Neymar @ 30: Brazil’s Ultimate Entertainer

When talking about the greatest players in Brazil football history and probably in the history of the sport, Neymar is one player who was 30 on Saturday, February 5, 2022 deserves a mention, if not, then for being an entertainer with the ball.

He is among an elite list of Brazil greats such as Pele, Socrates, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and he has written his name into folklore as one of the best players to ever emerge from Brazil.

Neymar da Silva Santos Junior was born in Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil where he used to play Futsal and street football. His immense football talent became evident for everyone when he joined Portuguesa Santista’s youth side, shined brightest and eventually joined Santos. He made his professional debut at just 17, thereafter, he won the Campeanato Paulista championship twice, and helped Santos to win their first Copa Libertadores trophy since 1963. In 2011 and 2012, he was named as the South American Player of the Year.

Those eye-catching performances saw him secure a blockbuster move to Spanish giants, FC Barcelona. Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez formed Europe’s deadliest trio  as they galvanised the Catalans to winning a European treble in 2015 and in that same year, he finished third behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the FIFA Ballon d’Or award.

Dribbling, flair, creativity, and predatory instincts were a part and parcel of Neymar’s style of play as PSG presented him with a tantalising offer in 2017 that would see him become the most expensive player in football history. He moved to the French Capital for a record fee of €222 million.

 At PSG, he hit the ground running by winning the Ligue 1 player of the year award in his first season. Three Ligue 1 titles, two Coupe De France cups and three Coupe De La Ligue trophies followed as Neymar played a vital role in the club’s recent success. All has not been rosy for the Brazilian in France, as critics have come his way claiming that he has failed to deliver the club’s most wanted prize in the UEFA Champions League.

The closest they came to winning it came in the 19/20 season when they lost to Bayern Munich. With the signing of former teammate Lionel Messi to PSG, Neymar now sees himself with the incredible company of the Kylian Mbappe and the Argentine and they look to battle for Europe’s biggest prize this season.

On the International scene, Neymar captained Brazil to its first football Olympic Gold Medal in 2016 where he scored the winning penalty. At this point in time, he is the second all time highest goalscorer of the Brazilian national team with 70 goals in 116 appearances. In 2013, he helped Brazil win the FIFA Confederations Cup on home soil. The 2014 World Cup and 2015 Copa America campaigns were hampered by injury but did not stop him from shining when he featured. Brazil lost the Copa America in the summer of 2021 to Argentina, the latest disappointment for Neymar as he played an influential role on their road to the final.

A Puskas award winner at just 19 years old, the highest-scoring Brazilian in the Champions League and the most expensive player in the world, Neymar deserves to be celebrated as he clocked 30 on November 5, 2022 for his impact on Brazilian football and the world as an entertainer with the round leather ball.

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