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Neymar Jr leaves Paris Saint-Germain to sign for Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. In six seasons in the French capital, the Brazilian international left his mark on the history of Paris Saint-Germain.
Born on February 5, 1992 in Mogi das Cruzes, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, Neymar Jr signed for Santos FC in 2003, where he played for the club’s youth teams. Six years later, he made his first-team debut. With Santos, the technically gifted Brazilian striker quickly became a star player. He was soon called up to the Brazilian national team, and in his first match for his country on 10 August 2010, he scored his first goal in a 2-0 victory over the United States.
After scoring 71 goals and picking up 37 assists in 138 matches with Santos, the Auriverde international left for Europe, to join FC Barcelona in the summer of 2013, after winning the Confederations Cup with Brazil. That same summer, he won his first trophy in Europe, taking home the Spanish Super Cup. One year later, the Brazilian number 10 played in his first FIFA World Cup, in his motherland. Neymar Jr scored four goals before picking up an injury in the quarterfinal.
After four seasons with the Blaugrana, during which he scored 105 times and provided 76 assists in 186 appearances, the Brazilian prodigy was sold to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017. In his first season with the Rouge & Bleu, Neymar Jr made an immediate impact. He made 30 appearances, scoring 28 goals, picking up 16 assists and winning three titles (Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue).
Over the seasons, he would add four Ligue 1 titles (2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023), two Coupes de France (2020 and 2021), a Coupe de la Ligue (2020) and three Trophées des Champions (2018, 2020 and 2022). An impressive record, illustrated by statistics that are just as impressive.
During his six years in the capital, the Brazilian striker racked up 118 goals in 173 matches, making him Paris Saint-Germain’s fourth all-time highest scorer. Beyond the statistics, he has thrilled the Parc des Princes crowd with some of his trademark technical skill. At the same time, Neymar Jr has also gone down in the history of the Seleção. With 77 goals in 124 caps, he is currently his country’s joint top scorer, on a par with a certain Pele.
“It is always difficult to say goodbye to an amazing player like Neymar, one of the best players in the world, said Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, President and CEO of Paris Saint-Germain. I will never forget the day he arrived at Paris Saint-Germain, and what he has contributed to our Club and our project over the last 6 years. We had a great moment and Neymar will always be a big part of our history. I would like to thank Neymar and his family. We wish Neymar all the very best for the future and his next adventure.”
