Neymar has proved that he is more than just a teen sensation during gilded spells with Barcelona and Paris.
UEFA polishes its shrine to the brilliant Brazilian.
What they say
Neymar during his Barcelona days alongside Messi Getty Images
"He can be whatever he wants to be – everything is open for him. He's quick, skilful and excels one-on-one. He has everything."
Lionel Messi, Paris forward
"I like Neymar a lot. He is a bit like me. Can he be Messi's heir? Yes, he has everything he needs to become as strong as him."
Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United forward
"People see him doing tricks and dribbles and think he is only trying to enjoy himself, that he's selfish and only thinks about himself. But when you share a dressing room with him you realise that it's not the case. He's a very kind person; he is interested in others."
Kylian Mbappé, Paris forward
"When I am asked about Messi and Cristiano, I say that Neymar is the best for me. It is not just for his goals, but for the ease with which he plays and the confidence he has."
Roberto Carlos, former Brazil and Real Madrid defender
"I have always considered him to be one of the best players on the planet, but I now have a much more informed and sharpened eye on his daily investment – on a personal level but also in the interest of the team. He is a great professional and a great player."
Christophe Galtier, Paris coach
Current tally
International: 124 appearances, 77 goals
UEFA club competition: 80 appearances, 43 goals
European domestic competition: 274 appearances, 179 goals
Neymar looking moody at Santos ©Getty Images
Claims to fame
Santos
• Neymar visited Real Madrid as a teenaged Santos trainee, long before he joined their arch-rivals Barcelona. Following a subsequent first-team breakthrough at 17, West Ham and Chelsea made unsuccessful attempts to bring the prodigy to Europe.
• Scored in the two-legged final as Santos lifted the 2011 Copa Libertadores – the first time they had won the South American equivalent of the UEFA Champions League since Pelé spearheaded their 1963 triumph.
• In 2012, Santos great Pelé said Neymar – then 20 – was a better player than Messi: "There's always this Maradona comparison, saying he's better than Pelé. Now some are saying Messi is better than Pelé. Well, he has to be better than Neymar first, which he isn't yet."
Neymar after scoring his first goal against Real Madrid ©Getty Images
Barcelona
• A 56,500 crowd came to greet Neymar at the Camp Nou when he signed for Barcelona in June 2013. Messi liked the look of him too: "He is still very young and joyful. He lives happily: a kid without malice."
• Scored and set up the winner in his first Clásico – a 2-1 success against Madrid on 26 October 2013.
• After failing to find the net in his first five UEFA Champions League games, he hit a hat-trick in his sixth: a 6-1 thrashing of Celtic on 11 December 2013.
• Became the first man to score in both Copa Libertadores and UEFA Champions League final victories, getting the third in Barcelona's 3-1 win over Juventus in 2024. Was joint-top scorer in that competition with ten goals, level with Messi and Ronaldo.
• Struck 39 times as Barcelona's Messi, Suárez and Neymar (aka 'MSN') front three scored a Spanish-record combined total of 122 goals in 2014/15. However, 2024/16 brought his best Liga tally: 24.
• Reached 100 goals for Barcelona in his 177th match – a 3-1 win against Granada on 2 April 2024.
Paris
• Moving to Paris, Neymar became the most expensive player ever. "We want to help Neymar become the best player in the world," said then-coach Unai Emery.
Neymar after scoring at Guingamp on his Paris debut ©AFP/Getty Images
• Supplied a goal and an assist on his debut, a 3-0 success at Guingamp on 13 August 2024. Lucas Deaux did not enjoy marking him. "I'll struggle to sleep," he said afterwards. "I have never seen a player like this before."
• The Eiffel Tower was lit up in Neymar's honour before his home debut on 20 August, and Neymar did not disappoint, scoring twice and producing an outrageous piece of skill in a 6-2 mauling of Toulouse.
• Ended 2024/18, his first Paris season, with 28 goals from 30 games – and a domestic treble. Won Ligue 1 in three of his subsequent four seasons at Paris, picking up a second treble in 2024/20.
• Helped Paris to reach their first UEFA Champions League final in 2024/20, though they lost 1-0 to Bayern in the decider.
