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Neymar

Footballer · Forward · Midfielder

b. 1992 · Born in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Brazil · 3 min read

  • Verified: 13 November 2026
  • Sources: 4
  • Independently reviewed
Neymar in a red Paris Saint-Germain training top during a warm-up in 2018
Photo: Balkan Photos / Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 2.0

Brazilian forward, Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer, who won the treble with Barcelona in 2015 and captained Brazil to Olympic gold at Rio 2016.

Early Life

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior was born on 5 February 1992 in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Brazil, the son of Neymar Santos Sr., a former professional footballer. He played street football and futsal as a boy in São Vicente, joined Portuguesa Santista's youth team, and in 2003 moved with his family to Santos, where he joined the youth academy of Santos FC, the club Pelé had starred for.

Career

Neymar joined the Santos youth academy in 2003 and made his professional debut in 2009, aged 17. He led Santos to the Copa Libertadores in 2011 and was named South American Footballer of the Year in 2011 and 2012 before joining Barcelona in 2013, where he formed the 'MSN' attack with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez and won the treble in 2014–15. In August 2017 he joined Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record transfer, winning five Ligue 1 titles in six seasons. He moved to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia in August 2023, but injuries limited his appearances, and in January 2025 he returned to Santos. For Brazil he made his senior debut in 2010 and played at four World Cups, in 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026, retiring from international football in July 2026 after Brazil's defeat by Norway in the round of 16. His Brazil totals — 80 goals in 130 appearances — are therefore final. All career totals in this profile are stated as of November 2026; his club career at Santos continues, so club totals still change with every match.

Achievements

Neymar became Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer in September 2023, passing Pelé's record of 77 goals, and as of November 2026 he had scored 80 goals in 130 appearances for Brazil. He captained Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men's football at Rio 2016, scoring the winning penalty in the shoot-out against Germany in the final. With Santos he won the Copa Libertadores in 2011, the club's first since 1963, and the FIFA Puskás Award that year. With Barcelona he won the treble in 2014–15, and with Brazil he won the 2013 Confederations Cup, winning the Golden Ball. He finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting in 2015 and 2017.

  • Became Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer, passing Pelé's record of 77 goals in September 2023
  • Captained Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men's football at Rio 2016, scoring the winning penalty in the final
  • Won the Copa Libertadores with Santos in 2011, the club's first since 1963, and the FIFA Puskás Award that year
  • Won the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona in 2014–15
  • Won the FIFA Confederations Cup with Brazil in 2013, winning the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player
  • Finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting in 2015 and 2017
  • Won five Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain

Legacy

Neymar is widely regarded as one of the most skilful and technically gifted forwards of his generation, known for dribbling, flair and creativity. He is Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer, ahead of Pelé, and the only Brazilian to captain the country to an Olympic football gold medal. His career has also been marked by injuries that cost him long spells at Paris Saint-Germain and Al Hilal, and by the long shadow of the Messi–Ronaldo era, in which his best Ballon d'Or finish was third. His return to Santos in 2025 brought his career full circle to the club where he began.

Contributions

Neymar's contribution is flair made effective: his dribbling and creativity carried Santos to a Copa Libertadores, powered Barcelona's treble-winning 'MSN' attack, and made him Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer. He also delivered Brazil's first Olympic football gold medal as captain in Rio in 2016. His style — street football and futsal skills transferred to the highest level — has influenced a generation of young Brazilian attackers.

Notable Works

  • Santos FC (2009–2013, 2025–)
  • FC Barcelona (2013–2017)
  • Paris Saint-Germain (2017–2023)
  • Al Hilal (2023–2025)
  • Brazil national team (2010–2026), all-time leading goalscorer
  • Olympic gold medal, Rio 2016

Milestones

  • 1992 — Born in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Brazil Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
  • 2003 — Joined the Santos youth academy Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
  • 2009 — Made his professional debut for Santos, aged 17 Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
  • 2011 — Won the Copa Libertadores with Santos and the FIFA Puskás Award Source: Wikipedia
  • 2012 — Won the Olympic silver medal with Brazil at London 2012 Source: Wikipedia
  • 2013 — Won the Confederations Cup with Brazil; joined Barcelona Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
  • 2014 — Scored four goals at the World Cup before injury ended his tournament Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
  • 2015 — Won the treble with Barcelona Source: Wikipedia
  • 2016 — Captained Brazil to Olympic gold at Rio 2016 Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
  • 2017 — Joined Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record transfer Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
  • 2021 — Reached the Copa América final with Brazil Source: Wikipedia
  • 2023 — Became Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer, passing Pelé Source: Wikipedia
  • 2023 — Moved to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
  • 2025 — Returned to Santos Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
  • 2026 — Retired from international football after the 2026 World Cup, Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer Source: Wikipedia

