Neymar Santos Jr.

One of the Greatest Soccer Players in the World

Neymar Santos, Jr. shortly after exiting Spain’s FC Barcelona. He signed with Paris Saint-Germain for a record-breaking €222 million. Based on a photo courtesy of the Irish Times.

Neymar Santos, Jr. is a professional soccer player from Brazil who gained attention at a young age due to his impressive abilities. Neymar went from being a star player for Brazil’s Santos FC in his teens to leading Spain’s FC Barcelona to domestic and international titles. He also helped his native country win its first Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro during the 2016 Games.

Neymar was born Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior in Mogi das Cruzes, a city in southeastern São Paulo, Brazil, on February 5, 1992. His parents are Neymar Santos Sr., a former professional soccer player, and Nadine da Silva. Neymar inherited his love of the sport from his father, and like him, played street soccer and futsal—a form of soccer played on a smaller indoor court. 

In 1999, Neymar was good enough to join the youth club called Portuguesa Santista in the city of Santos. Neymar continued to improve, and, in another four years, he signed with team Santos FC and joined their youth academy. By signing with Santos FC, Neymar emulated soccer legends such as Robinho, Pepe, and Pelé. After two years of training and playing in the youth system, word of Neymar’s increasing skills traveled to Europe. In 2005,  Real Madrid sent representatives to recruit Neymar if he passed their trials. Santos FC reportedly paid Neymar upwards of one million reais (around $200,000) to keep him in Brazil.

Neymar Santos, Jr. during his 2009 debut. Based on a photo by Maurico Lima/Getty Images.

Neymar began his professional career in 2009 when he debuted for Santos in the last half-hour of a game against Oeste FC, a rival Brazilian club. A week later, he scored his first of many career goals against another Brazilian team, Mogi Mirim EC. By 2010, he was a star player for Santos, helping them clinch the Copa do Brasil championship.

In five years he played for Santos FC, Neymar made 134 appearances in which he scored 70 goals and made 35 assists. Under his leadership, the team won a Copa Libertadores title, a feat it had not achieved in 48 years.¹ During that time, Neymar was constantly working to improve his game. In a 2012 CNN interview, Neymar said:

“I’m always trying to perfect everything—dribbling, shooting, headers, and control. You can always improve.”

Portrait of Neymar Santos Jr. Illustrated by Daniel J. Middleton.

Neymar headed to Europe in 2013 when he transferred to FC Barcelona, a Spanish club hailed for featuring some of the best players in the world, like Neymar’s teammate Lionel Messi. The five-year contract Neymar signed in the spring of 2013 was reportedly worth €57 million (around $76–$78 million at the time), making it one of the most lucrative soccer deals in sports history. Of that sum, Neymar’s former club, Santos FC, was paid €17 million for the transfer. 

Neymar continued his winning performance by leading FC Barcelona to a Confederations Cup victory in the same year. Neymar, at 21, was becoming a world-class player. Together with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, Neymar—who only goes by his given name—formed the “MSN” trio, an impressive trident that gave Barcelona one of its best seasons ever. In 2017, FC Barcelona sued Neymar for breach of contract. He transferred to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) that August for a record fee that far exceeded the one paid by the Spanish team. After suffering several injuries, he led PSG to a Ligue 1 title.

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This article appears in 12 Extraordinary Black Latinos.

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