Neymar

Early life

Neymar was born in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, to Neymar Santos Sr. and Nadine da Silva and had a Christian upbringing. He inherited his name from his father, who is a former footballer and became his son's advisor as Neymar's talents began to grow. Neymar comments on his father's role: "My father has been by my side since I was little. He takes care of things, my finances and my family." Growing up, Neymar combined his love of futsal with street football. Neymar said that futsal had a massive influence on him growing up, helping him develop his technique, speed of thought and ability to perform moves in tight spaces. He was inspired by Robinho — his "idol" — Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney.

In 2003, Neymar moved with his family to São Vicente, where he began playing for youth side Portuguesa Santista. Then, later in 2003, they moved to Santos, where Neymar joined Santos. With the success of his youth career and added income, the family bought their first property, a house next to Vila Belmiro, Santos' home stadium. Their quality of family life improved, as at age 15, Neymar was earning 10000 reais per month and at 16, 125000 reais per month. At 17, he signed his first full professional contract, was upgraded to the Santos first team, and began signing his first sponsorship deals.

Club career

Santos

Neymar began playing football at an early age and he was soon spotted by Santos who offered him a contract in 2003; where he was inducted into their youth academy, which has, in the past, produced Brazilian internationals like Coutinho, Clodoaldo, Diego, Elano and Alex. He also joined the likes of Pepe, Pelé and Robinho in starting out his career at the club, nicknamed Peixe. While in the youth academy, Neymar met Paulo Henrique Ganso, becoming good friends in the process. Aged 14, Neymar travelled to Spain for tryouts with the Real Madrid youth team. He did not stay in Madrid, however, as his father decided at the time that he preferred the young prodigy to keep growing up while playing at Santos.

Neymar made his professional debut on 7 March 2009, one month after turning 17 years old, in a 2–1 win against Oeste in the 2009 Campeonato Paulista. On 11 April, Neymar scored the decisive goal in a 2–1 win against Palmeiras in the 2009 Campeonato Paulista semi-final first leg. In the final, however, Santos suffered a 4–2 aggregate defeat to Corinthians. Neymar continued his rapid development in 2010, scoring 42 goals in 60 matches in all competitions and helping Santos win its first ever Copa do Brasil title, where he finished as the tournament's top scorer with 11 goals. It was a breakout season for him, emerging as one of the hottest prospects in world football and being heralded the 'new Pelé'. However, his apparent tendency for diving and his fallout with manager Dorival Júnior drew criticism.

In the 2010 summer transfer window, Santos received bids for Neymar from Premier League clubs Chelsea and West Ham United, the former reported to be in the region of £20 million. Neymar remained at Santos, but said a year later that it was a "dream" of his "to play in Europe", while also stating that at the time it had been the right decision to stay in Brazil.

Neymar scored crucial goals during the 2011 season, including the winning goal in the second leg of the finals against Corinthians to help his club clinch back-to-back state titles. He scored six goals during Santos' run to the 2011 Copa Libertadores finals, including the opening goal in the second leg of the final against Uruguayan side Peñarol, where Santos won 2–1. This was the club's first Copa Libertadores title since the "Pelé era" in the 1960s. Neymar was awarded Man of the Match and named the tournament's Best Player. On 27 July 2011, he scored a spectacular solo dribble in a thrilling 5–4 loss against Ronaldinho's Flamengo that went on to be awarded the 2011 FIFA Puskás Award. Later in the same year, he signed a contract extension until after the 2014 FIFA World Cup, reportedly increasing his wages by 50%, shunning off interest from top European clubs, including Real Madrid.

Barcelona

On 24 May 2013, Santos announced that they had received two offers for Neymar. The following day, Neymar announced he would sign with Barcelona on 27 May and join the team after playing in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. Neither Neymar nor the clubs released details on the transfer fee or personal terms, save to say he signed a five-year deal. On 3 June, Neymar was unveiled by Barcelona after passing medical tests and signing a contract that would keep him at the club through June 2018.

Neymar was presented at the Camp Nou in front of 56,500 fans, a record turnout for a Brazilian player. Club vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu initially said Neymar's transfer fee was €57.1 million and his release clause set at €190 million. Barcelona's doctor suggested he might need to gain weight to be able to cope physically in Spanish football.

In January 2014, the prosecutor's office in Madrid began investigating the transfer fee that Barcelona paid for Neymar. The documents submitted to the authorities on request contained contradictory information. On 23 January 2014, Sandro Rosell resigned from his position as president. A day later, the details of the transfer were revealed by Barcelona; the transfer had in fact cost them €86.2 million (£71.5 million), with Neymar's parents confirmed to have received a €40 million sum. In the aftermath, Barcelona and Bartomeu were charged with tax fraud.

Neymar made his official debut for Barcelona during the opening game of the 2013–14 La Liga season as a 63rd-minute substitute for Alexis Sánchez in a 7–0 win against Levante. On 21 August, he played in the 2013 Supercopa de España against Copa del Rey holders Atlético Madrid; he made an immediate impact, scoring Barcelona's only goal as they won the Supercopa on away goals.

On 18 September, he made his UEFA Champions League debut, assisting a Gerard Piqué goal as Barça beat Ajax 4–0 in their opening match of the 2013–14 tournament. Six days later, Neymar scored his first goal in La Liga in Barcelona's 4–1 defeat of Real Sociedad at Camp Nou. On 26 October, in his first El Clásico appearance, he scored the opening goal and assisted the team's winning goal in a 2–1 win over Real Madrid. On 11 December, he scored a hat-trick in a 6–1 win over Celtic in the group stage. A few days later, on 14 December, Neymar scored both of Barcelona's goals in their 2–1 win against Villarreal.

