10 Astonishing Facts About The Flag-Bearer Of The New-Age Samba Boys Neymar
Often regarded as the poster boy for the new-age Samba boys, Neymar has seen a prolific rise in his career. From being a young Brazilian starlet to playing for Barcelona alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to joining Paris Saint-Germain for a record-breaking fee of €222million, the player has been through a lot.
Some call him over-hyped while some consider him the face of modern-day Brazilian football but regardless of what one feels about him, there is no denying that he is one of the most influential stars of this generation.
Boasting of millions of fans worldwide, Neymar’s trickery and creativity on the field has established him as a superstar but how well do you really know him?
As per an infographic from the Betting Sites team, here are 10 facts we bet you did not know about the PSG frontman.
1. As a youngster, Neymar was extremely skinny and highly-addicted to junk food and yet today he proudly stands as the third-most highly paid footballer in the world.
2. Neymar has a six-year-old child with an unknown woman and he pays about $15,000 on a monthly basis for child support. That’s not all, he also gifted the mother a penthouse in Santos which is roughly estimated to be worth $1million.
3. During the 2010 World Cup, there was actually an online petition signed by 14,000 fans demanding Brazil to include Neymar in their squad but unfortunately, he was not a part of it back then.
4. In his career so far, Neymar has amassed a whopping 132 goals in 209 appearances. At PSG, the 25-year-old has already scored 17 goals and 13 assists in 19 appearances and there is no limiting what he can achieve by the end of the season. In fact, in 2014, he was the top-scorer in the UEFA Champions League.
5. One of the most popular stars on social media, Neymar has 81.5million followers on Instagram and 60.8million fans on Facebook. As per demographics, most of his fans hail from Brazil, Mexico and India.
6. Known for being quite camera-friendly, Neymar endorses several brands like Beats by Dr Dre, Nike, Gaga Milano, Replay Jeans, Panasonic, Gillette and Red Bull. In fact, he is estimated to earn around $22million from endorsements alone.
7. Neymar seems to have developed a taste for good life. The player owns a private jet worth $6million purchased in 2010 and he bought an Italian yacht for $8million.
8. We all have some moments of weaknesses where we end up buying random things but Neymar took it to a whole other level when he bought 16 watches worth $180,000 from a Gaga Milano boutique in Tokyo in a single visit.
9. That might seem bizarre but he also gives back in abundance. He opened Neymar Junior Charity School in 2014 which now offers free classes to about 2300 kids. The institution also teamed up with PayPal to bring clean water to Brazil.
10. Neymar’s fan following can get so crazy that he was once locked up by his security in an airport toilet to keep him away from fans.