Neymar
Updated: Wikipedia source
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [nejˈmaʁ dɐ ˈsiwvɐ ˈsɐ̃tuz ˈʒuni.oʁ] ; born 5 February 1992), simply known as Neymar Júnior (shortened to Neymar Jr) or mononymously as Neymar, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a forward for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Santos, which he captains, and the Brazil national team. Known for his dribbling, technical ability, playmaking, and finishing, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation and one of the greatest wingers of all time. He is one of only five players to have scored 100 goals with three different clubs, both the all-time Brazilian top goalscorer (43) and assist provider (33) in the UEFA Champions League, ranks second for the all-time South American men's top goalscorers in international football (79), and was the all-time top assist provider in international football (59) for two years. He has scored over 400 senior career goals and registered over 250 assists for club and country. Neymar made his professional debut with Santos in 2009 and won the Copa Libertadores in 2011, scoring in the finals. In 2013, Barcelona signed him and he soon became part of a dominant attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez—known as MSN. In 2014–15, Neymar won the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League, finishing as the top goalscorer of both that season's Champions League and the Copa del Rey. In the following season, he helped Barcelona win the double. In 2017, he left the club to join Paris Saint-Germain, becoming the most expensive player in history after his €222 million release clause was activated. From 2018 onwards, injuries hampered Neymar's career, causing limited game time. Despite this, he was instrumental to PSG retrieving the Ligue 1 title in his debut season, led them to their first-ever Champions League final in 2020, became one of the their all-time top goalscorers, and won four more Ligue 1 titles. In 2023, he joined Saudi club Al-Hilal before returning to Santos in January 2025. At 18, Neymar debuted for Brazil and has since become the nation's second-most-capped player, only trailing Cafu. He is the nation's all-time top goalscorer, with 79 goals in 128 matches. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in men's football, Neymar helped Brazil reach the final, ultimately receiving the Olympic silver medal. In the following year, he won the FIFA Confederations Cup and received the Golden Ball. In the 2014 FIFA World Cup, he was named in the Dream Team and received the Bronze Boot. By the age of 22, Neymar had scored 40 goals for Brazil, already entering the country's top five goalscorers. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, he captained Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men's football. In the 2021 Copa América, he was focal to Brazil's runners-up finish and was jointly awarded Best Player. Two years later, he surpassed Pelé's 52-year long record as Brazil's all-time top goalscorer. Neymar was named in both the FIFA FIFPro World11 and the UEFA Team of the Year twice. He has received the FIFA Puskás Award, the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Best Player, the La Liga Best American Player, the Ligue 1 Player of the Year, and the Copa Libertadores Best Player. Internationally, he received the South American Footballer of the Year twice and was runner-up for the IFFHS's CONMEBOL The Best Man Player of the Decade (2011–2020) award. Neymar’s zero Ballon d’Or wins is often attributed to the fact that his career coincided with the peak of the Messi and Ronaldo dominance, finishing third behind them in 2015 and 2017, as well as his recurring injuries in the following years.