Paris Saint-Germain

On 3 August 2017, Barcelona announced that Neymar's legal representatives made a payment of €222 million to the club, equal to the release clause of his contract, which constituted the most expensive transfer ever. The situation was unusual, in that the fee was paid to the club directly, after La Liga had refused to receive the payment — citing violation of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules by PSG.

Neymar's unexpected departure from Barcelona and the record-breaking transfer fee made global headlines, with some in the media labelling it as "the signing of the century". He joined PSG on a contract that would run until 2022, earning roughly €36 million a year — one of the largest sports contracts — to make him the second-highest paid player in the world. This was a €12 million increase from his salary at Barcelona.

A journalist for ESPN said that PSG offered Neymar "the status of being No. 1 in the team". He was touted as the player to lead the club to their first Champions League title and joined a growing list of Brazilian players who had signed for PSG in previous years, including Thiago Silva, Lucas Moura and David Luiz. He was given the number 10 shirt by the club's midfielder Javier Pastore as a "welcome gift". The Eiffel Tower celebrated the arrival of Neymar by displaying red and blue lights, the colours of PSG.

The relationship between Neymar and Barcelona fans was tainted following his move to PSG. In his presentation on 17 August, he said that leaving Barcelona was one of the toughest decisions in his life.

On 27 August 2017, Barcelona filed a lawsuit against Neymar, demanding he return the contract-renewal bonus he'd received as well as €8.5 million in damages and an additional 10% in arrears. The club claimed the money is owed on the basis of the renewal of the contract they signed in 2016. The club also requested PSG to take on the financial responsibility for the payment of the fees if the player is shown unable to do so. Neymar's lawyers announced that they would contest the case, but on 19 June 2020, a Spanish court ruled that Neymar must return $7.5 million (€6.7 million) to Barcelona. In 2021, the club and the player announced they've reached an "amicable" out-of-court settlement, whose details were not publicly divulged.

Al Hilal

On 15 August 2023, Neymar completed a transfer to Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal on a two-year contract, joining a list of European league players who signed for the club, including Rúben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Sergej Milinković-Savić. The transfer fee was reported to be worth €90 million, making him the most expensive purchase in Saudi Pro League history. He was also reportedly being paid €150m a year at Al Hilal, six times the amount he earned at PSG. According to The Independent, Barcelona was the only European club that showed genuine interest in signing Neymar; other top clubs turned away primarily due to his high salary and the expected transfer fee to sign him.

Some media outlets criticised Neymar for choosing to not remain in a top European league and dubbed him as the 'Prince who never became King' due to leaving Europe without being crowned the world's best player with the Ballon d'Or. However, Neymar declared, "I wouldn't be surprised if the Saudi league is better than the French", in light of fellow star players joining the league, including Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. As a marquee signing, Neymar's transfer to Al Hilal drew comparisons to former Brazil international Rivellino's transfer to the club in 1978.

On 15 September 2023, Neymar made his debut for Al Hilal in the league during a 6–1 thrashing of Al-Riyadh, coming off the bench and providing an assist to a goal by fellow Brazilian Malcom. That same year, on 3 October, Neymar scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 away win against Nassaji Mazandaran in an AFC Champions League group stage match. He played five games for his new club before rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament while on international duty in October 2023 and was out for the rest of the season. Al Hilal won the 2023–24 Saudi Pro League title; despite Neymar playing just three games in the league, he collected his eighth career league title.

Neymar returned to action for 2024–25 on 21 October 2024 during Al Hilal's AFC Champions League match against Al Ain. However, he soon suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the rest of the year. According to Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus, Neymar could "no longer perform at the level we are used to" due to the lengthy injuries. On 27 January 2025, the club announced an agreement for the termination of Neymar's contract by mutual consent. In a leaving message, Neymar said, "I gave it all to play, and I wish we could have enjoyed better moments together on the field".

Santos

On 30 January 2025, Neymar announced through his social media that he would be signing a contract with his first club Santos. The following day, Santos confirmed his return. One of the reasons for Neymar returning to Santos was to regain top form ahead of the 2026 World Cup. He started wearing the number 10 jersey, the number which Pelé had worn during his time spent between 1956 and 1974.

Neymar made his re-debut for Peixe on 6 February, coming on as a half-time substitute for Gabriel Bontempo in a 1–1 Campeonato Paulista home draw against Botafogo-SP. According to Reuters, "The Urbano Caldeira stadium erupted in celebration as jubilant and tearful fans lit up their mobile phones to give the striker, who left the club 12 years ago, a hero's welcome before kick-off." He received the Man of the Match award after the match.

