The world will look back at Neymar’s football career in a very sentimental light, remembering his time at Barcelona and PSG where he was once considered one of the very best players in the world.
Having since struggled in Saudia Arabia for his current side Al-Hilal, where injuries and off-field dramas have plagued his time there, and amidst the news of his looming return to boyhood club Santos FC, I want to reflect on his career and explore how he has ended up fading out of the spotlight at the age of just 32.
A former great, whose peak seemingly came too soon. A story of “what if?”
The Brazilian arrived in Europe back in 2013, joining Spanish behemoths FC Barcelona for around £49m.
A tricky speedster, boasting flair and technical talent, Neymar set the league alight, demonstrating to the world what he was capable of. A world-beater on his day, and in Spain, his day came very often.
A partnership with South American teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez saw the well-renowned MSN trio tear up the league, seeing Neymar’s value and iconicity grow exponentially as a result.
During his time in Barcelona, Neymar won everything, from the League and Copa Del Rey to the Champions League.
Reaching such heights earned him a move to french giants Paris Saint Germain in 2017, huge news at the time and for a world record fee of 222,000,000 Euros.
In France, he was the main man, and in this environment his personal fame and riches sky-rocketed.
He did build a bit of a reputation however for his party-going and his lavish lifestyle, with the Brazilian seemingly becoming disenchanted with football.
Controversies surrounded his injury record, and overall, as much as he still played at an elite level when he was able, the amount of time he was spending in the medical room led to major frustrations both amongst PSG fans, as well as managers and even teammates.
Reunited with former teammate Lionel Messi, who PSG signed in August 2021 on a free transfer, the chemistry between them never really led to anything, and with too many big egos, (Neymar, Mbappe, Messi, Sergio Ramos to name a few) the Brazilian superstar was pushed out.
The injuries continued in Saudi Arabia, and now seemingly returning to Santos, he is approaching an early end to his career.
Hopefully, building up to the 2026 World Cup, Neymar’s time in Brazil will get fans back onside, and consequently, inspire him to focus on the sport whilst he still has time to.
[by Cody Deadman]
