[SPORTS] Information About Neymar

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Neymar scored his 100^th professional goal on his 20^th birthday in 2012 and finished the year with a career-best total of 43. That year, Santos also won its third straight league title. In 2013, Neymar became the first Brazilian athlete to grace the cover of Time with his appearance on the March 4 issue.

FC Barcelona

In May 2013, Neymar announced he was making the leap to Europe with a transfer to FC Barcelona, a powerful club that at the time featured superstar Argentine striker Lionel Messi and several members of the Spanish national team.

Neymar lived up to his billing with Barcelona, giving the loaded Spanish club yet another gifted all-around talent. He scored an amazing 39 goals during the 2014-15 season, helping the club achieve the coveted treble by claiming league, domestic cup, and European Cup titles. The following year, one week after Barcelona became La Liga champs, he scored in extra time to propel the club to another Copa Del Rey title.

Paris Saint-Germain

Following a controversial transfer and a world record deal of 222 million euros, Neymar began playing for Paris Saint-Germain in August 2017. His tenure with the French club got off to a promising start, before he suffered the broken foot that ended his season after 30 games. Neymar then suffered another foot injury the following season, though he recovered in time to help his club win the Ligue 1 title.

Already known for his theatrics on the pitch, Neymar came under fire for his behavior during his second season with PSG. He criticized the officials following a Champions League loss to Manchester United in March, drawing a three-game suspension for upcoming Champions League play. The following month, after another loss, Neymar got into an altercation with a fan who was insulting the PSG players.

Neymar and teammate Kylian Mbappé generated some traction over the seasons, and expectations soared in 2021 when Messi joined the squad. However, PSG still hasn’t won the Champions League title.

To start the 2023-24 season, Neymar missed PSG’s August season opener in the French league due to illness. The next day, reports surfaced about a deal to send the Brazilian to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal club. The trade was executed within days. Neymar left PSG as its fourth all-time highest scorer, with 118 goals in 173 matches.

Al-Hilal

On August 15, 2023, Neymar joined Al-Hilal, a club based in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh. He joins Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Arabian league on a two-year contract. Exact terms haven’t been released, but early reports indicate Al-Hilal is paying a transfer fee between 80 million and 160 million euros ($102 million to $175 million). Both are a considerable jump down from the record-setting 222 million euros PSG paid to acquire the forward from Barcelona in 2017. ESPN reports Neymar’s annual salary will be around $100 million.

Al-Hilal’s next game is on August 19. No word on whether Neymar will take the field in his new blue and white uniform.

Brazil National Team

Neymar has played for the Brazilian national team since August 2010. He’s tied with Pelé as the country’s leading goal scorer, with with 77 goals in 124 games.