Emblematic player of Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazilian selection, Neymar divides and arouses dispute. Since he put his suitcases in the French capital, many people wonder about his ability to stay at the highest level of world football.
Therefore, is he so strong as we say? Does his potential allow him to register his name in the Pantheon of legendary players? Does he have the means and resources to befriend Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi ? On Fifa 20 Neymar is rated 92.
A phenomenon of extraordinary precocity
Spotted very early on by the Santos club, in 2003, he impressed from his early years. With incomparable technical ease, he eliminates his opponents with ease and obtains many scoring opportunities. Its precocity feeds all the fantasies of the Brazilian press.
In 2009, he turned professional in the same club and scored in his second match. As an individual, he scored 14 goals in 48 games this season. He continued his ascent the following year in the Brazilian championship and was selected to play in the Seleção.
In his first match in the selection, against the United States, he scored a header on a cross from André Santos. Very quickly, the football world ignites around the Neymar case. The auctions are soaring and the offers from the biggest European teams are multiplying. To protect his star, the Santos club sets a release clause in the amount of 45 million and renegotiates his contract upwards.
Neymar is now propelled into a new dimension: that of the promising football players of tomorrow. At the end of 2010, his club performances made him the best South American player of the year. In 2011, he won the Copa Libertadores, the equivalent of our Champions League. Legends of the round ball such as Pelé or Ronaldo advise him to go to Real Madrid, to try his luck in the toughest championship in the world.
On the advice of those around him, he decides to extend the Brazilian experience for a few more years. The club announces that he will not leave the club until after the 2014 World Cup. Finally, he reconsiders his decision and signs in 2013 at FC Barcelona, affirming his wish to evolve alongside Lionel Messi. Presented to supporters on June 3, 2013 and quickly adopted by his teammates, he quickly became one of the three stars of the team.
This meteoric and irresistible rise makes Neymar a special case in world football. Indeed, few players have marked the spirits so much at all stages of their young careers.
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A rich but incomplete track record
If you want to sit at the table of the best players in the world, you have to have a record as long as your arm. Neymar has gleaned many titles during his passages in the various championships of the globe.
He has twice won La Liga and La ligue 1 , several times the Spanish Cup, the League Cup and the Coupe de France. He is also one of the architects of the victory of FC Barcelona in the final of the Champions League in 2015 and the Club World Cup the same year. At the same time, he reached the semi-final of the World Cup in 2014.
However, if this list is at first glance attractive, it remains well below that of the best players in the world today. Ronaldo, for comparison, won six Champions League and Messi five.
As for the individual rewards, the two sacred monsters of the decade share ten golden balloons while Neymar has not won any. His best ranking is a fifth place in 2013 and 2016. He will have to improve on this point if he wishes to touch the stars of his sport.
Very high quality and intelligence of the game
Neymar is one of the best players of his generation on the ball. If Lionel Messi hovers above his rivals in the matter, the Brazilian is not left out. Capable of deploying a varied technical palette, he is a true virtuoso of the field. Many defenders say it is difficult to follow him without making a mistake. The temptation is great to cut him off in his effort with a tackle slipped maliciously and subtly. But doing it without getting a yellow card is quite an achievement.
Among his greatest strengths are his outstanding ball handling, his ability to accelerate throughout the duration of the match and his creativity. These characteristics make him a formidable player and feared by his opponents. Certainly, the physical aspect of his game has many areas for improvement.
It sometimes lacks commitment and percussion in the phases of play. However, its resistance to effort, its speed and technical agility largely compensate for its weak points. His head game, too, can be perfected.
Another strong point of the Brazilian star is his punching quality. He is capable of registering set pieces at various points in the game and frequently delivers caviar to his teammates. His presence within 30 meters of the opposing goal is synonymous with danger for the goalkeepers.
Added to this is an unparalleled quality of the pass: whether they are short, long, rounded or diagonally, the Brazilian prodigy knows how to do it all. He is at the same time an indisputable goalscorer, a master of the game and a decisive passer. Versatility that makes him an excellent international player.
The last element that we wish to mention is his vision of the game. Neymar is also a strategist, a chess player, able to anticipate phases of the game and to cause shifts in the defense by millimeter passes. An exceptional troublemaker!