Neymar scored his first goal after returning ten days later, netting the opener in a 3–1 home win over Água Santa through a penalty; he also assisted Guilherme in the club's third goal, and received another Man of the Match award. On 23 February, Neymar scored directly from a corner kick in a 3–0 win over Inter de Limeira, and earned the Man of the Match award again. With his physical fitness experiencing an improvement compared to his time at Al-Hilal, he would make his Série A debut on 13 March, coming on as a substitute 1–0 loss against Fluminense. In the same month, he was awarded the Best Goal of the 2025 Campeonato Paulista for the direct corner kick goal in February. On 16 April, Neymar wore the number 100 jersey for the match against Atlético Mineiro which resulted in a 2–0 win, landmarking his 100th match at the Vila Belmiro; he would feature in only 32 minutes during the match, however, and was subbed off after suffering an injury.Neymar spent more than a month sidelined before returning in 2025 Copa do Brasil match against CRB in Maceió on 22 May; coming on as a second-half substitute, he converted his penalty in the shoot-out, but his side was knocked out. Neymar returned to the starting line-up on 1 June in a match against Botafogo. Deployed as a false nine, he played for 76 minutes in the match before being sent off after handballing; Santos eventually lost the match 1–0, with the opponent's goal coming ten minutes after his ejection.

On 24 June, Santos announced Neymar's contract renewal until the end of the year, with an option for a further six months. The club's president Marcelo Teixeira said that Neymar's return to Santos has led to record-breaking social media growth and significant commercial gains for the club. On his first match after the renewal, he scored the winner in a 1–0 home win over Flamengo on 16 July.

International career

2010–2012: Senior debut and first major tournaments

Following Neymar's performances for Santos in their successful early 2010 season, including winning the 2010 Copa do Brasil, in which he was the top goalscorer, and the 2010 Campeonato Paulista, in which he scored 14 goals, former Brazilian football players Pelé and Romário reportedly urged coach Dunga to take Neymar to the 2010 World Cup. Although the opinion that Neymar deserved a place in Dunga's squad went as far as a 14,000 signature petition, and despite the pressure on Dunga to pick Neymar, he was omitted from both the squad of 23, and the stand-by list. Although Dunga described Neymar as "extremely talented", he said that the 18-year-old had not been tested sufficiently on the international level to earn a World Cup spot and he had failed to impress enough while on international duty.

On 26 July 2010, Neymar was selected for the first time in the Brazil senior team by new head coach Mano Menezes for a friendly match against the United States to be played in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On 10 August 2010, he made his debut with the national team in that game, aged 18 years old, starting the match and wearing the number 11 jersey. He scored on his debut after 28 minutes, a header coming from an André Santos cross in a 2–0 win for Brazil. On 1 March 2011, Neymar said: "Being on the Brazilian team is a privilege. There are some marvelous players and I'm very happy to be among them."

On 27 March 2011, he scored twice in a 2–0 win against Scotland at the Emirates Stadium. After he scored from the penalty spot, a banana was thrown onto the pitch, leading Neymar to complain about 'constant jeering and an atmosphere of racism' from the stands. While Scottish officials explained that Neymar had been booed solely for perceived injury-feigning, a German student who was in the stadium amongst Brazil supporters said that he threw the banana with no racist intentions. This led to the Scottish Football Association asking the Brazilian Football Confederation for an apology for the accusations made to the Scottish fans. Neymar refused to apologise or retract his words, claiming he "did not accuse any person or any group of supporters".

Neymar was the leading goalscorer of the 2011 South American Youth Championship with nine goals, including two in the final, in Brazil's 6–0 win against Uruguay. He also took part at the 2011 Copa América in Argentina, where he scored two goals in the first-round game against Ecuador. He was selected 'Man of the Match' in Brazil's first match against Venezuela, which ended a 1–1 draw. Brazil were eliminated in the quarter-finals in a penalty shoot-out against Paraguay (2–2 a.e.t.), with Neymar being substituted in the 80th minute.

2013–2014: Confederations Cup triumph and World Cup breakthrough

Neymar was selected as part of Luiz Felipe Scolari's Brazil squad for the 2013 Confederations Cup on home soil. For the tournament he was assigned the number 10 shirt, having previously worn 11.

Neymar scored the first goal of the tournament in a 3–0 win over Japan at the Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha on 15 June. In their second match, Neymar scored after nine minutes and crossed for Jô's late goal to give Brazil a 2–0 win over Mexico. He scored in his third consecutive match, with a powerful free kick from the edge of the penalty area, as Brazil beat Italy 4–2, and received his third consecutive man-of-the-match award. On 30 June, Neymar was involved in Fred's opening goal and then subsequently scored Brazil's second in the 3–0 final victory over Spain. Neymar's performances saw him receive the Golden Ball for player of the tournament. He also finished in 5th place for the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or.

On 5 March 2014, Neymar scored a hat-trick in a friendly win against South Africa in Johannesburg. He made headlines for his conduct after the final whistle when a South African boy ran onto the pitch. As security staff began to escort the boy from the field, Neymar intervened and introduced him to his Brazil teammates before they lifted him in the air during their celebrations.

On 2 June, Neymar was named in the Brazil squad for the 2014 World Cup. Going into the tournament as the team's star player, Neymar was expected to lead Brazil to their sixth World Cup success, and first title on home soil. One week prior to the team's opening match, Neymar scored once and made two assists in a 4–0 friendly win over Panama.

Neymar earned his 50th international cap in the opening match of the tournament, on 12 June against Croatia in São Paulo. In the 26th minute, with Croatia leading 1–0, Neymar elbowed Croatian midfielder Luka Modrić, after which Neymar was issued a yellow card. Many critics agreed that Neymar's punishment was too lenient and that he should have been issued a red card. He equalised before half-time with a shot from outside the box and gave Brazil the lead in the second half with a penalty kick, following a controversial decision by the referee, in an eventual 3–1 win. In the third group match, he again scored twice as the Seleção defeated Cameroon 4–1 to reach the knockout stage. In the round of 16 against Chile, the match finished 1–1 after 120 minutes and was decided by a penalty shoot-out with Neymar scoring what proved to be the winning kick for Brazil.

