Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, or Neymar for short, is one of soccer’s biggest names, one who has more than 360 million social media followers, and a player who enjoys the finer things in life. The 31-year-old Brazilian superstar, who has a net worth in the region of $250 million, recently agreed to transfer from French team Paris Saint-Germain to Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia. Al-Hilal is paying Paris Saint-Germain a staggering $97.93 million for Neymar, and the Saudi club has agreed to an incredible package for Neymar and his entourage.
The Saudi Pro League was not a soccer competition that you would read about in the best online sportsbook reviews up to a few months ago. The Saudi Arabian men’s national team is ranked 54th globally, pitting them alongside soccer minnows like Burkina Faso, Mali, and Qatar. However, the Saudi Pro League suddenly became a household name in soccer circles when Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo put pen to paper on a $4.33 million per week contract with Al-Nassr. Dozens of elite-level players from the Premier League and Europe’s top-flight teams have since joined Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, with Neymar being the latest high-profile signing.
Neymar’s Crazy Salary and Demands
Neymar is widely considered one of the best players in the world and one of the best Brazilian players of his generation. Scoring goals wins soccer matches; few players score as many goals as the talented Brazilian. Neymar is one of only three players in history to score at least 100 goals for three different teams, which is one reason he demands a ridiculous salary and package whenever he transfers to a new club.
The first thing that blows your mind with Neymar’s deal is his astronomical salary. Al-Hilal is paying the Brazilian forward $3.38 million per week, which equates to $333 per minute, or $5.55 every second! You would think that with such a vast income, Neymar could afford to fund his luxury lifestyle, but why pay for such things yourself when you have a mega-rich employer willing to foot the bill?
In addition to Neymar’s almost unbelievable salary, Al-Hilal is building him a 25-room mansion featuring three saunas and a vast swimming pool. Five full-time staff, including a live-in sous chef and two cleaners, will be at Neymar’s beck and call, ensuring he does not have to worry about anything other than playing soccer.
Neymar demanded, and is receiving, a fleet of luxury cars, including a Lamborghini Huracan, for him and his family to use, while Al-Hilal is providing Neymar and his entourage a private jet for whenever he or his family want to travel! Additionally, Al-Hilal is paying for any travel and accommodation for Neymar, his family, and his entourage whenever he has a day off from playing soccer.
The Meteoric Rise of Neymar
Neymar was born on February 5, 1992, in Modi das Cruzes, Brazil. Like many young Brazilians, Neymar honed his skills by playing futsal and street football. A combination of natural talent and countless hours of practicing resulted in Neymar becoming an extremely skillful player, and those skills did not go unnoticed. Although he also gained a reputation for diving and winning fouls, his supreme talent shone through, making him the most sought-after player of his generation.
He joined Portuguesa Santista‘s youth team as a seven-year-old and stayed with them for four years before Santos, the club famous for developing the late soccer legend Pele, pulled out all the stops to have Neymar among its ranks. By age 15, Santos was paying Neymar 10,000 reais per month ($2,000). A year later, his monthly salary increased to 12,500 reais ($25,000) before Neymar signed his first professional contract at 17, and sponsorship deals came flooding in.
Neymar scored 136 goals in 225 games for Santos between 2009 and 2012, an impressive record that attracted interest from the world’s biggest soccer teams. FC Barcelona of Spain paid Santos €86.2 million ($97.78 million), and he became an immediate success, scoring 105 goals in 186 appearances for the Catalan giants.
Paris Saint-Germain forked out a world record €222 million ($241.51 million) for the Brazilian in 2017. Neymar spent six seasons with the French outfit, but injuries limited him to only 173 games, although he scored 118 goals.
Al-Hilal paid Paris Saint-Germain €90 million ($97.93 million) for Neymar in August 2023. Among his new teammates are two Brazilians, Malcom and Michael, plus former Premier League stars Kalidou Koulibaly and Ruben Neves, the latter two having joined Al-Hilal this summer.
Neymar has been a constant fixture in the Brazilian national team since making his international debut in 2010. To date, Neymar has scored 77 goals in 124 appearances for Brazil.
Neymar’s Personal Life
Neymar is a religious person who follows the Pentecostal branch of Christianity. He gives 10% of his income to his church and is often seen wearing religious symbols or a headband emblazoned with the words “100% Jesus.”
The soccer star became a father in August 2011 when his former girlfriend, Carolina Dantas, gave birth to their son, Davi Lucca. Neymar enjoys a close relationship with his sister, Rafaella Beckran, and has a tattoo of her face on his arm.
Outside of football, Neymar is a fashionista and is always seen in public with high-end designed garments. French designer Balmain is a hot favorite of Neymar’s, as is Louis Vuitton.
Neymar’s other passion is high-powered cars, and he boats a collection of vehicles with a combined net worth of several million dollars. In addition to supercars like the Audi R8 and Porsche Panamera Turbo, Neymar also owns a Maserati MC12 (only 400 were ever made), an ultra-rare Aston Martin Vulcan worth $2.3 million, and a custom Lamborghini Veneno. The Lamborghini is one of only three ever made and is currently valued at $11 million! There is no doubt that Neymar will add to his collection of rare supercars during his time in Saudi Arabia.
