Neymar Jr. dazzles the world with his incredible dribbling skills and flair on the pitch. Initially, he rose to fame as a teenage prodigy in Brazil before conquering Europe. Furthermore, his life off the field is filled with glamour, unique hobbies, and interesting quirks. Consequently, he remains one of the most talked-about athletes on the planet. Explore these fascinating details about the Brazilian superstar.
Neymar
He holds the record for the most expensive transfer in history. Specifically, Paris Saint-Germain paid a staggering 222 million euros to sign him from Barcelona in 2017. To this day, no other player has broken this massive financial record.
Neymar scored his 100th professional goal on his 20th birthday. Coincidentally, he reached this major milestone on the exact day he left his teenage years behind. Therefore, the goal served as the perfect birthday present to himself.
He made a cameo appearance in the show Money Heist. Surprisingly, he played a Brazilian monk named João in the popular Netflix series. Ironically, his character delivered a line saying he did not like football or partying.
He has a tattoo of his sister’s face on his arm. Because he is incredibly close to his sister Rafaella, he immortalized her portrait on his bicep. In return, she tattooed his eyes on her arm to show her love for him.
He nearly joined Real Madrid when he was just 14 years old. In fact, he flew to Spain and passed a trial with the youth team. However, he eventually chose to return to Brazil because he missed his family and friends.
West Ham United was the first European club to make a bid for him. Although fans associate him with giants like Barcelona, the English side offered 12 million pounds in 2010. Santos immediately rejected the offer, so the move never happened.
He named his dog “Poker” because he loves the card game. Passionately, he plays poker with his friends and even participates in professional tournaments. Consequently, he named his pet after his favorite hobby outside of football.
Fans believe he has a “birthday curse” regarding his sister. Strangely, he has been injured or suspended around March 11th for many years of his career. This date marks his sister Rafaella’s birthday, which allows him to attend her parties.
He became the first player to score a hat-trick in both the Copa Libertadores and the Champions League. Uniquely, he achieved this feat by dominating in South America with Santos and in Europe with Barcelona. Thus, he proved his scoring ability across two different continents.
He won the FIFA Puskas Award for a solo goal. In 2011, he dribbled past multiple defenders to score a stunning goal for Santos against Flamengo. Remarkably, he won this global award while he was still playing in the Brazilian league.
Neymar carries Spiderman and Batman on his back. Literally, he has a massive tattoo piece that features both superheroes covering his back. He views these characters as symbols of saving the day, much like he tries to do on the field.
He is the only Brazilian athlete to grace the cover of TIME magazine. In 2013, the prestigious publication featured him as “The Next Pelé.” This honor highlighted his status as the new face of Brazilian excellence.
He became a father at the young age of 19. His son, Davi Lucca, was born just as Neymar’s career was starting to skyrocket. Despite his youth, he maintained a close relationship with his son throughout his travels.
He led Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in football. For decades, the Seleção had failed to win this specific tournament. However, Neymar scored the winning penalty in 2016 at the Maracanã stadium to finally end the drought.
Finally, he almost played in the 2010 World Cup. Although legends like Pelé and Romário urged the coach to pick him, Dunga refused to take the teenager. Unfortunately, Brazil lost in the quarter-finals without his creative spark.
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