2015–2016: Assuming the captaincy and Olympic gold

With captain Thiago Silva ruled out through injury, new coach Dunga decided to make Neymar captain and confirmed on 5 September that the forward would stay on as skipper on a permanent basis. On 14 October 2014, Neymar scored four goals in one game for the first time in his international career, scoring all of Brazil's goals in 4–0 friendly win against Japan at the National Stadium, Singapore. At the age of just 22 years, Neymar had scored 40 goals in 58 internationals, and had become the fifth highest goalscorer for his national team. On 26 March 2015, Neymar scored Brazil's second goal in a 3–1 friendly win over France in Paris.

On 14 June 2015, in Brazil's opening Copa América fixture, Neymar scored the equaliser and assisted the stoppage-time winning goal by Douglas Costa as Brazil came from 0–1 down to beat Peru 2–1 in Temuco. After Brazil's second match, a 0–1 loss to Colombia in Santiago, Neymar was booked for handball, resulting in a suspension. After the final whistle, he was red carded for deliberately kicking the ball at Pablo Armero, and as a result was pushed over by Colombian striker Carlos Bacca, who was also dismissed. CONMEBOL issued Neymar with a four-match ban, ruling him out for the remainder of the tournament, in addition to a $10000 fine.

The CBF had wanted Neymar to play at the Copa América Centenario and the Olympics in Rio during the summer of 2016, but after a request from Barcelona manager Luis Enrique, he was rested from the first tournament. In late June 2016, he was subsequently one of the three over-23 players to be included in Brazil's squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics on home soil, and was named the team's captain by the Olympic side's manager Rogério Micale.

In Brazil's quarter-final clash with Colombia on 13 August, Neymar scored Brazil's first goal of the match, from a direct free kick, and also set up his nation's second goal in an eventual 2–0 win. In Brazil's semi-final clash with Honduras on 18 August, Neymar scored twice, Brazil's first and last goals of the match, in a 6–0 win.

In the final against Germany at the Maracanã in Rio on 20 August, Neymar opened the scoring with a free-kick after 27 minutes. The game finished 1–1 after Max Meyer equalised in the second-half. Brazil beat Germany 5–4 on penalties, and Neymar scored the winning penalty to bring Brazil its first Olympic gold medal in men's football. He was hailed as a hero in Brazil for helping end the nation's conquest for an Olympic gold medal.

2018: World Cup disappointment

Neymar was rushed back prior to the 2018 World Cup in Russia following his injury in February with PSG. In May 2018, he was named in Tite's final 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. On 3 June 2018, he made his international comeback after a three-month absence from a foot injury and scored a goal in a 2–0 win over Croatia in a friendly match at Anfield. His playing style was not quite the same as he appeared to be avoiding physical contact entirely rather than simply trying to draw fouls. The following week, he became Brazil's joint-third highest goalscorer alongside Romário when he scored his 55th international goal in a 3–0 friendly win over Austria. In Brazil's second World Cup match, played against Costa Rica at the Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, on 22 June, Neymar scored the team's second goal in injury time as Brazil won 2–0. The goal, his 56th for Brazil, took him third in the all-time scoring chart behind only Pelé and Ronaldo.

On 2 July, Neymar scored his second goal of the World Cup in a 2–0 win over Mexico in the last 16, while also assisting Roberto Firmino for his goal. After the Mexico game, BBC Sport wrote that despite Neymar's "good performances" coming up top in several statistics at the World Cup, "there is still a sense that he remains widely unpopular among neutrals" due to his "petulance and the play-acting". Meanwhile, Brazilian newspaper O Globo wrote that "Neymar has charmed Brazil, but annoyed the whole world". On 6 July, Brazil were eliminated after losing 2–1 against Belgium in the quarter-finals, with Neymar denied an injury time equaliser by a finger-tip save from Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

2019–2021: Copa América runner-up

In May 2019, Neymar was included in Brazil's 23-man squad for the 2019 Copa América on home soil. On 5 June, however, he suffered an ankle injury in a 2–0 friendly win over Qatar and was ruled out of the tournament, with Neymar expected to miss four weeks due to the injury.

On 10 October 2019, Neymar played his 100th match for Brazil in a friendly draw 1–1 with Senegal in Singapore. On 13 October 2020, he scored a hat-trick in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Peru, which Brazil won 4–2. He reached his 64th international goal and surpassed Ronaldo as the nation's second highest goalscorer of all time.

In early 2021, the IFFHS ranked Neymar in second place behind Messi for their CONMEBOL The Best Man Player of the Decade (2011–2020) award. On 13 June 2021, in Brazil's opening group match of the 2021 Copa América, which took place on home soil, Neymar scored his team's second goal from the penalty spot and later assisted another for Gabriel Barbosa in a 3–0 win over Venezuela. In the following match on 17 June, he once again scored the second goal in an eventual 4–0 win over Peru. On 23 June he assisted Casemiro's match–winning goal from a corner in injury time of a 2–1 win over Colombia. On 2 July, he assisted Lucas Paquetá's goal in a 1–0 win over Chile in the quarter-finals of the competition. Three days later, he once again assisted Paquetá for the only goal of the match in the semi-finals against Peru. On 10 July, Brazil were defeated 1–0 by Argentina in the final. Despite the loss, Neymar received the Golden Ball alongside Argentina's Messi for his performances throughout the competition.

