Neymar

Neymar was born in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo. His father, Neymar da Silva Sr., played professional football in Brazil and later took charge of his son's career as an adviser and mentor. His mother, Nadine, bought him his first football when he was two years old. He grew up alongside his sister, Rafaella Santos.

He is a father of four. He shares his eldest son, Davi Lucca, with Carolina Dantas. He has two daughters, Mavie and Mel, with Bruna Biancardi, and a daughter, Helena, with Amanda Kimberlly.

Football started on the futsal courts of Baixada Santista. Talent scout Betinho spotted him at age six while he was running along the bleachers at his father's match. Betinho had previously discovered Robinho. Futsal refined his close control and agility. At age 12, former Santos players Lima and Zito scouted him. Santos FC did not yet have an age bracket for him, so the club established an under-13 division to bring him into the academy.

He signed his first professional contract at 17 and debuted for Santos on March 7, 2009, against Oeste. Eight days later, he scored his first senior goal with a diving header against Mogi Mirim. Silverware arrived quickly. In 2010, he led Santos to the Copa do Brasil, finishing as top scorer with 11 goals.

The 2011 season established his status on the world stage. Santos won the Copa Libertadores for the first time since 1963, with Neymar scoring six goals in the tournament. That same year, he won the FIFA Puskás Award for a solo goal against Flamengo. He also helped Santos win three consecutive Campeonato Paulista titles between 2010 and 2012.

In June 2013, Neymar completed a transfer to FC Barcelona. He took the number 11 shirt and made his official debut at Camp Nou against Levante. His first competitive goal arrived in the 2013 Spanish Super Cup against Atlético Madrid, securing the trophy on away goals.

In his second season in Catalonia, he played on the left wing, joining Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez in an attacking trio nicknamed MSN. The front three combined for 122 goals across all competitions in 2014-15. Barcelona completed the continental treble by winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League. Neymar scored in the 97th minute of the Champions League final in Berlin, sealing a 3-1 victory over Juventus. He finished that European campaign as joint-top scorer with 10 goals.

He won a second La Liga title in 2016, finishing the league season with 24 goals and 16 assists. In March 2017, he produced a key performance during the Champions League round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain. Barcelona overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit with a 6-1 victory, with Neymar scoring twice and providing the decisive stoppage-time assist.

Paris Saint-Germain triggered Neymar's release clause in August 2017 for a fee of 222 million euros. The move broke the global transfer record. He took the number 10 shirt in Paris and earned the UNFP Player of the Year award in his debut French league season.

Injuries disrupted several of his campaigns in France, including a broken metatarsal in early 2018. When fit, his scoring remained prolific. He won multiple Ligue 1 championships, Coupe de France trophies, and Coupe de la Ligue titles with Paris Saint-Germain. In 2020, he helped guide the club to its first UEFA Champions League final, where they finished runners-up to Bayern Munich. He later joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in 2023 before returning to Santos.

Neymar made his senior international debut for Brazil in August 2010 against the United States, scoring a header in a 2-0 win. In 2013, he claimed the Golden Ball as the best player at the FIFA Confederations Cup, scoring in a 3-0 final victory over Spain at the Maracanã.

His first FIFA World Cup in 2014 took place on home soil. He scored four goals in the tournament before suffering a fractured third lumbar vertebra during a quarterfinal clash against Colombia. The injury ruled him out of the remainder of the competition.

Two years later at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, he captained the Brazilian squad and scored the fastest goal in Olympic history in the semifinals against Honduras. In the final against Germany, he scored a direct free kick in regulation time and struck the winning penalty in the shootout to earn Brazil its first Olympic gold medal in men's football.