While he was receiving the 2013 confederations cup golden ball, the commentators were saying something like this. Something like, finally Messi and Ronaldo have found a competitor. He is Neymar Jr. and will play for Barcelona upcoming season. Brazil received 15,000 fan signatures for Neymar's inclusion in the Brazil World Cup squad in 2010. Pele also recommended him for inclusion in the team. But Dunga thought otherwise. He thought Neymar was too young to give a chance in the team. The following year, after playing in Santos in 2011, he entered the Ballon d'Or elite list.
No one has seen someone getting so much limelight from playing outside of Europe in recent years. He became popular for The Puskas Award he won and for his slightly more varied hairstyles. Besides, he made his debut in Brazil. In addition to scoring goals, he also plays great.
At a very young age, he wore the traditional number 10 jersey of Brazil. Barcelona and Real Madrid both were fighting to get him. In the end, Barca was able to get him in the team. This transfer is a huge controversy. Allegedly Josep Maria Bartemeu spent actually 150 million euros. Whereas the reported fee was somewhere near 45 million euros. Before Neymar went to Europe, he got a chance to introduce yourself on the world stage. In the Confederations Cup. There he proved to the world, that yes, Brazil has found its new samba dancer. Scoring against the likes of Buffon and Casillas, and winning the golden ball beating the likes of Andreas Iniesta. Neymar would go on to be announced as the Man of the Match in his first El Classico.
Him being Messi and Ronaldo's direct was again proved when he matched their goal tally in a single champions league campaign. He made Brazil dream. The whole of Brazil. A dream of something great with Brazil in his first World Cup. If it wasn't for that injury in the quarter finals, maybe the story would have been a little different. He have to be satisfied with the bronze boot in that World Cup. The current era is undoubtedly Messi and Ronaldo. He has never been equal to them. Yet there must be some combination of magical talent and skill in creating the world's third biggest fanbase after Messi Ronaldo. Many people have hated him in the last few years for leaving Barca, along with the Argentina-Brazil rivalry.
You never judge Ronaldinho by his stats, do you? Because yes goals are important in football, but some footballers are artists. People come to the stadium to see their skill, their show as they dance past the defenders with the ball at their feet. Neymar is a player of that style. Take Messi Ronaldo aside, Neymar may be one of the consistent and impactful performers of the last decade. Between the two superstars, this star may have just seemed smaller. If he doesn't win the Ballon d'Or, he is always trolled. The calculation is very simple. Because everyone has thought that he could win a Ballon d'Or during the Messi Ronaldo era. He had that talent or ability.
Maybe he couldn't win it for some reason. There could be many reasons. We can't deny or diminish his achievements or football talent. Many great legendary players could not win the ballon d'Or. But he has won the admiration and love of the spectators. If you are a true football fan, you can never dislike Neymar.
Even though, those who hate him, they hate him either because he plays in their rival team, or because they are Barcelona fans, well, because Neymar left them. Whether or not quitting Barcelona was a bad decision or not for him, we are not to judge, we are merely spectators. And Neymar sure has held his end of the deal with us.
