They eyes of the world have been on Neymar since the announcement of his high-profile move to Barcelona. But though the world knows of his talents, there may be some interesting facts that aren’t known by many.
This article will serve to give the footballing world an inside track on Neymar.
His potential may be limitless and his future special, but he has already accomplished so much at such a young age. Continue reading to find out the 10 facts about the Brazilian that you might not have known.
10. Has Been His Only Club
Neymar has showcased his skill for years now at Santos. But not many realize that the Brazilian club is the only team he has ever played for.
The 21-year-old joined the Santos academy in 2003 and has been there ever since. This explains the many emotional tears surrounding his last game for the club.
Now that he has joined Barcelona he will wear a new jersey for the first time in his footballing career.
9. He Scored His 100th Professional Goal on His 20th Birthday
Neymar celebrates his birthday on February 5. Well, in 2012, it was that very day on which he scored his 100th professional goal.
The goal came against Palmeiras in the traditional Neymar way. But it was the timing of the goal that is the most surprising.
Not many can claim they have scored on their birthday. Few, if any, have set a milestone like this on their birthday. And hardly anyone did it at the age of the 20. Incredible.
8. Neymar Is a Father
The world nearly stood still when Lionel Messi became a father. But few realize that Neymar beat his new teammate to it by a few years.
When the Brazilian was only 19 years old he welcomed his son, Davi Lucca, to the world.
Neymar will soon be moving to Barcelona permanently and, of course, Davi Lucca will be coming as well. The father and son will fit in perfectly at the Catalan club after the baby boom that took place this season.
7. 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.
The rest is history.
6. Neymar Is the Only Brazilian Athlete to Be on the Cover of TIME Magazine
It is hard to believe that Neymar is the only Brazilian athlete to ever grace the cover of Time magazine. For a country that is known for their sports legends, this is truly a magnificent feat.
In fact, the only other Brazilians to find their way on the cover have been political leaders.
5. 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.
4. The Interesting Beginning to His International Career
Despite his talents, Neymar was overlooked early on by the Brazil national team. Legends such as Pele and Romario pushed Dunga to include him in the 2010 World Cup, followed by a petition signed by 14,000 fans.
Surprisingly, Neymar was not included in the roster. He wasn’t even on the stand-by list. But his time would come.
Neymar made his debut under new manager Mano Menezes in August of 2010 in a friendly against the United States. Neymar made the starting lineup that night and scored in his first-ever match in the Brazil jersey.
3. He Is the Seventh-Richest Footballer in the World
Neymar may only be a kid, but he is richer than almost anyone around. In 2012 he was listed as the seventh-richest footballer in the world.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo also find their names on that list, but it is almost unbelievable to imagine that Neymar is on the same financial level.
At only 21 years of age, Neymar has already made more than most of us will in our entire lives.
2. His Is Only Barcelona’s Ninth-Most Expensive Purchase
This is actually very surprising with all things being considered.
With all of Neymar’s hype and talent, he actually came fairly cheap for Barcelona. The Brazilian is the ninth-most expensive purchase in the club’s history at only 57 million euros.
That either means that Barcelona pulled off an incredible deal for Neymar or has been a huge spender over the last few decades. It is a bit of both, really.
1. Neymar Is the World’s Most Marketable Athlete
Yes, you read that right. Neymar has beat out the likes of Messi, Ronaldo, Usain Bolt, Rory McIlroy and countless others for two consecutive years as the most marketable athlete on the planet.
At 21 years old, this has to be the most astonishing fact about the Brazilian.
Messi may be the greatest footballer of all time, but he is no match for Neymar in this category. Then, compared to all of the other sports stars in the world, this fact shows the greatness of Neymar above all else.
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