On 9 September 2021, Neymar scored the second goal in a 2–0 win over Peru and became Brazil's all-time top scorer in FIFA World Cup qualification matches, with 12 in total.

2022–2023: Third World Cup and Brazil's all-time top scorer

On 7 November 2022, Neymar was named in the Brazil squad for the 2022 World Cup. Heading into the World Cup, Neymar was arguably in the best form of his career during the 2022–23 season, scoring 15 goals and providing 11 assists in just 20 games. According to Maram Albaharna and several other sports journalists, he was a large part of the reason why Brazil were favourites to win the World Cup. The 2022 World Cup was touted to potentially be Neymar's crowning moment for his career. Neymar, alongside Messi and Mbappé, was widely favourite to win the Golden Ball.

Neymar played 79 minutes of Brazil's first match on 24 November and assisted the opening goal in a 2–0 win against Serbia, but was unable to play the next two group games due to ankle ligament damage. Neymar recovered from his injury to play against South Korea in the last 16 on 5 December, where he assisted Vinícius Júnior's opening goal and scored a penalty in a 4–1 win for Brazil; as a result, he became only the third Brazilian player ever, after Pelé and Ronaldo, to score in three different World Cups.Four days later, in the quarter-final match against Croatia, Neymar lit the match up in extra time with a "magical" run before scoring; he played two one-twos with his teammates before quickly finding himself in the box and going past the goalkeeper to score into the empty net. Journalist Michael Cox described it as one of the "greatest individual goals in football history". It was Neymar's 77th international goal, which equalled Pelé's official goal tally for the national team. Brazil, however, suffered a shock defeat, losing 4–2 in the ensuing penalty shootout following a 1–1 draw after extra time, before Neymar was able to take Brazil's final penalty. Neymar was distraught on the pitch; overwhelmed with emotion, he hinted that it could be his last game for Brazil. In a later social media post, he said that the defeat to Croatia "psychologically destroyed" him and that it was the defeat that had affected him the most in his career, causing him to be "paralysed" for 10 minutes after the match.

On 8 September 2023, Neymar scored twice for Brazil in a 5–1 win over Bolivia in their opening match for 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification. His 78th and 79th goals in his 125th appearance for Brazil, Neymar became the national team's top goalscorer ahead of Pelé. Mimicking Pelé's punch in the air goal celebration with the first of his two goals, Neymar stated after the game that he never imagined he would reach the record. Brazil coach Fernando Diniz declared that Neymar is one of the greatest players in history following this achievement, whilst The Athletic asserted that Neymar should be remembered as "one of the best the game has seen". His 79 goals for Brazil also makes him the second-highest South American men's goalscorer. A month later, he tied former American player Landon Donovan on achieving a record 58 assists (in 127 matches) in international football; in the 50th minute of Brazil's World Cup qualifier against Venezuela, his corner kick was headed in by defender Gabriel. Nearly exactly two years later, the record was surpassed by Messi in October 2025, who reached 60 assists, though it took him considerably more matches to do so (195).

2023–2026: Long-term injury hiatus, final World Cup and retirement

On 17 October 2023, in Brazil's 2–0 qualifying defeat to Uruguay, Neymar was taken off in tears on a stretcher at the end of the first half, following an awkward landing after a challenge. Neymar would confirm later that week that he had ruptured his ACL and meniscus completely in his left knee and would need to undergo surgery, likely ruling him out for the remainder of the 2023–24 campaign; consequently, he was left out of Brazil's squad for the 2024 Copa América. On 2 March 2025, he was selected in the 29-men in the preliminary squad for the national team. However, he would make no appearances with the national team throughout the year.

On 18 May 2026, Neymar was named to the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Later that month, he sustained a calf injury that ruled him out for two to three weeks, causing him to miss the friendly matches leading up to the tournament. On 24 June, he made his first appearance at the 2026 World Cup in Brazil's final group match, coming on as a substitute in a 3–0 victory over Scotland. It was his first appearance with Brazil in over two years. Hence, he became the fourth Brazilian player to feature in four World Cup tournaments, following Pelé, Djalma Santos and Cafu. On 5 July, Neymar scored from a penalty in a 2–1 loss to Norway in the round of 16; it was his ninth World Cup goal, making him only the second Brazilian player to score in four World Cups after Pelé.

Following the defeat, Neymar announced his retirement from international football, ending his career at MetLife Stadium, the same stadium where he made his debut for Brazil, with 80 goals in 130 appearances. Later that month, Neymar confirmed his retirement from international football, stating that his time with the national team had "passed".

Player profile

Style of play

Primarily playing as an attacking midfielder or winger, Neymar is prolific in scoring and has high-level playmaking abilities. He has scored over 450 goals and has registered over 250 assists. For much of his early career, including at Santos and Barcelona, he was usually deployed on the left side of a front three for both club and country in a 4–3–3 formation due to his pace and playmaking skills; this position allowed him to shoot with his stronger foot and create chances for teammates. His main traits are his vision, agility, passing, finishing, dribbling, feints, and first touch, being described as both "electric" and "explosive". He is also known for often using the rainbow flick. Neymar is two-footed and can score free-kicks and penalties.

