The career of Neymar Jr. is without a doubt filled with a lot of positive and negative moments. Most of the time modern-day footballers have not seen a career full of positive traits such as great dribbles and great skills, and also negative attributes such as bad dives. The life of Neymar is probably the closest to a sports movie, with great moments, bad moments of life, and conflict all around you.
The Rise to Fame
Neymar Jr. was born in the city of Sao Paulo, and it did not take long for people to realize that this kid had high potential in football. Most teenage boys dream of becoming a football star, and Neymar did exactly that. Upon finishing his teenage years, Neymar Jr. was already being compared to the great Pele, having just won the Copa Libertadores. His incredible and creative plays that involved a lot of flair earned him the recognition of a national as well as global marketing icon, and he had not even set foot in Europe.

The year 2013 was the time period in which Neymar Jr. was able to be signed to FC Barcelona, which was the most awaited moment in his life. The football world was eager to know if Neymar was able to dribble a football as well as he did with his skills in South America, and their question was answered quite a lot as well.
The Highlights of his Career in Barcelona
Not only was Neymar Jr. great in Barcelona, but he was also the most glorious player on the team.
While playing with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, the group known as MSN has been known to inflict terror on opponents while having no issues scoring goals. In Messi’s first masterpiece season on European soil, the 2014-2015 season, he was able to deliver in the Champions League with one of the key performances in the victory over Juventus during the final.

During this time, Neymar was not just one of Messi’s opponents, as he would often be the center of attention for important games, proving that he was able to stand next to the best in the world. With his amazing football skills and goal scoring, he was without a doubt in the top three players of the world during that time.
The Glitter and Frustration at PSG
In 2017, Neymar shocked the football world by transferring to PSG for what seemed to be a never-before-seen price. The transfer was about not starting as a supporting actor in a movie but instead wanting the leading role. However, the reality has been more difficult.

The transfer was about not starting as a supporting actor in a movie but instead wanting the leading role. However, the reality has been more difficult. His 2020 season was without a doubt one of the best stretches of European football he was able to play since his time in Barcelona. In that season, PSG was able to reach the final of the Champions League. The individual brilliance and Ligue 1 titles, accompanied by his PSG performances, were the reasons why many forget about the almost half a billion euros PSG spent on his transfer and wages.
He seemed to always get injured at the worst times, especially when PSG needed to win do-or-die matches in the Champions League. He faced claims of being inconsistent, diving, or being unfocused even when he performed incredibly. He always seemed to injure himself just to create some kind of controversy right after he scored a phenomenal goal.
International Rollercoaster
The bond that Neymar shares with the Brazilian national team is as dazzling as his club career. He had a great showing in the 2014 World Cup that took place in Brazil, though some would say he brought Brazil great shame by not showing in the match against Germany after suffering a back injury during the tournament.
Neymar also helped Brazil capture the Olympic gold medal held in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 by the Maracanã stadium, therefore winning the World Cup with Brazil while also delivering the desired Maracanã moment. However, the Brazilian World Cup history is not something that can easily be overshadowed, even with all the great achievements he acquired in his career. Although he is the second-highest goal scorer of the Selecao, Neymar has always been criticized for his inability to win the World Cup, which is even more disappointing considering the footballing history Brazil has.
The Ongoing Narrative
The career of Neymar is full of controversy even while being a part of Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. Many have often asked themselves, are his ever-changing careers a result of bad luck on the choices he has made, or is him never reaching a peak in his career a result of him not maximizing his brilliance? The answer could likely be both.
In any case, Neymar is not a player that one can define only with numbers and trophies.
His flair, personality, and unpredictability have made him a cultural icon as much as a footballer. He balances the tension between artistry and ambition, and spectacle and substance. Regardless of how you feel about him, Neymar Jr. has made certain that his name will live on for many years to come.
While the highs in Neymar’s career have certainly gloated and flashed in world-class beauty, the lows have been excruciating and, at times, selfish. Who else could possibly make football feel like a beautiful ballet and an enticing theater at the same time? But the relentless doubts are that Neymar has created more astonishing moments in football than a majority of the players could ever dream of, making it so that his name will always ring in football.
His exploits in football have always been more about the enjoyment than the final outcome, and in this case the outcome has been a spectacle. Neymar provided an arena where players could experience the ultimate fusion of brilliance and stupidity.
