Numerous things have been written about the Brazilian superstar Neymar – his talent, idiosyncrasies, and challenging personality. Some adore him, while others criticize him. However, there are undoubtedly many things we still don’t know about him. Here, we present you with ten intriguing facts about Neymar that are relatively unknown to most people.
He narrowly escaped death
In early childhood, Neymar could have died in a car accident. When he was only 4 months old, he miraculously survived a head-on collision with another car, along with his father and mother. His parents initially thought they had lost him since they couldn’t see him in the car after the crash. In fact, the baby had fallen under the seat, and he had a glass injury on his forehead.
Neymar became a father at a young age
Neymar became a father at the age of 19. His girlfriend at the time, Carolina Dantas, gave birth to their son, Davi Lucca. Despite his young age, the footballer didn’t abandon the child, despite advice from the legend Ronaldo. Neymar was happy to have a child.
Close call with Manchester City
English club West Ham was one of the first European clubs to notice the talent of the young forward. In 2010, they offered Santos £16 million for him, but their offer was rejected. However, this caught the attention of other, bigger clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City.
The first Brazilian on the cover of “Time” magazine
Neymar is the first Brazilian athlete to appear on the cover of “Time” magazine. His compatriots, Pele and Ronaldo, have achieved more impressive feats than Neymar, but they didn’t manage to capture the attention of American journalists.
Mourinho hindered his move to Real Madrid?
“I convinced Neymar to stay by telling him that the Real Madrid coach, Jose Mourinho, would make him cut his hair short. With us, he can do whatever he likes with his hair,” said the then-president of the Brazilian club, Luis Alvaro de Oliveira.
He has fired coaches in his career
In 2010, during a match against Atletico Goianiense, Neymar won a penalty for Santos. However, coach Dorival Junior didn’t allow him to take the penalty and even forbade him from doing so. Neymar got angry and walked off the field in protest. The coach wanted to fine him for his actions, but Santos’ management decided to…fire the coach.
Neymar’s first salary
Santos was Neymar’s first professional club. His first salary was only 10,000 reais (around 2,600 euros). Due to the modest earnings, his family lived in a small house at his grandmother’s place in the suburb of “San Vicente.” Once Neymar signed a professional contract, he bought an apartment for his family in Santos. Nowadays, Neymar’s salary is more than enough not just for himself but also for future generations.
Almost joined Manchester City
At one point, “The Citizens” were leading the race for Neymar. In 2013, they presented the Brazilian with specially designed boots adapted for playing in rain and mud. This was because Neymar had previously stated that he wouldn’t be able to show his best in the UK due to the weather. City’s sporting director, Txiki Begiristain, turned the negative into a positive and gave him this gift.
Fans were ready to revolt for him
In 2010, Neymar wasn’t called up to Brazil’s national team for the World Cup. Fans were furious about this fact and gathered over 14,000 signatures demanding his inclusion in the squad. Unfortunately, the signatures weren’t enough to force the manager, Carlos Dunga, to listen to the people. Brazil’s World Cup campaign ended in failure.
Locked in the restroom by fans
Once, fans were so rowdy in their attempts to get an autograph from the star that his security guards locked him in the airport restroom. Neymar stayed in the restroom for about an hour until the crowd dispersed.