Considered to be a highly promising player in his youth, Neymar was described early in his career by the media as "a true phenomenon". At Santos, Neymar was renowned for his explosive pace and flair, often beating defenders with ease and showcasing excessive skill moves — frequently bordering on showboating. At Barcelona, he became more efficient in providing and more refined, improving his passing and overall decision-making. After joining PSG, he evolved into a complete number 10, capable of dictating play and executing highly difficult passes. Reflecting on his years at PSG, Neymar said that he experienced his prime years at the club; in 2021, a journalist said that PSG "relies almost entirely on his creative genius".

According to a writer for Goal, Neymar "is a master dribbler, and he sees openings that other players don't. He can create chances out of nothing and more often than not, has the finishing touch or decisive final pass to match his ingenuity on the ball." A sports writer for Forbes praised him as "an increasingly rare phenomenon in a modern game of academy-refined talent", whilst another of The Independent opined that Messi was the only player superior in "every facet of the game" to him during his 10-year tenure in Europe.

Neymar's playing style has often made him a target for rough treatment from defenders. A report in early 2022 revealed that he was the most fouled player in Europe since 2016. During his time in Ligue 1, he was fouled more than any other player, which caused frequent injuries.

Reception

Neymar has drawn high praise from current and former players, with many either calling him one of the greatest players of all time, the best player they have played with, or the best player they have ever seen. David Beckham praised him as "an outstanding talent, a once-in-a-generation type of footballer who has fans on their feet whenever he gets the ball." In the view of Thierry Henry, Neymar changed football with the way he plays. Deco said that Neymar "plays beautiful football" and is "one of the greatest". Rio Ferdinand said that Neymar "could do things that no other player in the world could do." When asked who his top five favourite dribblers are, Benzema responded "Neymar, and that's all." In 2015, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was asked in an interview which one player he would like his club Dortmund to sign, to which he answered "Neymar".

In 2022, sports writer Jonathan Wilson summarised Neymar:"As a great who has been burdened by his talent [...] someone whose transfers torpedoed Barcelona and initiated the boom-and-bust cycle of the past four years, it is Neymar, more than anybody else who embodies the age."

Many players have cited Neymar as the toughest opponent they have faced in their career. Despite still being in his early 30s, players of the new era of football have singled out Neymar's influence, with many calling him their idol. After being congratulated by Marcelo following PSG's Champions League final win in 2025, Désiré Doué said to him "say hello to Neymar, he's my idol”. Similarly, following Spain's triumph at the 2026 World Cup, Nico Williams dedicated the victory to his "idol" Neymar.

Neymar is "universally deemed football's best player after Ronaldo and Messi" according to Sports Illustrated, however, many have regarded him as second only to Messi — or even his equal. Opta performance statistics showed that Neymar finished above second place Messi as the best-performing player in Europe in 2016–17, 2017–18 and 2018–19. He has also been hailed as being on the same level as Messi and Ronaldo and was considered the best player in the world at various points in his career. Goal claimed that at Neymar's best form, there are a few players better than him, crediting him as among the most talented players ever.

The term Neymardependencia (Neymar dependency) is often used in Brazil to refer to the extent to which the national team relies on him to guide their success. In 2014, the Associated Press said "despite being only 22 years old, Neymar has already done enough to be ranked among Brazil’s greatest players of all time." According to a writer for The Guardian, Neymar was "carrying a relatively weak Brazil side for much of his career under immense pressure." 1970 FIFA World Cup champion Tostão opinionated that Neymar is better than Ronaldo, Romário, Rivaldo, and Kaká because he "does everything during a game". In the view of GiveMeSport, he might be considered the best Brazilian player of all time if he shone in an era without Messi and Ronaldo. In Brazil, he is often referred to as O Príncipe ('The Prince'), a title that reflects a symbolic parallel to Pelé, who is widely known as O Rei ('The King').

Criticisms

Neymar has been known and criticised for his excessive diving when tackled by another player. Brazilian legend Pelé has said, "[h]e is a player with a body that can't take a lot of hits. [...] A lot of times he will fall because he can't do anything else, but he was overdoing it." He continued: "Even when he is fouled, he can't make a spectacle out of it". During the 2018 World Cup, Neymar inspired the "Neymar Challenge" on social media due to his dramatic dives. As the star player for Brazil and PSG, he was often the most targeted player on the field; in 2018, he was the most fouled player in the top five leagues. A divisive figure in the sport, he has been accused of exaggerating injury, with Eric Cantona stating Neymar is a "great actor", comparing him to a wheeled suitcase: "you barely touch it, and it turns round and round for hours." In response to the criticism over his petulance and histrionics, Neymar starred in a commercial after the 2018 World Cup where he said that he wasn't able to control his frustrations, which contributed to his theatrics, and he promised to change for the better.

Neymar has also been criticised for his lack of professional discipline, with his desire to party and play late-night poker games. In 2018, Pelé criticised Neymar: "It's difficult to defend Neymar for all the things he does besides playing football. I've been with him in Europe twice. We talked and I explained: 'The God of football gave you the gift. What you do complicates it'." In February 2023, the day after PSG lost to Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, images of Neymar in a fast-food restaurant surfaced on social media. Neymar defended himself, saying "It's my life, I do what I want."

