For those of who are fans of soccer (or football if you so choose to call it such), then you probably know that there is a star striker out in the country of Spain by the name of Neymar, who has been an electrifying player in La Liga BBVA for the club FC Barcelona. Believe it or not, Neymar Jr. and I share some things in common: we both play association football, we're both 5' 9", we're 23 years old, and we're both good looking guys. Well, OK. I guess that's not all true in that he plays professionally and I play as Neymar in the EA Sports' FIFA video game franchise. Also, I'm pretty sure that my annual salary per month is simple chump change compared to Neymar's new contract offer from Barcelona, which is reported to be a five year deal worth £182 million (over $280 million in the US). The point is this: I've seen this guy play against my favorite team, Real Madrid, every time they've matched up and he has always been exciting and quite a spectacular player. In fact, the kid from Brazil may just be the new face of FIFA over in a few years.
OK, now I know a lot you're heads just exploded and some of you may have just started screaming at the screen because we all know who is one the cover of FIFA every year and who is the biggest star in world in football: of course it's fellow Barcelona teammate and Captain Lionel Messi. But to be honest, is it not fair to say that if Neymar was on a team like Juventus, Chelsea or AC Milan, that he would probably be right up there with Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi? Because I have to say, the kid's got the skill sets, vision, leadership, and style to be right there with them all the way. From watching him play, and I know how crazy this will sound to all my Brazilians readers especially, he seems to have the quickness and agility to handle the ball like the legendary Brazilian footballer Garrincha, who was known for his amazing dribbling skills and footwork when handling the ball against his opponents. But when it comes to Neymar's finishing ability, flair, and style when going for the score, I see that spark that was set in motion by the legendary footballer Pelé.
Once again, I know I just made the entire Internet world go ballistic with those comments, especially those in Brazil. But I've seen the Pelé and Garrincha highlights on sports channels and YouTube, and I cannot find any other players that I could compare him to that I felt would do him justice and vice versa. Even Pelé himself stated that he felt Neymar was the world's most talented player. That's gotta count for something, right? I would say so, but Pelé did also say that he felt that Neymar "would never replace him as the footballing 'king'" which is understandable when you consider what Pelé's career turned out to be and how much he's accomplished (Todd). But even still, Neymar is only 23 years and has had an incredible run thus far. There's no telling what the ceiling for him could possibly be by the time he's actually in his prime form around 27-28 years old. Already, Neymar Jr. has scored 139 career goals in about 7 years of playing from Santos and Barcelona. I can't imagine if he or his family or anyone really saw him becoming such an amazing rising star when he fist stepped on the scene at about 16 years old.
Some think so highly of Neymar that they are willing to throw out any kind of outlandish number in order to try and maybe peak his interest in coming to play for their club. In particular, it's been one club that has been buzzing around and about to try and land the young Brazilian: Manchester United. The Red Devils of Old Trafford were trying to make a bid for the young man for some time now throughout the summer transfer window. On August 24th, 2015, all the web pages that I have linked to my Facebook and Twitter profile about FIFA and soccer were all up and about on how Man United was willing to make an offer £240 million deal (over $369 million in the US) for Neymar to make the jump over in the red and white kit. Oh come on! The reason for the cost is because of the £130 million buy-out clause that he has attached to himself that makes it impossible for that type of money to be spend, especially when you consider taxes and the money that he will be making over the next five years.
Regardless of how you feel, Neymar Jr. is probably going to be at Barcelona for the long haul as the man who will eventually become the focal point after Messi's career is over. To many, he's probably not really the best thing in the game of football right now, but he's getting there and rising at a very rapid rate. There is no doubt in my mind that with his set of skills and ability to play the game, he will have a nice collection in his trophy case by the time his career is said and done. And of course, I don't always have all the full details on Neymar Jr. as I am still trying to learn and understand the game from a deeper and more well-rounded position so that I can write and talk more about the sport that I have begun to grow a great affection and respect for over these past few years. Again, I may be wrong about everything I've just said about his future and just how good he is, but who knows since he is only 23 years old and seems to be good enough that most clubs were drooling at the mouth when they heard he was available for a transfer from Santos. All I guess I can really say is: I wish he still had that mohawk.
video uploaded to YouTube by talkSPORT
Benson, Michael. "Man United Neymar Video: 'You Think I'd Swap Messi and Suarez for Rooney and Young?'*." TalkSPORT. TalkSPORT, 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
MailOnline, Oliver Todd for. "Neymar Will Never Be Able to Replace Me as Brazil's Iconic Football 'king', Says Pele." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 26 Mar. 2015. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
