15 years ago today, Neymar scored the first goal of his professional career, with Santos against Mogi Mirim in the Sao Paulo State Championship. A decade and a half later, he is the top scorer in the history of the Brazilian national team, surpassing Pelé and surpassing big names like Ronaldo, Romario and Zico. And although he does many things besides score, he is still considered a disappointment. It's fair?
The prosecution's case opens with a simple observation. If football was purely about numbers, then it would be bingo. Statistical accumulation can never tell the full story. Pelé and his acolytes surely made a mistake by placing so much emphasis on a career total that exceeded 1,000 goals. Pelé's essence is found, like that of all great players, in the big and decisive matches, in which titles are won and a reputation is built.
And while Neymar still has time to improve his balance sheet, even he would agree that he can't compete with Pelé in this regard. Pelé has three World Cup victories to his name and, although he was injured in the early stages of the mid-term campaign, he was instrumental in the other two. What does Neymar have?
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Yes, he won Brazil's first Olympic gold medal in 2016. But that doesn't count as an overall title. Aside from that, there's the 2013 Confederations Cup victory, achieved with a stunning goal against reigning world champions Spain, but it's still a strictly second-tier tournament.
The prosecution's case could also point out that many of Neymar's goals for Brazil came in friendlies, 46 of his total of 79 (including three in matches in which a cup was at stake but which were, in fact, glorified friendlies ).
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The defense argument has an easy answer. It is not his fault that he began his international career at a time when, as host of the 2014 World Cup, Brazil had little more than friendlies to play. And his record in competitive matches is pretty good: just five goals in 12 Copa América games, but four out of five in that 2013 Confederations Cup, 16 goals in 28 World Cup qualifiers and, the undoubted top of the tree, eight in 13 World Cup games.
Furthermore, the argument for the defense may also point out that his participation in the World Cup has been unduly affected by injuries. Of course, he was ruled out of the rest of the 2014 tournament after suffering a brutal foul in the quarterfinals against Colombia. And his performances in 2018 and 2022 were at least as good as could have been expected given the need to be receptive to further injury setbacks.
Furthermore, one could argue that if Brazil had not suffered a shocking last-minute goal against Croatia in the 2022 quarter-finals and then lost on penalties, they would have been hailed as a hero for finally breaking the deadlock with a magnificent solo goal.
To which the prosecution's case will refute that the legacies do not have room for “what could have been”, and that he could also bear a little responsibility for some of the injuries he has suffered. This is a strange point, but one that deserves consideration, because it brings us closer to the heart of Neymar's story.
Of course, when a player is fouled and suffers an injury, it is ridiculous to blame the person who was fouled. The responsibility clearly lies with the offender. But, in a physical contact sport, one must take into account the undeniable fact that, for as long as the ball has been rolling, talented players have been subjected to mistreatment. In fact, contemporary players receive much more protection from referees than their predecessors.
Therefore, avoiding fouls is a necessary part of the skill set of a talented player, especially one of fragile build. This is second nature to the old-fashioned street footballer. He learns when to dribble and, just as important, when to move the ball and wait for a better opportunity.
But Neymar is not a street footballer in that sense. He grew up in futsal and developed a defensive strategy around the presence of the referee. He has often wanted to show the referee that he is being fouled and he has tried to provoke the foul. This has not proven to be a solid method of self-defense and has also often made little football sense: some of his worst passages of play have been when he drops deeper and deeper in a quest to win meaningless free kicks.
It is difficult to escape the conclusion that Neymar simply would not have been able to operate in Pelé's era, while Pelé would have had little trouble adapting to the modern era. But Neymar is, of course, a child of his era, the era of football as big business in the global entertainment industry. He has been housed in a greenhouse since he was a baby to thrive in this environment, as part of a project run by his father.
The prosecution's case could certainly argue that this process has spoiled him and left him struggling to cope with adversity. On a personal level, the most important match of his career was Paris Saint-Germain's UEFA Champions League final against Bayern Munich in 2020, where he drew attention to how much his game fell apart from the moment the Germans scored. The pressure seemed too much.
The defense argument could refute that the pressure seemed too much because was too much. From the beginning it was clear that two measuring sticks would be used to gauge Neymar's career, at least in the eyes of his compatriots. One was winning the World Cup, which is always a collective achievement and depends on the circumstances. The other is to claim the Ballon d'Or. Brazilians used to view this trophy as a birthright, but since Kaká in 2007, one of them has not taken it. Neymar was supposed to correct that: an exaggerated and unnecessary demand in a team sport, but one that is taken seriously.
It was this that prompted his move from Barcelona (where he performed wonderfully well) to PSG in 2017. How could he be the best individual player in the world when he lived in Lionel Messi's house? He had to separate and start his own family, so he ended up in a league where his physique did not suit him, with a club making that uncertain journey to unusual heights. Is it any wonder that the project did not meet all of its objectives?
Lawyers for the prosecution and defense can now rest, awaiting new evidence. The story is not over yet. There are still new chapters to write. It would be reckless to dismiss such a prodigiously gifted talent. Fifteen years later, we are clearly much closer to the end than the beginning. But if he wants it and is fortunate enough to stay fit, then Neymar still has one World Cup ahead of him and possibly two.
Many in Brazil thought that Pelé should not go to Mexico in 1970. Quality has a way of closing your mouth. If the sight of the goal line redoubles attention, the most interesting part of Neymar's story may be yet to come.
