Neymar is hailed as one of the three kings of Barcelona. While he is seen as everyone’s “little brother” in the team, the Brazillian star has enough tricks to keep him right by the heels of other legends. Read more about his rise to stardom and Neymar net worth.
Neymar is a GOAT for all the spectacular reasons. Firstly, he is just as stubborn as the hardworking Cristiano Ronaldo when it comes to winning. And even if he is yet to win a Ballon d’Or, Neymar has the confidence of his peers, especially Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
The Brazilian soccer star is the most expensive footballer amounting to €222 millio upon completing his transfer from Barca to PSG, and the fastest goal in Olympic history, scoring within 14 seconds upon stepping in the field during Rio 2016 football semi final against Honduras.
Neymar net worth is estimated at $220 million, his latest contract with PSG has the athlete set with $75 million annually and no less than $20 million from endorsements.
[Related Read: Demi Bagby Net Worth]
Neymar Short Bio
Neymar da Silva Santos Junior was born on the 5th of February, 1992, in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Brazil. His father, Neymar Senior, was a former footballer who worked three jobs to support the family, and his mother, Nadine, worked as a cook to help put food on the table.
Neymar has a sister named Rafaella, three years younger than him. The siblings were raised together by their parents and carried their close relationship to adulthood.
As many would guess, Neymar’s family struggled with poverty. His parents did their best to provide for their needs. But there were still times that the siblings slept in a dark house, dimly lit by tiny candles because the power was cut due to unpaid utilities.
But Neymar recalls the dreary memory as a happy one. According to the footballer, those were the moments when he was reminded of the strength of his family.
Neymar’s Youth Career
Soccer is the most popular sport in Brazil. It was predictable that Neymar’s obsession with futsal and street football eventually led him to soccer. He joined his first football club, Portuguesa Santista, in 1999 at age seven, after the family relocated from Sao Paulo to Sao Vicente.
Then in 2003, the family once again moved from Sao Vicente to the municipality of Santos in Sao Paulo. From there, the then ten-year-old Neymar joined Santos Futebol Clube of Santos FC.
At age 11, Neymar was approached by Santos FC, which marked the beginning of his professional career, thus the opportunity to earn for his family. He was then integrated into the club’s youth academy, which housed famous Brazilian players like Coutinho, Clodoaldo, Elano, and Diego.
At age 14, Neymar flew to Spain with his team for tryouts with Real Madrid’s youth team. Despite the possibility of getting drafted into the international club, Neymar senior decided to bring his son home. He believed Neymar needed to grow with his current team before going abroad.
[Related Read: Conor McGregor Net Worth]
Santos Football Club
Neymar’s 2009 Debut and Best Player Award
At 17, Neymar made his professional debut in March of 2009. He was allied to the field in the last thirty minutes of the game against Barueri, Sao Pablo’s Oeste, that ended with a 2-1 win. Then the following week, Neymar scored his first goal against the team, Mogi Mirim.
The following month in April, Neymar scored the winning goal for Santos against Palmeiras, ending in a tight 2-1 victory during the first leg of the 2009 Campeonato Paulista semi-final.
Unfortunately, the team lost in the final against the Corinthians. But regardless of the result, Neymar successfully showcased his abilities with 14 goals in all 19 games during his first season.
Neymar’s 2010 Highlights
In April of 2010, Neymar scored five goals in the 8-1 win against Guarani, granting Santos a shot in the qualifying stages of the Brazilian Cup. Fortunately, Santos came on top after they came to a two-legged tie with Santo André, resulting in an aggregate win for Neymar and his teammates.
Due to his stellar performance, Neymar was given the Best Young Player award for the league. And as expected, offers from teams, local and abroad, came pouring in for the young athlete.
Among his pursuers was West Ham United for the English Premier League, offering £12 million, then came Chelsea, another English club, with a £20 million offer for the 18-year-old footballer.
But despite the wonderful promises from two of the premier football clubs in Europe, Neymar chose to stay with Santos and stay in Brazil for a little while longer.
Neymar’s Notable Bad Habit?
As he slowly gained experience as a professional player, Neymar became notorious for exaggerating injuries to get penalty kicks. Of course, the footballer denies doing such a thing because he can be reprimanded for several technicalities if proven.
One of the notable of Neymar’s “incidents” was during the match against Atletico in 2010. Neymar was awarded a penalty kick, but Santos’ manager, Silvestre Dorival Junior, appointed a different player to take the shot. The decision upset Neymar hence the fallout between the two.
The manager reasoned that Neymar wasted a penalty that could have been crucial during the Copa do Brasil final. And it wasn’t enough that he took the athlete’s chance to score. He also pushed for a two-week suspension for Neymar in front of the board that heard their issue.
The board of Santos FC fired Dorival because regardless if it was due to an exaggeration, the team acquired a shot due to Neymar’s initiative, and by right, it was his to take.
Extending Neymar’s Contract with Santos FC
Neymar made it as the third top goalscorer during the 2011 Copa Libertadores Finals. He was also named Man of the Match for playing a key role in Santos winning their first Copa Libertadores triumph since 1963, when the legendary Pele was with the team.
In September of the same year, there was a commotion with Real Madrid trying to poach Neymar with a pre-agreement contract. After the issue passed, Santos renewed Neymar’s contract in November 2011, assuring his stay until the 2014 FIFA World Cup set n Brazil.
The renewed deal was reported to have increased the soccer player’s revenue by 50%, and his total pay amounted to far more than what the European teams were offering him.
In December 2011, Neymar scored the opening goal in FIFA Club World Cup in Toyota, Japan, against Kashiwa Reysol. The said match during the semi-finals was a 3–1 win for Santos FC.
