Courtesy: BORGEN Magazine
Neymar is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team. He is widely regarded as one of the world’s best players.
Here are some of the facts not known to many avid football viewers:
- Neymar holds two Guinness World Records
One for his transfer from Barcelona to PSG, which is the most expensive transfer in the history of football. The transfer cost PSG 222 Million euros.
The second goal is the fastest in Olympic history for a male footballer. The famous goal occurred during Brazil’s semifinal game against Honduras at the 2016 Summer Olympics. At 14 seconds, Neymar rocketed the ball into the back of the net.
2. Neymar nearly joined Real Madrid when he was 14 years old
Real Madrid’s interest in acquiring Neymar has recently become well-known, but the deal fell through in the summer of 2011. However, Neymar could have joined the Spanish team when he was only 14 years old. He even flew to Spain and passed all of the tests, but Santos paid a large sum to keep him in Brazil before the transfer could be completed.
3. Neymar was born on the same day as his footballing idol, Ronaldo
Two of the biggest names in world football, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, blow out the candles on their big day – which curiously, they both share, 5 February. The Juventus star turned 36 while Neymar, seven years his junior, entered the final year of his 20s, he’s 29 and at an age when footballers are considered in their prime.
4. Neymar footballing idols:
You would think his idols would be Ronaldinho, Pele or Maradona. However, his footballing idols since he was a child were Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Andres Iniesta and Xavi. Interestingly enough, Messi is not on the list.
5. He became a father at the tender age of 19
Neymar announced the birth of his son with then-girlfriend Carolina Dantas on social media. Neymar was only 19 at that time and played for the Brazilian club, Santos. He seemingly shares a close bond with his son Davy Lucca, regularly posting photographs with him.
These were some, not so well-known facts about Neymar. He just turned 29 in February and is in his prime form. Based on rumours, he’s also set to sign a new contract with PSG. Barcelona fans can squash their hopes of a Messi-Neymar reunion.