Claim: Neymar made his professional debut at an early age.

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior -LRB- -LSB- nejˈmaʁ dɐ ˈsiwvɐ ˈsɐ̃tus ˈʒũɲoʁ -RSB- ; born 5 February 1992 -RRB- , commonly known as Neymar or Neymar Jr. , is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Brazil national team .   Neymar came into prominence at an early age at Santos , where he made his professional debut aged 17 . He helped the club win two successive Campeonato Paulista championships , a Copa do Brasil , and the 2011 Copa Libertadores , Santos ' first continental title since 1963 . Neymar was twice named the South American Footballer of the Year , in 2011 and 2012 , before relocating to Europe to join Barcelona . As part of Barça 's attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez , he won the continental treble of La Liga , the Copa del Rey , and the UEFA Champions League in the 2014 -- 15 season , followed the next year by the domestic double . He came third for the FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2015 .   With 52 goals in 77 matches for Brazil since debuting at age 18 , Neymar is the fourth-highest goalscorer for his national team . He was a key player in Brazil 's victories at the 2011 South American Youth Championship , which he finished as the leading goalscorer , and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup , where he won the Golden Ball as player of the tournament . His participation in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2015 Copa América was cut short by injury and a suspension respectively , but the next year he captained Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men 's football at the 2016 Summer Olympics .   Known for his dribbling , finishing , and ability with both feet , Neymar has earned comparisons to former Brazil and Santos forward Pelé . Off the pitch , he ranks among the world 's most prominent sportsmen ; SportsPro named him the most marketable athlete in the world in 2012 and 2013 , and ESPN cited him as the world 's fourth-most famous athlete in 2016 .