The team could not score against Barcelona, which ended with a 4-1 loss. Despite the outcome, Neymar was awarded the 2011 FIFA Puskás Award for scoring a solo goal in the Brasileirão Série A against Flamengo. He was also named the 2011 South American Footballer of the Year award that once belonged to Diego Maradona, Romário, Pele, and Zico.
Neymar Transfers to Barcelona’s Barca
Neymar confirmed his intentions of transferring before the 2014 World Cup. Front the two offers Santos received for the rising young athlete, Neymar announced his intention to join Barcelona. His move will be finalized after playing in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Early Controversy
His first appearance wearing the colors of FC Barca was at Camp Nou. And perhaps to flaunt their new powerhouse, Barcelona’s vice-president made a statement revealing that the club paid €57.1 million in transfer fees with a release clause set at €190 million.
Transfer rumours ignited an investigation led by the prosecutor’s office in Madrid. Barca and club vice-president Bartomeu were charged with tax fraud after contradicting documents were found stating that the actual cost of the transfer was €86.2 million and not €57.1 million.
Neymar’s Accomplishments with FC Barcelona
That September, Neymar scored his first two goals of the 2014–15 season during the 2–0 victory against Athletic Bilbao. He scored a hat-trick against Granada in a 6–0 win that same month. Neymar continued to impress his new team in the next La Liga matches.
Early the following year, in January of 2015, Neymar scored his 20th goal for Barca and the season while facing Atletico Madrid during the quarter-finals of the 113th Copa del Rey.
Plowing through the matches, Barca won against Villareal for the Spanish Cup final, then a 2-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain during the 2014-15 UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
On June 6th, 2015, Neymar scored the deciding goal against Italy’s Juventus during the Champions League Finals. The 3-1 victory secured Barca’s fifth European Cup win. The victory was also historical, with the team being the first club to win the treble of the domestic league.
Neymar joined Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the scoring list with 39 goals for the season and another 10 in the Champions League.
Neymar Moving to Paris Saint-Germain
Neymar had a fruitful run with Barcelona, but he realized that a transfer to another team was the only way to move forward with his career. While he functioned beautifully with Messi and Suarez as the famed attacking trio and Kings of FC Barcelona, Neymar needed to strike out independently.
In August 2017, Neymar’s move to Paris Saint-Germain was finalized after Barcelona received a hefty €222 million, marking it as the highest sum ever paid for an athlete.
In PSG, Neymar worked alongside Kylian Mbappé, who played forward, and Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani. Despite a serious injury he sustained during the match with Olympique de Marseille, resulting in missing an appearance, Neymar ended the season with 28 goals.
Another injury kept him out from round 16 of the 2019 Champions League. The match resulted in a loss against the lads from Old Trafford, Manchester United.
By July of 2019, Neymar’s run with PSG has been considerably successful. In the short time he’s been with the team, Neymar has contributed quite a lot to PSG’s latest achievements. But perhaps, from his standpoint, he wasn’t progressing as fast as he would like.
Neymar agreed to stay with PSG a little longer after the negotiations for his return to Barcelona broke down.
In 2021, Neymar was still with Paris Saint-Germain when he scored his 400th career goal during the match against Stade de Reims. In the same year, Neymar was reunited with Messi after the legendary forward signed a three-year contract with the French soccer club.
Would anyone like to take a guess how Neymar felt after Messi won his seventh Ballon d’Or during his first season with PSG?
Neymar Net Worth – Frequently Asked Questions
Is Neymar a Billionaire?
Neymar is one of the most marketable athletes to date. Despite the tremendous success he’s gotten so far, many believe that the 30-year-old Brazilian footballer has yet to reach the peak of his career. Neymar net worth is currently set at $220 million. It’s more than possible that he may very well reach that milestone.
How Much is Neymar’s Net Worth?
Neymar net worth latest estimate is $220 million. The latest deal he signed with the French club Paris Saint-Germain guaranteed a $75 million annual salary, plus $20 million in endorsements.
How Much was Neymar Net Worth in 2021?
Neymar net worth is quoted at $200 million for that year. He has since enjoyed a life of luxury from the considerable fortune he receives as a famous footballer.
Neymar Net Worth – Final Thoughts
Without a doubt, Neymar is already one of the greats of soccer. It’s unfair to call it unfortunate, having the likes of Messi and Ronaldo blocking the way to the top spot like goalkeepers. But surely, there was a time when these two giants faced the same dilemma.
There was England’s David Beckham, Brazil’s Kaka, and Ronaldinho. So how were CR7 and the Atomic Flea able to surpass the legends of the previous generation?
Their time simply came, and there is no doubt that the same moment will eventually materialize for Neymar. He is already being held in the same esteem as his legendary peers. And perhaps, his chance calls for a little more patience, just as his father didn’t rush him to join Madrid.
Related Read:
Founder of Spark Nomad, Radical FIRE, Celebz Net Worth, Copywriter
Expertise: Personal finance and travel content. I’m a full-time traveler, and I’ve been to 49 countries and 5 continents.
Education: Bachelor of Economics at Radboud University, Master in Finance at Radboud University, Minor in Economics at Chapman University.
Over 200 articles, essays, and short stories published across the web.
Marjolein Dilven is a journalist and founder of Spark Nomad, a travel platform, and Radical FIRE, a personal finance platform. Marjolein has a finance and economics background with a master’s in Finance. She has quit her job to travel the world, documenting her travels on Spark Nomad to help people plan their travels. Marjolein Dilven has written for publications like MSN, Associated Press, CNBC, Town News syndicate, and more.