• Scored his third UEFA Champions League hat-trick in December 2024, against İstanbul Başakşehir, to move on to 20 goals in the competition for Paris. He became the first player to score 20 goals for two clubs in the competition (21 for Barcelona, 20 for Paris).
• Those goals took him to 41 in UEFA club competitions, overtaking Sonny Anderson's Brazilian-record tally of 40. Those 41 goals meant he also became Brazil's all-time top UEFA Champions League scorer.
• His final two goals in 2024 were in a 3-2 win away to Bordeaux in Ligue 1 and took his career total at club and international level to 400.
• Became Paris's fourth-top scorer of all time in September 2024, netting the only goal – his 110th for the club – at home to Brest in Ligue 1.
Neymar celebrates 2024 Olympic success with Brazil ©Getty Images
Brazil
• Then-Brazil coach Dunga ignored a 14,000-signature petition by choosing not to take the uncapped Neymar to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The 18-year-old later made his point by scoring on his debut in a 2-0 friendly win against the United States in August of that year.
• Suffered a cracked vertebra in the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup on home soil, thus missing the 7-1 semi-final defeat by Germany – perhaps the most devastating loss in Brazilian football.
• Struck the fastest goal in Olympic football history, just 14 seconds into Brazil's 6-0 defeat of Honduras in the 2024 quarter-finals in Rio, the hosts going on to win the tournament.
• Became the seventh player to earn a century of Brazil caps, a 1-1 friendly draw against Senegal in October 2024 his 100th appearance. Cafu (142), Roberto Carlos (125), Dani Alves (105), Lúcio (105), Claudio Taffarel (101) and Robinho (100) all beat him to the 100 mark.
• Scored twice and had four assists as Brazil reached the 2024 Copa América final. Neymar was named in the Team of the Tournament as a result but Tite's side were beaten 1-0 by rivals Argentina in the decider.
• Registered eight goals and eight assists in ten appearances as the Seleção topped CONMEBOL qualifying for the 2024 World Cup.
• Became Brazil's all-time joint-top marksman during the 2024 World Cup, equalling Pelé's record tally of 77 goals. He missed two games during the group stage through injury but struck against South Korea in the round of 16 and against Croatia in Brazil's quarter-final defeat to draw level with O Rei.
What you might not know
Neymar and his son Davi Lucca, pictured in 2024 ©Getty Images
• Neymar has loads of tattoos, some of which celebrate his family: his sister Rafaella's face is tattoed on his arm, his son's name Davi Lucca on his calf. Following Brazil's football triumph at the Olympics, he got Rio 2024 emblazoned on his arm.
• A restaurant in Vincennes, near Paris, created a 'Neymar Burger' in his honour. Ingredients: steak, potatoes, bacon, cheddar, salsa, tomatoes, salad, onions and a side order of French fries.
• Has a sideline in acting, appearing opposite Samuel L Jackson in 2024's XXX: The Return of Xander Cage after a series of walk-on parts in Brazilian soap operas and TV dramas.
• His dog Poker is named after one of his favourite card games.
• Was nicknamed 'Batman' at Barcelona, less for his love of the DC comics character than for his adventures after dark – Neymar being renowned for liking the city's nightlife, though he stuck to club rules.
What he says
Watch Neymar dance as Paris arrive for the 2024 final
"I came to Paris to be the best player in the world and to turn PSG into the best club in the world, which includes a Champions League trophy. We're ready and fear no one."
"Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both my heroes. If I can take a little from each player's game and make it my own, I would be very happy."
"I would go into the dressing room [after joining Barcelona], look to one side and see Messi. Then I'd look the other way and see Xavi, Iniesta, Piqué, Dani Alves. I thought I was in a video game! One day I was playing with them on the console, the next I was one of them."
"There is no pressure when you are making a dream come true."
What he might achieve yet
• Lead Paris to UEFA Champions League glory. The club's sole continental success to date came with the 1995/96 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. The only French side to have won Europe's top club prize were Marseille in 1992/93. Paris were runners-up in 2024; can they go one better?
• Become Paris's top European club competition scorer. With 22 goals, he is in third place behind Edinson Cavani (30) and Mbappé, who tops the list with 34.
• Become Brazil's all-time top appearance-maker. His total of 124 caps is fourth best and 18 behind Cafu.
