5 Things You Didn't Know About Neymar

Love him or hate him, you cannot debate the fact that Neymar Jr. is one of the best footballers in the world. His dribbling skills and ability on the ball can hardly be matched by anyone, and since the last few years he has been scoring for fun as well.

Neymar is seen as the great hope of Brazilian football. The messiah who will deliver them the World Cup for the sixth time.

He is also one of the biggest stars in football today. In fact, in 2017 Paris St-Germain shattered the transfer fee record by signing Neymar from FC Barcelona for a whopping €222 million.

Neymar has already achieved a lot in football and with age on his side he is still to achieve a lot more. By the time he decides to hang up his boots, he will surely be one of the best to ever play the game. So on that note, let's take a look at 5 things you didn't know about the Brazilian superstar.

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#5. He has an award that Messi has never won

Neymar and Messi were teammates at FC Barcelona.

Lionel Messi is widely considered as the greatest player in the history of football. The Argentine has done everything that there is. Neymar has a long way to go before he can be compared with the Argentine genius, but there is one thing that Neymar has done that Messi has failed to do so over the years. He has won the Puskas award that is given by FIFA for the best goal of the year.

Neymar won the Puskas in 2011 for the epic goal he scored for Santos against Flamengo while playing in the Brazilian League. Surprisingly, Messi is yet to win the award despite being known for scoring magical goals on a consistent basis. All five of his nominations have come in a losing effort.

#4 He became a father at just 19!

Neymar with his son.

Fans of Neymar will be aware that the Brazilian has a son. Neymar constantly shares pictures of himself with his son on social media and the two clearly enjoy a beautiful relationship. But what most people don't realize is how young Neymar was when he became a father.

Neymar was just 19 years old when his son, Davi Lucca, as born. This is another thing at which Neymar has managed to beat Messi, whose first son was born when he was 25 years old.

Surprisingly, Neymar also shares a weird connection with Cristiano Ronaldo in this regard. Neither of them has revealed the identity of the mother of their first child in order to 'protect the mother and the child'.

#3 He scored his 100th professional goal on his 20th birthday

Neymar began his professional career at Santos.

Most players would struggling to make the first team of their clubs at the age of 20. Neymar Jr. is quite clearly not like most players though. In fact, the Brazilian scored his 100th professional goal on his 20th birthday.

On February 2012, Neymar marked his 20th birthday in a way that most footballers can only dream of. The fact that he had already scored 100 goals as a professional footballer at such a tender age is just mind-boggling.

Surprisingly, the goal did not come from one of those mazy runs that Neymar is famous for. Instead it came from a weapon that he rarely uses to put the ball into the net: his head.

#2 West Ham were prepared to break their transfer record for a 18-year-old Neymar

Neymar could have ended up in the English Premier League.

Neymar has always been highly regarded in football circles. But there were concerns about how he would transition into the European style of football considering his skinny frame. Though these concerns did not stop West Ham United from submitting a bid for the Brazilian when he was just starting to bloom at Santos.

In 2010, when West Ham submitted a £12 million bid for a 18-year-old Neymar, it was their all time transfer record. But the Hammers were so sure of the Brazilian's ability that they were even prepared to break their own transfer record just to get their hands on him.

In fact, West Ham United were the first European club ever to bid for Neymar. And although Santos rejected the bid, a host of European clubs had already caught wind of Neymar's talents because of it.

#1 He could have joined Real Madrid at the age of 14

A young Neymar on Real Madrid trial.

Since Neymar's departure from Barcelona, he has been constantly linked with a move to their eternal rivals Real Madrid. Neymar is seen by Real Madrid fans as the guy who will fill the gap left behind by Cristiano Ronaldo.

But a fact that most fans are not aware of is that Neymar's move to Real Madrid could have happened so much earlier. As a matter of fact, a 14-year-old Neymar had even flown to Spanish capital for Real Madrid trials.

And after impressing the youth coaches, Real Madrid were prepared to offer him a place in their youth academy. But Neymar's family was not sure of him growing up away from his motherland. His dad, Neymar Sr., would later on reveal how the family decided that it was best for Neymar to grow among his own people in Brazil.

So, the move to Real Madrid never materialised and Neymar returned back home to Santos. The rest as they say is history.