’s football section as part of the agreement, and he has been seen sporting Puma footwear since October 2020. A variety of off-field projects are also a part of the partnership, like the Neymar Jr. Puma Collection, which is a line of apparel and footwear.

For Puma, which has been attempting to gain ground in the cutthroat football market, the agreement was viewed as a big victory. Neymar’s switch to Puma also happened to be timed with the start of the brand’s fresh “Only See Great” advertising campaign, which tries to encourage optimism and self-belief. The advertisement, which has been released globally via a variety of media outlets, notably features Neymar.

Third most followed footballer on Instagram

Neymar is the third most followed football player on Instagram, with more than 200 million followers.

A cameo in Money Heist!

In the well-known television program La Casa de Papel, Neymar did make a brief cameo. He took on the persona of Monje Joao, a monk from Brazil.