Neymar celebrates his 29th birthday today. UEFA.com highlights the Brazilian’s great career.
Others say
“He can achieve anything, all doors are open to him. He is fast, tricky and dances out in rows. He has the complete package.”
Lionel Messi, ex-team-mate at Barcelona
“I like Neymar a lot, he looks a bit like me. Could he be Messi’s successor? Yes, because he has everything to become as strong as him.”
Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus striker
“People see him doing tricks and dribbling and they think he’s just doing it to look good himself. They think he’s stubborn. But when you see him in the dressing room, you quickly realize that he isn’t That’s right. He’s a very nice guy and cares a lot about others. “
Kylian Mbappé, team-mate at Paris
“When asked about Messi and Cristiano, I always answer that Neymar is the best footballer. I don’t just mean his goals, but his ease and confidence.”
Roberto Carlos, ex-Brazil international
Current balance sheet
National team: 103 international matches, 64 goals
UEFA club competition: 65 appearances, 41 goals
European national competitions: 221 appearances, 147 goals
Success factors
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Santos
• Neymar was on trial at Real Madrid as a teenager, but it wasn’t until years later that he found a home in Spain with Barcelona. He made his breakthrough in Brazil at 17, whereupon West Ham and Chelsea tried in vain to bring him to Europe.
• He scored a final goal in the 2011 Copa Libertadores triumph. For the first time since 1963 (then still with Pelé) Santos was able to win the South American counterpart to the UEFA Champions League.
• Back in 2012, Brazilian legend Pelé rated his compatriot as a better player than Messi: “There’s always this Maradona comparison. They say he was better than Pelé. Now it’s said: Messi is better than Pele. Well, about that he would have to be better than Neymar first, and he is not. “
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Barcelona
• Around 60,000 fans flocked to Camp Nou to greet Neymar when he signed for Barça in June 2013. Messi was impressed: “He is still young and shows a lot of enthusiasm.”
• On October 26, 2013, he scored the 2-1 winner in his first Clásico against Real Madrid.
• He missed out on his first five UEFA Champions League appearances but scored a three-pack in his sixth game in a 6-1 win against Celtic.
• He was the first player to score in the Copa Libertadores and UEFA Champions League finals. Together with Messi and Ronaldo, he was the most successful goalscorer in the 2015 #UCL victory.
• He scored 39 goals in the 2014/15 season. He was part of the highly dangerous “MSN” storm trio (Messi, Suárez and Neymar), which was responsible for a total of 122 goals. His best yield in the league came a season later with 24 goals.
• Marked his 100th goal for Barcelona in his 177th game.
Paris
• He moved to the French capital for € 222m, becoming the most expensive player of all time.
• He scored one goal and one assist on his debut in a 3-0 win at Guingamp on August 13, 2017. His opponent Lucas Deaux said afterwards: “I probably won’t sleep well today. I’ve never seen a player like this. “
• Before his home debut on August 20th, the Eiffel Tower was illuminated in his honor. Neymar put in a strong performance and scored twice in the 6-2 win over Toulouse.
• In his first season with Paris, he scored 28 goals in 30 games – and the national triple.
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Brazil
• In 2010, then-Brazil coach Dunga ignored a petition signed by 14,000 people and did not take Neymar to the FIFA World Cup. Neymar only made his debut in August 2010 and scored against the USA.
• At the 2014 World Cup in his own country, he suffered an injury in the quarter-finals and missed the 7-1 defeat against Germany in the semifinals.
• Scored the fastest goal in competition history at the 2016 Olympic Games – after just 14 seconds in the quarter-finals against Honduras, he let the ball flounder in the net. Brazil later took the gold medal.
Did you know?
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• Neymar has tons of tattoos and many of them depict his family members.
• A restaurant near Paris has created the “Neymar burger” in his honor. The ingredients: steak, potatoes, bacon, cheese, salsa, tomatoes, salta, onions and french fries as a side dish.
• Neymar is a passionate card player. That is why his dog is called “Poker”.
• Nicknamed “Batman” for its nightlife in Barcelona, but always obeyed club rules.
Own quotations
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“I came to Paris to become the best player in the world and make Paris the best club. I want to win the Champions League with PSG.”
“Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both my heroes. If I had some of their strengths and could incorporate them into my game I would be a happy man.”
“When I went into the locker room for the first few days at Barcelona and saw players like Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Piqué and Dani Alves everywhere, I thought I was in a video game.”
“There is no pressure when you are living your dream.”
What else he can achieve
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• Lead Paris to Champions League triumph. In 2020 the French were close, but lost in the final against FC Bayern. So far, the club has only won one international title (Cup Winners’ Cup 1995/96). Marseille (1992/93) is the only French club to ever win the premier class.
• Become the record goal scorer in Paris in European club competitions: With 20 goals, he is second with Zlatan Ibrahimović. Edinson Cavani tops the list with 30 goals.
• Become Brazil’s top scorer: So far, he has 64 goals for his country, which puts him in second place. Pelé tops the list with 77 hits.
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