Neymar had not even touched the halfway point in his footballing career when he found himself among the best-paid and most marketable athletes on the planet.
The PSG star has already scored over 300 goals at club level and hit over a half-century for his country, with his decision to leave Barcelona for Paris making him the highest earner in European football.
The former Santos starlet is well on his way to becoming one of the wealthiest sportsmen of his era, but how do his earnings stack up when compared to the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo today?
Contents
- What is Neymar's net worth?
- How much does Neymar earn?
- What sponsorship deals does Neymar have?
- What businesses does Neymar have?
- What charity work does Neymar do?
What is Neymar's net worth?
| Net worth: | $95.5 million (£71.5m/€80m) |
| Source of wealth: | Football contracts, endorsement deals, investments |
| Date of Birth: | February 5, 1992 |
| Country of birth: | Brazil |
Neymar's net worth stood at $95 million in 2020 according to Forbes - a considerable figure, but still considerably less than Ronaldo and Messi.
It is still an impressive figure for his age and, considering his earning power, should continue to rise between his PSG salary and various endorsements.
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His status on the pitch and enduring popularity, particularly in Brazil, off it should ensure that the former Santos prodigy follows in the footsteps of his rivals and goes on to become one of the richest players of his generation.
How much does Neymar earn?
According to information uncovered by Football Leaks , Neymar initially earned an astonishing €36.8 million (£32m/$41m) a year at Parc des Princes - over €700,000 a week - when he joined in 2017.
That dwarfed the €300,000-a-week deal he signed with Barca in 2016 and moved him comfortably ahead of Ronaldo and Messi.
However, by 2020, Neymar had dropped below Messi in terms of earnings according to Forbes , though his reported $78 million a year salary was still higher than Ronaldo's at Juventus.
Neymar's PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe is some way behind those three, but the World Cup winner's earning power is now on par with that of players such as Paul Pogba and Mohamed Salah.
What sponsorship deals does Neymar have?
In 2016, Forbes estimated Neymar's earnings from endorsements at $21 million (€18m) annually, making him - based on his Barca salary at the time - the only active footballer earning more money off the pitch than on it.
Whereas Ronaldo and Messi's endorsements at that point accounted for 36% and 34% of their income respectively, Neymar's accounted for 61% of his pay.
That has changed now he has joined PSG but still speaks to his status as a marketing heavyweight - largely because of his huge presence in Brazil, where he appears on just about every product you can think of.
Whereas Messi has not always been as popular as you might expect in Argentina and Ronaldo comes from Portugal, a much smaller country, Neymar is an idol to 200 million.
For many years, Neymar was a Nike athlete, featuring prominently in their advertisement campaigns across the world, but, in 2020 he made the decision to end his partnership in order to work with Puma instead.
In teaming up with Puma, Neymar joins a roster which includes Antoine Griezmann and Sergio Aguero, and he follows in the footsteps of icons such as Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff and Pele.
Some of his other many sponsorship deals include partnerships with Gillette, Beats Electronics and Red Bull.
What businesses does Neymar have?
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Neymar has turned his hand to a few endeavours other than playing football, including appearing in the new 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage' movie and releasing his own emojis for download.
What charity work does Neymar do?
Neymar opened the Instituto Projeto Neymar Jr in a neighbourhood he spent part of his childhood in, Jardim Gloria, in the city of Praia Grande.
It is a facility that aims to help transform the lives of poorer children in the region through educational, artistic and sporting initiatives that aid their development and give them a chance to reach their full potential. The complex serves over 2,000 such kids and their families.
"I could not come to Brazil and not visit [the institute]," Neymar said in 2017 during a trip home to attend his sister's birthday party. "It is my family's dream and I am always happy every time I visit. It makes me want to keep growing this and doing this the right way."
In 2020, Neymar donated 5 million Brazilian real to charity in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. The money was split between UNICEF and a benefit fund in Brazil.
He has also contributed to causes devoted to the procurement of clean water sources.