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Neymar is one of the most recognizable – and marketable – athletes in the world. (Getty)
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, known around the globe simply as Neymar, is one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. He’s only 24 years old, but he’s been playing professionally since 2009, when he was 17 years old and made his debut with Santos FC. Today, he plays professionally with FC Barcelona, which he joined in 2013. During international tournaments, he plays for his native Brazil. The Brazilian team won the gold medal match against Germany at the Rio Olympics.
Here’s a look at Neymar’s wealth and how he’s earned it.
1. Neymar Has an Estimated Net Worth of $90 Million & Earned $37.5 Million Last Year
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Neymar in the Brazil vs. Honduras semifinal match. (Getty)
Neymar has an estimated net worth of $90 million, Celebrity Net Worth estimates. He landed at #72 on Forbes’ 2016 Celebrity 100 list, as he earned an estimated $37.5 million in the past 12 months. Only $14.5 million of that came from his salary. The rest is due to his endorsements.
He also ranked #21 on Forbes’ World’s Highest-Paid Athletes List.
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2. A Leaked Copy of His First Barcelona Contract Revealed He Was Set to Make €45.9 Million
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Neymar during a match between FC Barcelona and Real CD Espanyol. (Getty)
In April 2016, a site called Football Leaks posted a copy of the contract Neymar first signed with Barcelona in 2013. It revealed that he was set to make €45.9 million (about $51.9 million) by the time that contact ended in 2018, En.AS notes. The contract also included a €190 million buy-out price that other clubs would have to pay for Neymar’s services. He also earned an €8.5 million signing bonus.
As The Mirror notes, the contract also showed that Neymar was earning €5 million per year, but that number climbs when a long list of performance bonuses are included. For example, he earned €1 million for playing at least 45 minutes in 60 percent of matches in a season. If Barcelona wins the Champions League, he’d pocket €850,000.
Bloomberg reported in 2013 that Neymar was already among the top five highest paid footballers in the world before he even reached Barcelona. France Football magazine estimated at the time that Neymar was making €20 million ($25.8 million) a year at Santos.
3. Neymar Signed a New Barcelona Contract in July with a €200 Million Buy-Out During His First Year
Neymar. (Gety)
Since there were rumors that other teams were interested in paying the €190 million buy-out on Neymar’s first contract with Barcelona, the Spanish club pounced on the opportunity to reach a new contract with Neymar. The club announced on July 1 that they had signed him to a new five-year deal to keep him in Barcelona until June 2021.
The buyout increased to €200 million for the first year under the new deal, then jumps to €222 million for his second year and €250 million for the last three years.
As ESPN reports, Meymar’s lawyer, Marcos Motta, sparked controversy on Twitter when he suggested that Neymar’s new contract would make him the highest-paid player in soccer history. But there were reports in Spain that the new deal would only raise Neymar’s annual salary to €15 million, which is still less than Messi’s.
Just before Neymar’s new deal was announced, Wagner Mibeiro, an advisor to Neymar’s father, tweeted, “Neymar is the most valuable football player in the world. Congratulations Barca.”
4. Before the 2014 World Cup, Neymar Was the Face of a Campaign to Raise Money for Clean Water in Brazil
Neymar. (Getty)
In 2014, before Brazil hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Neymar was the face of Waves For Water, which helps countries that need clean water get it, including Brazil. PayPal and Neymar’s Neymar Jr. Project Institute started the Campaign for Good initiative to raise funds for Waves for Water.
In 2015, DoSomething.org named Neymar the fifth-most charitable athlete, specifically for his work with FIFA’s 11 Against Ebola campaign.
Neymar also created the Neymar Jr. Project Institute to provide poor children in Praia Grande, Brazil the opportunity to play sports. Barcelona agreed to work with the foundation on projects in 2013.
“Today was a great day. It was the day I wanted to come and I am very happy, my whole family is very happy,” Neymar said in 2014 when the institute opened, Conmebol notes. “I lived two blocks from here and I know how it was in my childhood. I knew we didn’t have opportunities. So this (the institute) is a giant door for us to give opportunities to the people here.”
5. Neymar Signed a 11-Year Nike Deal & Was the First Soccer Player to Collaborate With the Jordan Brand
Neymar signed a 11-year deal with Nike in March 2011, so he will be wearing Nike-branded apparel through 2022. Terms of the deal were not revealed, but it has been so successful that he was picked in June to be the first soccer player to work with the famous Jordan Brand.
The Neymar/Jordan boot will still feature the famous Jordan ‘Jumpman’ logo, but also has Neymar’s #10 stitched into the side of the boot. Jordan’s #23 is on the other side. Its design is also based on the famous Jordan 5 and Neymar also designed a similar basketball shoe.
In June 2014, Neymar famously appeared in a Beats by Dre commercial with his father, seen below. The five-minute ad, which includes Neymar wearing a hat with his personal logo, has over 31.3 million views on YouTube. He also has a contract with Panasonic as its global ambassador.
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