11. Things You Didn’t Know About Neymar.

Neymar da Silva Santos was born 5 February 1992 aged 28 commonly known as Neymar Jr. or simply Neymar. He is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain -PGS- and the Brazil national team. He is widely considered as one of the best players in the world. Find out below 11 things you probably didn’t know about him. 

1. Third Highest Goal scorer for His National Team.

With 61 goals in 101 matches for Brazil since debuting at age 18, Neymar is the third highest goal scorer for his national team, trailing only Pelé and Ronaldo. Off the pitch, Neymar ranks among the world’s most prominent sportsmen; He was named the most marketable athlete in the world in 2012 and 2013.

2. His Background.

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior was born in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, to Neymar Santos Sr. and Nadine da Silva. 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.  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 FC. With the success of his youth career and added income, the family bought their first property, a house next to the Vila Belmiro. Their quality of family life improved.  At 17, he signed his first full professional contract, was upgraded to the Santos first team, and began signing his first sponsorship deals. Neymar has signed many sponsorship deals since his reputation began to grow from the age of 17.

3. World’s Third Highest-Paid Athlete.

In 2019, Forbes ranked Neymar the world’s third highest-paid athlete (after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo) with earnings of $105 million for the calendar year. He has been cited as the world’s fourth-most famous athlete in 2016. In 2017, Neymar was included by Time in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world. By 2018, France Football ranked Neymar the world’s third highest-paid footballer, and in 2019, Forbes ranked him the world’s third highest-paid athlete.

4. Media.

Neymar had the fourth highest social media rank in the world among sportspeople, behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and David Beckham, with 63 million Facebook fans. He has over 139 million Instagram followers, the third highest for a sportsperson (after Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi), and inside the top 10 most followed people. 

5. Television and Films. 

He made a cameo appearance as himself in the 2017 action film XXX: ‘Return of Xander Cage’.

6. Neymar Has Only Played for Santos Before Moving To Barcelona.

Although Neymar has displayed his skills at Santos for years now, not many people know that it is the only team he has ever played for. He joined the Santos Academy in 2003 when he was only 11 and perfected his skills there.

7.  Neymar Scored His 100th Professional Goal On His 20th Birthday.

On 5 February 2012 (the day of Neymar’s 20th birthday), he scored his 100th professional goal against Palmeiras in classic Neymar way. The timing of his goal was just incredible. Not many footballers can boast about scoring on their birthday, let alone setting such a milestone. What’s more impressive about all of this is, Neymar did it all at just 20 years of age. 

8.  Neymar Is The Only Brazilian Athlete To Be Featured On The Cover Of TIME Magazine.

Although Brazil is a country known for its sports legends, Neymar is the only Brazilian athlete to grace the cover of TIME magazine. In fact, the only other Brazilians to be featured on the cover of TIME magazine are politicians.

9. Neymar Is a Father

When the Brazilian was only 19 years old, he welcomed his son, Davi Lucca, to the world. Neymar has never been married, he had his son, Davi Lucca, with his ex-girlfriend Carolina Dantas. He is currently dating Brazilian actress and model Bruna Marquezine.

10. He Nearly Joined Real Madrid When He Was 14.

Real Madrid really missed out on a golden opportunity. Neymar flew to Spain when he was only 14 to join the Spanish side. He passed all of the tests and was ready to make the move official before Santos paid a hefty price to keep him in Brazil.  West Ham was the first club to make a bid for Neymar. Neymar was just beginning to showcase his skill in 2010 when an English team took notice. That club was surprisingly West Ham. They quickly made a bid of £12 million for the Brazilian but were turned down immediately. It was this bid that drew eyes to Neymar on a worldwide level as Chelsea then took interest before other clubs joined the transfer frenzy. 

11. Neymar’s Net Worth, Endorsements and Body Measurements

Neymar’s net worth as of 2020 is estimated to be $185 million. Endorsements: Nike, Panasonic, Volkswagen.  He weighs 64 kgs and is 5’8 tall.