Neymar

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior , simply known as Neymar or Neymar Júnior (shortened to Neymar Jr), is a Brazilian professional <a href="/facts/Association_football/yttjeD0D">footballer</a> who plays as an <a href="/facts/Attacking_midfielder/FEWpVjnD">attacking midfielder</a> for <a href="/facts/Campeonato_Brasileiro_S%25C3%25A9rie_A/wEa6gVhz">Campeonato Brasileiro Série A</a> club <a href="/facts/Santos_FC/zU34b9tc">Santos</a>, which he <a href="/facts/Captain_(association_football)/AjsKfxbJ">captains</a>, and the <a href="/facts/Brazil_national_football_team/2wJk8lUD">Brazil national team</a>. Known for his dribbling, technical ability, playmaking, and finishing, he is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time. Neymar is often cited as an influence for an emerging generation of footballers.
Neymar made his professional debut with Santos in 2009, helping them win the <a href="/facts/Copa_Libertadores/43ujeoaj">Copa Libertadores</a> in 2011. In 2013, in a <a href="/facts/Neymargate/L7yf2eXN">controversial</a> transfer, <a href="/facts/FC_Barcelona/x2H1EFug">Barcelona</a> signed him and he soon became part of a dominant attacking trio with <a href="/facts/Lionel_Messi/6nXmXIUH">Lionel Messi</a> and <a href="/facts/Luis_Su%25C3%25A1rez/oV6f1gl4">Luis Suárez</a>—known as MSN. Neymar won the <a href="/facts/Treble_(association_football)/G4329E88">treble</a> of <a href="/facts/La_Liga/IGK1ayKP">La Liga</a>, the <a href="/facts/Copa_del_Rey/qA9ho6uV">Copa del Rey</a>, and the <a href="/facts/UEFA_Champions_League/h1ao7NDp">UEFA Champions League</a> in <a href="/facts/2014%25E2%2580%259315_FC_Barcelona_season/PJxbY6xu">2014–15</a>, finishing as the top goal scorer of both the Champions League and the Copa del Rey campaigns. Determined to step out of Messi’s shadow, he joined <a href="/facts/Paris_Saint-Germain_FC/pyF66zLV">Paris Saint-Germain</a> in 2017 and became the <a href="/facts/List_of_most_expensive_association_football_transfers/JCoATMSs">most expensive player in history</a> after his €222 million release clause was activated. Neymar helped PSG win five <a href="/facts/Ligue_1/jtGrnX8g">Ligue 1</a> titles, cementing their position as the <a href="/facts/Football_records_and_statistics_in_France/ra0KclCJ">most successful club</a> in French football. In <a href="/facts/2019%25E2%2580%259320_UEFA_Champions_League/WzCo9Ywj">2020</a>, he guided the club to their first-ever <a href="/facts/2020_UEFA_Champions_League_final/h60MDonP">Champions League final</a>. Despite injuries causing limited game time with PSG, he became one of their <a href="/facts/List_of_Paris_Saint-Germain_FC_records_and_statistics/u8LvNNL4">all-time top goal scorers</a>. He left PSG in 2023, joining Saudi club <a href="/facts/Al_Hilal_SFC/B1Ub87FT">Al-Hilal</a> before returning to Santos in January 2025.