Timeline

  1. 5 February 1992

    Born Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Brazil

    Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Wikipedia
  2. 2003

    Joined the Santos youth academy

    Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
  3. 2009

    Made his professional debut for Santos, aged 17

    Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
  4. 2011

    Won the Copa Libertadores with Santos, their first since 1963, and the FIFA Puskás Award

    Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia
  5. 2012

    Won the Olympic silver medal with Brazil at London 2012

    Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia
  6. 2013

    Won the Confederations Cup with Brazil, winning the Golden Ball; joined Barcelona

    Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
  7. 2014

    Scored four goals at the World Cup in Brazil before a fractured vertebra ended his tournament in the quarter-final

    Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
  8. 2015

    Won the treble with Barcelona and finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting

    Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia
  9. 2016

    Captained Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men's football at Rio 2016

    Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
  10. 2017

    Joined Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record transfer; finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting again

    Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
  11. 2021

    Reached the Copa América final with Brazil, losing to Argentina

    Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia
  12. 8 September 2023

    Passed Pelé's record to become Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer

    Source: Wikipedia
  13. 2023

    Moved to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia

    Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
  14. 2025

    Returned to Santos

    Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
  15. 2026

    Played at his fourth World Cup and retired from international football in July 2026 after Brazil's round-of-16 defeat by Norway, finishing with 80 goals in 130 appearances

    Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Wikipedia

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Neymar?

Neymar was born on 5 February 1992 in Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil, so Neymar is 34 years old as of November 2026. Neymar's age changes every year on 5 February. He made his professional debut for Santos in 2009, aged 17, and has since played for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Al Hilal and Santos again.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica

Who is Neymar?

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, known simply as Neymar, is a Brazilian footballer widely regarded as one of the most skilful forwards of his generation. He rose to fame as a teenager at Santos, starred in Barcelona's 'MSN' attack alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, and became Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer, passing Pelé's record in 2023.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica

What did Neymar win with Barcelona?

With Barcelona, Neymar won the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League in 2014–15, and a domestic double the following season. He also won two more La Liga titles and three more Copa del Rey titles in four seasons. He finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting in 2015, his best placing.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; Wikipedia

What did Neymar achieve at the Rio 2016 Olympics?

Neymar captained Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men's football at the Rio 2016 Games, on home soil. He scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out against Germany in the final, after the match had finished 1–1. He had also won a silver medal with Brazil at the London 2012 Olympics, four years earlier.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica

Is Neymar Brazil's all-time top scorer?

Yes. Neymar passed Pelé's long-standing record of 77 goals for Brazil in September 2023, and as of November 2026 he had scored 80 goals in 130 appearances for the national team. Pelé's total of 77 goals in 92 appearances had stood for more than half a century. Totals vary slightly between sources depending on the cut-off date used.

Source: Wikipedia ; Encyclopaedia Britannica

Which clubs has Neymar played for?

Neymar played for Santos in Brazil (2009–2013), Barcelona in Spain (2013–2017), Paris Saint-Germain in France (2017–2023) and Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia (2023–2025), before returning to Santos in 2025. He made his professional debut for Santos aged 17 and won the Copa Libertadores with the club in 2011, their first since 1963.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; Wikipedia

Sources & References

  1. Neymar — Encyclopaedia Britannica — Encyclopaedia Britannica (accessed 13 November 2026)
  2. Neymar — Wikipedia (cross-check) — Wikipedia (accessed 13 November 2026)
  3. Neymar — Player Profile — TheSportsDB — TheSportsDB (accessed 13 November 2026)
  4. File:Neymar 2018 (cropped).jpg — Wikimedia Commons (portrait file page) — Wikimedia Commons (accessed 13 November 2026)

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Written by Abdul Hannan. Independently reviewed before publication. First published 13 November 2026; last verified 13 November 2026.

Birth date: 5 February 1992 · Date precision: exact.