Neymar: The modern totem of Samba football

Among the brilliant galaxies of Brazilian football, Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior is undoubtedly the most controversial and striking existence. This genius who came out of the slum of St. Paul redefines the tactical value of modern wingers with magical dribbles. He created the first football super IP in the era of social media, but also wrote a unique legend in the whirlpool of controversy. When we turn our attention to this phenomenal figure in football with a cumulative value of more than 400 million euros, we will find that he is not only an athlete, but also a living specimen for the commercialization of football in the era of globalization.

1. Santos: The birth of New Pele

On February 5, 1992, Neymar was born in Mokidas Cruzis, São Paulo. The genes of his father who was a professional player were perfectly passed on him. On the futsal field, the young Neymar showed an amazing sense of ball, and those improvisations in a small space became the original prototype of his iconic movements in the future. In 2003, 11-year-old Neymar conquered the youth training coach in Real Madrid's trial, but failed to stay because he was too young. This seemingly setback experience actually made the most gorgeous bloom in Brazil's football history.

The yellow jerseys of Santos youth training camp seem to have magic, and legends such as Bailey and Robinho have been revealed here. He signed his first professional contract at the age of 15 and won his first goal at the age of 17. Neymar's rise trajectory is like the Rockets taking off. In the 2011 South American Liberators Cup, at the age of 19, he led the team to win the championship and won the MVP. Behind the 24-goal data in 38 games are those "Rainbow Extra" and "Oxtail" that make the defenders desperate. The then Santos coach, Merrisci, had an accurate and poetic evaluation: "He asked the defenders not only to fight against his feet, but also to fight against his own shadow. "

2. Camp Nou's alchemy

in 2013, the transfer to Barcelona for 57 million euros, marking Neymar's official appearance on the center stage of world football. Beside Messi, he completed the transformation from a talented boy to a tactical core. The MSN combination (Messi, Suarez, Neymar) swept Europe in the 2014-15 season, and Neymar contributed 39 goals and 11 assists in the trio championship. The first record against Bayern in the Champions League semi-finals and the fatal blow against Juventus in the final showed his traits of a big scene. Guardiola once commented: "When Neymar dribbled the ball, the air in the entire Camp Nou will become different. "

But this journey is not smooth. The vertebrae fractures in the 2014 World Cup, the gonorrhea scandal in 2015, and the tax dispute in 2016, and the off-site storm has always been with me. When he scored four goals in the epic game of the Champions League 6-1 reversal of Paris on February 14, 2017, people realized that this big boy who loves to play Pokemon GO had long grown into a true leader.

3. Paris: The 220 million euro business totem

The record 220 million euro transfer in 2017 pushed Neymar to the forefront. In Paris, he is both a tactical core and a commercial signboard. His terrifying data of 28 goals and 16 assists in 28 games in his first season confirms that "worth the money". He led the team to the Champions League finals for the first time in the 2019-20 season, and renewed his contract in 2021 to an annual salary of 50 million euros in 2025, which is rewriting the history of football economy. But frequent injuries (absent over 100 games in five years) and party storms have never stopped.

At the tactical level, Neymar completed the transformation from the wing point to the frontcourt libero. In the 2022-23 season, he averaged 3.2 opportunities and completed 6.7 successful passes, leading the five major leagues in both statistics. The score on the heel against Lille and the continuous picks against Marseille proved that he is still evolving at the age of 32.

4. The Yellow-Shirted Army's Road to Redemption

Neymar, who is wearing Brazil No. 10, carries the expectations of the entire country. 2013 Federation Cup MVP, 2014 World Cup battle with injuries, 2016 Olympic gold medal hero, 2018 World Cup fouls number one, 2022 World Cup penalty nightmare - his national team trajectory is like a roller coaster. The 79-goal report card in 127 games has surpassed Pele, but the regret of lacking a championship in the competition always exists.

Qatar World Cup quarter-finals against Croatia, Neymar's ground-breaking game could have been a god, but in the end he fell in front of the penalty spot. When the camera captured the scene of him kneeling and crying, the whole world understood this heavy feeling. Coach Tit's words are meaningful: "He is not only responsible for football, but also for a country's collective anxiety. "

5. The business empire beyond football

Off-game Neymar, who has created a new paradigm for athletes' IP operation. The 210 million fans on INS bring an average annual sponsorship revenue of US$27 million. The personal brand "NJR" covers multiple fields of clothing, e-sports, and music. The endorsement contracts with Red Bull and PUMA are full of creative elements. His live broadcast of "Operation Wild" game attracted 2 million viewers, and his collaborative singles with Drake exceeded 100 million. This cross-border commercial sense redefines the possibility of football stars.

But the controversy has never been far away: although the rape accusation in 2019 was revoked, it affected the image. The 500-person party was criticized during the fight against the epidemic in Paris in 2020, and rumors of gambling debts in 2023. These negative news forms a complex mirror with his investment in charity (cumulative donations of over $8 million), just like a microcosm of contemporary celebrity culture.

6. The guardian of football aesthetics

In modern football where pragmatism is prevalent, Neymar has always adhered to the artistry of Samba football. He made 7.3 attempts every 90 minutes, with a success rate of 58%. These two data have remained stable in the top five in Europe in the past five years. Those seemingly striking moves are actually powerful tools to break the defensive balance: in 2022, he used four consecutive "cycling" to create a winning shot; in the 2023 national derby, "no-viewing passes" were called "the visual magic of three-dimensional space" by the "Team News".

This persistence made him pay more of the price of being violated (average of 3.4 fouls per game in his career), but it also protects the viewing nature of football. As Wenger said: "Nemar's existence proves that beautiful football is still dominant in this era. "

Conclusion: Unfinished epic

When Messi at the age of 34, Ronaldo at the age of 38, he still scored goals in Saudi Arabia, and Neymar at the age of 31 is standing at the crossroads of his career. His story is full of contradictions: the genius closest to Mero, but is trapped by injuries; the player with the highest commercial value is often trapped in the whirlpool of public opinion; the striker with the most gorgeous technology always misses the champion. But perhaps it is this imperfection that makes him the most discussed football symbol of this era.

At the end of the documentary "Nemar: Perfect Chaos", he said to the camera: "I want to plant dreams in the hearts of children, just like Ronaldo and Romario did for me." This Brazilian, who always has a bright smile, is still writing his own legend - on the green field, in the business territory, in the imagination of countless teenagers about football. When he hangs his boots one day, people will finally understand: Neymar has never been surpassed because he himself is a unique annotation of football in this era.