Early in his career, particularly after his stellar 2014–15 season with Barcelona at 23 years old, Neymar was unanimously expected to win the Ballon d'Or at some point in his career. He has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or nine times, which is more than any other Brazilian player in history (except Ronaldo), and has finished in the top 10 six times — only Thierry Henry and Zidane (seven), Mbappé (eight), Messi (14), and Ronaldo (15) have more. In 2023, following his departure from Europe to Saudi Arabia at a young age (31) without winning the Ballon d'Or, various media outlets dubbed Neymar as the 'Prince who never became King'. Sports Illustrated claimed that Neymar could end his career as the best player never to win a Ballon d'Or, joining the likes of Henry and Iniesta. Others have also expressed surprise that Neymar has never won the Ballon d'Or, including former goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who opinionated that he should have won at least five Ballon d'Ors. Thomas Meunier, who played with him at PSG, said that it is a "pity" that that he did not win a Ballon d'Or. Former Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe, who faced Neymar, claimed that he should have won all the Ballon d’Ors from 2017 onwards.

Personal life

Neymar has a very close sibling relationship with his sister Rafaella Beckran. He honoured Beckran by tattooing her face on his arm while she tattooed her brother's eyes on her arm. Neymar is the father of one son and three daughters, two of whom with his current partner.

Neymar is a Christian and he was baptised at Peniel Baptist Church in Santos in 2008. He speaks regularly about his faith. Neymar has said about his faith: "Life only makes sense when our highest ideal is to serve Christ!" Additionally, he has worn a headband with the words "100% Jesus". Neymar also tithes some of his income to his church and has named Kaká as his religious role model.

Every year, Neymar organises a charity match with fellow Brazilian footballer Nenê in Nenê's hometown of Jundiaí, with the purpose of raising food for poor families. In addition to his native Portuguese, Neymar also speaks Spanish.

In July 2019, police announced that a rape investigation against Neymar would be dropped due to insufficient evidence. On 2 September 2020, it was reported that Neymar, along with PSG teammates Ángel Di María and Leandro Paredes, tested positive for COVID-19. The French sports newspaper L'Équipe said that the three players reportedly went on vacation in Ibiza. As a result, they were quarantined for one week, and the rest of the players and working staff were scheduled to take a coronavirus test within the same week.

During a match between PSG and Marseille, Neymar reported being racially abused by Álvaro González, after being sent off for hitting González in the back of the head. The Spanish defender denied making any racist comments towards Neymar. On 16 September, Neymar was handed a two-match ban for his actions; Ligue 1 also began an investigation into the alleged racist comments made by Álvaro. Several days before the decision made by the French league, Spanish radio station Cadena SER claimed to have footage of Neymar racially abusing Marseille player Hiroki Sakai. On 30 September, Ligue 1 decided that both Álvaro and Neymar would receive no suspensions as there was insufficient evidence of their wrongdoings. Additionally, Sakai denied any racist comments from Neymar on social media.

Neymar supported Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in the 2022 Brazilian general election.

Outside football

Wealth and sponsorships

Neymar has signed many sponsorships since his reputation began to grow from the age of 17. In March 2011, he signed an 11-year contract with American sportswear company Nike, which ended in August 2020 after a Nike employee made a sexual assault complaint against him. Since then, Neymar has signed with Puma. He adopted the famous PUMA King boots, previously worn by the likes of Pelé, Maradona, Johan Cruyff, and Eusébio. Neymar's deal with Puma was considered the highest-value individual football boot contract ever, with him earning around €25 million per year, surpassing deals held by the likes of Ronaldo and Messi. In March 2011, Panasonic paid US$2.4 million to secure Neymar's services for two years. In 2012, France Football had ranked Neymar 13th in its list of the world's richest players, with total earnings of $18.8 million for the previous 12 months. He has also signed other sponsorships from Volkswagen, Tenys Pé Baruel, Lupo, Ambev, Claro, Unilever, and Santander.

In 2019, Forbes ranked Neymar the world's third-highest-paid athlete (after Messi and Ronaldo) with earnings of $105 million for the year; he was also ranked fourth in 2020 ($95.5 million) and 2021 ($95 million), seventh in 2024 ($108 million), twelfth in 2023 ($85 million) and 25th in 2025 ($76 million). Sportico named him the fourth highest-paid athlete of 2022 and put him at sixth place in 2021, 2023 and 2024. In 2018, France Football ranked Neymar the third-highest-paid footballer in the world, earning a total income for €81.5m ($95m) for the year.

On 8 May 2013, Neymar was named by SportsPro magazine as the most marketable athlete in the world, ahead of Messi (2nd) and Ronaldo (8th). The same month, Neymar launched the Nike Hypervenom football boot. In November 2012, advertising agency Loducca created Neymar's own personal brand logo, featuring the N, J, and R (Neymar Junior) with the N styled to match Neymar's shirt number 11. Neymar starred in a 2014 advert for Beats alongside other football stars such as Henry and Suárez, with the theme of 'The Game Before The Game' and the players pre-game ritual of listening to music. In 2018, Neymar was highly influential to PSG’s groundbreaking partnership with Air Jordan. In June 2016, he became the first footballer ever to wear Air Jordan-branded boots—a custom Air Jordan V Hypervenom—establishing an early and personal connection with Air Jordan. That relationship set the stage for the 2018 PSG × Air Jordan launch. Neymar himself described Air Jordan as "phenomenal, magic, irreverent," calling it a perfect fit for both Paris and the Champions League.

