Neymar Facts: Amazing Things You Didn’t Know About the Brazil Legend

Neymar is a generational talent.

Whether or not you believe he fully lived up to his extraordinary potential, there is no denying that the Brazilian—blessed with samba flair, audacious skill and a constant appetite for the unexpected—is one of the defining players of the modern era.

Most fans know he became the most expensive soccer player in history with his €222 million ($260 million) move to Paris Saint-Germain, and that he is Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer. But what about the lesser-known details—his upbringing, the legends who shaped him and the hidden records scattered throughout his career?

Here, Sports Illustrated takes a closer look at Neymar’s remarkable journey with 25 fascinating facts.

Early Life Facts About Neymar

1. Neymar was born in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, on Feb. 5, 1992.

2. He has often cited former Manchester City and Real Madrid forward Robinho as his biggest idol growing up.

3. Neymar joined Santos’ youth setup in 2003 and signed his first professional contract with the club at the age of 17, shortly before breaking into the first team.

4. Former coach Betinho is credited with first discovering and mentoring a six-year-old Neymar in 1998, spotting his talent during a beach soccer match in São Vicente, Brazil, and later recommending him to the Santos FC academy.

5. At just 14 years old, Neymar also had a successful trial with Real Madrid, prompting Santos to significantly increase efforts to keep hold of their emerging star.

Career Facts About Neymar

6. Neymar made an instant impact at Santos, scoring 42 goals in 60 appearances in all competitions during just his second full season, helping fire the club to a first-ever Copa do Brasil title.

7. At the same time, Brazilian fans even launched a petition calling for then-national team coach Dunga to include him in the 2010 World Cup squad, although he was ultimately left out.

8. He finally made his Brazil debut in August 2010 at the age of 18, scoring just 28 minutes into a friendly victory over the United States.

9. Neymar signed for FC Barcelona in 2013 and was unveiled at the Camp Nou in front of 56,500 fans, a record turnout for a Brazilian player at the time.

10. Across his career for club and country—representing Santos, Barcelona, PSG and Al Hilal—Neymar has won 29 major honours.

Facts About Neymar’s Personal Life

11. Neymar has a very close relationship with his sister, Rafaella Beckran, with the pair even having tattoos dedicated to each other.

12. Every year, Neymar organizes a charity match alongside fellow Brazilian footballer Nenê in Jundiaí, with the aim of collecting food donations for families in need.

13. Neymar is a Christian and follows the Pentecostal branch of the faith. He has also been known to tithe a portion of his income to his church.

14. Away from soccer, Neymar is a passionate basketball fan. In particular, he supports LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers and is often seen attending games.

15. He once made a cameo appearance in the popular television series La Casa de Papel, where he played the role of a Brazilian monk named Monje João.

Fun Facts About Neymar

16. Neymar is the third most-followed soccer player in the world on Instagram, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, with more than 230 million followers on the platform.

17. Neymar has endured a remarkably unfortunate injury record, missing more than 1,500 days and over 250 matches for club and country through injury across his career.

18. Neymar owns his own helicopter. In 2019, he purchased an Airbus H-145 worth almost $15 million, with the seats stitched with the logo of the fictional superhero Batman.

19. Known for constantly changing both his hairstyle and hair color, Neymar reportedly spends around $2,000 a month on maintaining his look.

20. Neymar appeared on the cover of Time magazine in February 2013, becoming the first Brazilian athlete ever to feature on the front cover of the publication.

Records and Achievements

21. Neymar won the FIFA Puskás Award in 2011 at just 19 years old thanks to a sensational solo goal in a Brazilian league match against Flamengo.

22. Alongside being Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer, he also holds the unwanted record for the most yellow cards in the history of the national team.

23. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Neymar scored the fastest goal in Olympic soccer history, finding the back of the net just 14 seconds into Brazil’s match against Honduras.

24. Neymar has scored 100 goals for three different clubs—Santos, Barcelona and PSG—a feat only fellow Brazilian legend Romário and Cristiano Ronaldo have also achieved in modern men’s soccer.

25. He is also the only player in history to score in both a Copa Libertadores final and a UEFA Champions League final while winning both competitions.

READ THE LATEST SOCCER NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE

Add us as a preferred source on Google