Neymar, 26, Brazil :
Consider this the redemption tour for the young Brazilian star. Four years ago, he was last seen stretchered off the field in the quarterfinals against Colombia after taking a knee to the back in a nasty challenge by Camilo Zuniga. The ill-advised challenge resulted in a fractured vertebrae for Neymar, ending his first World Cup campaign. Brazil’s next game without its bright star was a game no modern soccer fan will ever forget: A 7-1 home loss to Germany. Fast forward two years later and Neymar leads Brazil to its first-ever Gold Medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. It’s a nice consolation after a disappointing World Cup, but we all know that’s not enough for a superstar that has been widely considered the next big thing in the world of soccer.
Neymar last summer left Lionel Messi and Barcelona to cash in with the Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain, a perennial championship contenders in France’s top flight, to prove that he can step out of Messi’s shadow and become one of the best players on the planet. After a dust-up with veteran striker Edinson Cavani (more on him below), his season was derailed due to a broken foot suffered in February. He finished with 28 goals in 30 club appearances for the Parisian club, and is now on the road to recovery and redemption this summer. Neymar scored in a friendly against Croatia in his first game back from injury, and at the age of 26, he already sits fourth on Brazil’s all-time goalscoring list with 54 goals in 84 appearances, trailing only Romario (55), Ronaldo (62) and Pele (77). Brazil finished first in the South American World Cup qualifying and is considered one of the heavy favorites to hoist the trophy in mid-July. Can Neymar help the Selecao earn a record sixth star on its crest?
Neymar last summer left Lionel Messi and Barcelona to cash in with the Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain, a perennial championship contenders in France’s top flight, to prove that he can step out of Messi’s shadow and become one of the best players on the planet. After a dust-up with veteran striker Edinson Cavani (more on him below), his season was derailed due to a broken foot suffered in February. He finished with 28 goals in 30 club appearances for the Parisian club, and is now on the road to recovery and redemption this summer. Neymar scored in a friendly against Croatia in his first game back from injury, and at the age of 26, he already sits fourth on Brazil’s all-time goalscoring list with 54 goals in 84 appearances, trailing only Romario (55), Ronaldo (62) and Pele (77). Brazil finished first in the South American World Cup qualifying and is considered one of the heavy favorites to hoist the trophy in mid-July. Can Neymar help the Selecao earn a record sixth star on its crest?