Media

Neymar was featured on the front covers of the video games Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 on the North American version, after Konami Digital Entertainment announced that he had joined Pro Evolution Soccer. Neymar joined Ronaldo as a featured cover athlete. Neymar also features in EA Sports' FIFA video game series, with the trailer for FIFA 18 showing him in his PSG home jersey. He appeared alongside Ronaldo on the Champions and Ultimate Edition packs for FIFA 19, where Neymar's "Hang Loose" goal celebration also features in the game. Neymar also appears as a playable operator in the 2022 first-person shooter Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II alongside fellow football players Paul Pogba and Messi, whose character models were released as downloadable content to coincide with the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Neymar appeared on the cover of Time magazine in February 2013, the first Brazilian athlete to do so. The issue included an article by Ghosh entitled "The Next Pelé" and subtitled "How the career of Brazilian football star Neymar explains his country's economy". In 2017, he was the only footballer included in the Time 100 Most Influential People list.

Controversy erupted because of a cover by Brazilian football magazine Placar that depicted Neymar on a cross. The title read "A Crucificação de Neymar" (the Crucifixion of Neymar) and subtitled: "the Brazilian ace turns scapegoat in a sport where everyone plays dirty".

In April 2013, Brazilian cartoonist Mauricio de Sousa released a Monica's Gang comic book featuring a younger version of Neymar (called Neymar Jr.) as the main character.

In May 2013, SportsPro magazine named Neymar as the most marketable athlete on the planet for the second consecutive year. He topped the list ahead of Lionel Messi, Rory McIlroy, Usain Bolt and Ronaldo, among other sportspeople. The list measures the monetary value, the age, the force in domestic markets, the charisma and their market potential in the next three years. In March 2015, Neymar had the fourth highest social media rank in the world among sportspeople, behind Ronaldo, Messi and Beckham, with 52 million Facebook fans. He has over 200 million Instagram followers, the third highest for a sportsperson (after Ronaldo and Messi), and inside the top 20 most followed people. In ESPN's list of active sportspeople in 2016, Neymar was ranked the fourth most famous athlete in the world. In April 2017, Neymar was included in the Time 100, Time magazine's list of the most influential people in the world. In 2019, ESPN again ranked him the world's fourth most famous athlete.

Political views

In the days leading up to the 2022 Brazilian presidential election, Neymar appeared in a TikTok video where he lip-synced a campaign jingle promoting the country's right-wing and socially conservative President Jair Bolsonaro. He received heavy criticism for his endorsement. Bolsonaro was defeated in the election by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Music

Neymar has become an icon in promoting Brazilian modern pop music, particularly Música sertaneja. The video in which Neymar dances in the Santos locker room in front of teammates carrying his recorder making the round of the players and making them react to the tune of Michel Teló's hit "Ai se eu te pego!" went viral. He made a point of performing his dance antics to the song after scoring goals in football games and appeared live with Teló in one of the latter's concerts. He also supported sertanejo singer Gusttavo Lima performing live with Lima on renditions of the singer's hits "Balada" and "Fazer Beber". In 2012, he made cameo appearances in the music video for yet another sertanejo hit "Eu Quero Tchu, Eu Quero Tcha" by João Lucas & Marcelo. In 2013, Neymar appeared on a rap music video, "País do Futebol" by MC Guimê.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 23 August 2026

Honours

Santos

Source:

Copa do Brasil: 2010

Copa Libertadores: 2011

Recopa Sudamericana: 2012

Campeonato Paulista: 2010, 2011, 2012; runner-up: 2009, 2013

FIFA Club World Cup runner-up: 2011

Barcelona

Source:

La Liga: 2014–15, 2015–16

Copa del Rey: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17; runner-up: 2013–14

Supercopa de España: 2013

UEFA Champions League: 2014–15

FIFA Club World Cup: 2015

Paris Saint-Germain

Ligue 1: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23

Coupe de France: 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21; runner-up: 2018–19

Coupe de la Ligue: 2017–18, 2019–20

Trophée des Champions: 2018, 2020, 2022

UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2019–20

Al-Hilal

Saudi Pro League: 2023–24

Brazil U20

South American U-20 Championship: 2011

Brazil U23

Summer Olympics gold medal: 2016

Summer Olympics silver medal: 2012

Brazil

FIFA Confederations Cup: 2013

Copa América runner-up: 2021

Individual awards

FIFA FIFPRO World 11: 2015, 2017, 2nd team: 2016, 2018, 2020 squad: 2021, 2022

UEFA Team of the Year: 2015, 2020

L'Équipe Ideal XI: 2014, 2017, 2020

France Football World XI: 2015

France Football Team of the Decade: 2011–2020

IFFHS Men's World Team: 2017

IFFHS CONMEBOL Team of the Decade: 2011–2020

IFFHS All-time Men's South American Dream Team (B)

ESM Team of the Year: 2017–18

European Team of the Season (WhoScored, performance data by Opta): 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18

UEFA Champions League top scorer: 2014–15 (tied with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi)

UEFA Champions League top assist provider: 2015–16, 2016–17

UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2014–15, 2019–20, 2020–21

UEFA Champions League Team of the Tournament (The Independent): 2019–20

UEFA Champions League Best XI (WhoScored): 2020–21

UEFA Champions League Team of the Group Stage (Goal): 2017–18, 2018–19

UEFA Best Goal of the Champions League Group Stage: 2020–21