At 18, Neymar debuted for Brazil and has since become the nation's <a href="/facts/Brazil_national_football_team/2wJk8lUD">second-most-capped player</a>, only trailing <a href="/facts/Cafu/eFat9Y1G">Cafu</a>. He is the nation's <a href="/facts/Brazil_national_football_team/2wJk8lUD">all-time top goal scorer</a>, with <a href="/facts/List_of_international_goals_scored_by_Neymar/4s9N9Mht">79 goals</a> in 128 matches. He featured in the <a href="/facts/2011_Copa_Am%25C3%25A9rica/FmznxCqf">2011 Copa América</a>, his first major international tournament, before winning the <a href="/facts/2013_FIFA_Confederations_Cup/TzBHGTuo">2013 FIFA Confederations Cup</a> and receiving the <a href="/facts/Golden_Ball_(FIFA_Confederations_Cup)/2f4ANG8M">Golden Ball</a>. In the <a href="/facts/2014_FIFA_World_Cup/eNUIfYJC">2014 FIFA World Cup</a>, he was named in the <a href="/facts/FIFA_World_Cup_Dream_Team/cS6fqlJx">Dream Team</a>, despite a tournament-ending <a href="/facts/Brazil_at_the_2014_FIFA_World_Cup/4r8qVv5W">injury</a> in the quarter-final. He captained Brazil to their first <a href="/facts/Olympic_gold_medal/KNdclHgp">Olympic gold medal</a> in <a href="/facts/Football_at_the_Summer_Olympics/LnX2NLdz">men's football</a> at the <a href="/facts/2016_Summer_Olympics/Q4AuHGTy">2016 Summer Olympics</a>. He was jointly awarded <a href="/facts/2021_Copa_Am%25C3%25A9rica/8h3fnjXd">Best Player</a> in the <a href="/facts/2021_Copa_Am%25C3%25A9rica/8h3fnjXd">2021 Copa América</a>, where Brazil lost in the <a href="/facts/2021_Copa_Am%25C3%25A9rica_final/fQ7XURgz">final</a> to <a href="/facts/Argentina_national_football_team/wBNzXqUL">Argentina</a>. Ahead of the <a href="/facts/2022_FIFA_World_Cup/vN9s5YYA">2022 World Cup</a>, Neymar's excellent form led to Brazil being favourites to win it; they ultimately suffered a shock quarter-final exit. In 2023, he surpassed <a href="/facts/Pel%25C3%25A9/Ian2FQmf">Pelé</a>'s long-standing goalscoring record for Brazil and became the tied <a href="/facts/Assist_(association_football)/9VRotA2v">all-time top assist provider</a> in international football.
During the <a href="/facts/Messi%25E2%2580%2593Ronaldo_rivalry/rhlJLXIy">Messi–Ronaldo rivalry</a>, Neymar finished third for the <a href="/facts/Ballon_d%2527Or/8cGx60os">Ballon d'Or</a> in <a href="/facts/2015_FIFA_Ballon_d%2527Or/pMbF8Efp">2015</a> and <a href="/facts/2017_Ballon_d%2527Or/hzu1NPF0">2017</a>, also finishing third for the <a href="/facts/FIFA_The_Best/7G56v2VB">FIFA The Best Men's Player</a> in <a href="/facts/The_Best_FIFA_Football_Awards_2017/9k5f9PpI">2017</a>. He was named in both the <a href="/facts/FIFPro/2kn1CmEb">FIFA FIFPro World11</a> and the <a href="/facts/UEFA_Team_of_the_Year/P689LSqK">UEFA Team of the Year</a> twice. He has received the <a href="/facts/FIFA_Pusk%25C3%25A1s_Award/gpRr9Lpj">FIFA Puskás Award</a>, the <a href="/facts/Campeonato_Brasileiro_S%25C3%25A9rie_A_Best_Player/Q8PPeKNC">Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Best Player</a>, the <a href="/facts/La_Liga_Best_World_Player/zgL0BnYb">La Liga Best American Player</a>, the <a href="/facts/Ligue_1_Player_of_the_Year/R4XndQng">Ligue 1 Player of the Year</a>, and the <a href="/facts/2011_Copa_Libertadores/CDW9RH8M">Copa Libertadores Best Player</a>. Internationally, he received the <a href="/facts/South_American_Footballer_of_the_Year/RHYtqFmb">South American Footballer of the Year</a> twice and was runner-up for the <a href="/facts/IFFHS/YaSbtAQg">IFFHS</a>'s <a href="/facts/CONMEBOL/E3Wmq5W2">CONMEBOL</a> <a href="/facts/IFFHS_World%2527s_Best_Player/YaSbtAQg">The Best Man Player of the Decade (2011–2020)</a> award, behind Messi.

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Neymar