Neymar Jr: When a player’s absence filled a stadium
Updated: Nov 9th, 2023
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| Neymar (img: X/@Alhilal_FC) |
Football fan or not a football fan: you have definitely heard of Neymar. Visuals of his injury in the 2014 FIFA World Cup that took Brazil’s chances away, are still fresh for many.
When he was going to set foot in India for the first time, football fans across the subcontinent waited in bated breath months before the match to see their legend play. But in dismay.
The group stages of the AFC Champions League (ACL) are being held across Asia from Sept 18 - Dec 12. The match between Mumbai FC and Al Hilal on Nov 6 was all set to bring the record holder to the Indian soil.
It was the second tie out of the games, to be played in DY Patil Stadium of Navi Mumbai, where Mumbai City FC was destined to face Neymar Jr.
However, the fans were let down by Neymar’s injury, a torn ACL while playing against Uruguay for FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Mumbai turns up for Neymar Jr
India, a country that is taking small, albeit positive steps in the football scene, was devoid of witnessing a player they would aspire to produce some day, due to the unfortunate injury!
However, this did not stop football fans of Mumbai, from flocking the DY Patil Stadium. The crowd, reportedly filling up 30,000 seats. Even though Al-Hilal was playing against the home team, Mumbai City, they exhibited how dearly they missed the Brazilian superstar, and wished him a speedy recovery with huge banners.
Neymar Jr may have not been playing the game, but he was there in everybody’s enthusiasm periphery. A spiritual presence that brought the crowd out, in the same numbers that would have been there, had he been playing the match.
What makes him a legend?
Just months ago, Neymar broke the record of football legend Pele’s 77 goals for Brazil on Sept 9. Having played with and against football’s finest and once regarded as the golden boy of football, Neymar’s recent move to the Saudi club Al Hilal has caught the eyes of the whole world.
Born on Feb 5, 1992 in Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil, Neymar rose to fame from humble beginnings, to playing for one of the most successful and richest football clubs, his journey is nothing short of 'Goals'.
Brazil to Spain to France: Neymar Jr and his footballing heritage
A second generation footballer in his family in Brazil’s Sao Paulo, Neymar da Silva Santos Jr or Neymar Jr’s professional football career took off in his hometown’s club, Santos FC.
His 136 goals in 225 appearances for Santos FC fetched him an offer from Barcelona, one of the biggest football clubs in the world and the Spanish league La Liga. For Barcelona, a South American moving to Spain gave the club a footballer in the shape of Lionel Messi, and Barcelona cashed in the player’s potential.
Neymar spent nearly four years in the ‘Blaugrana’, and departed for a different, and higher paying prospect in the French Ligue 1’s most successful team, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Neymar’s move to PSG in 2017 was regarded as the most expensive football transfer in the history of the game with the number being as high as €222 m (₹1974.5 cr).
But having spent nearly half a decade with the French side, administrative complications force-opened several new doors for the 31-year-old ‘prime’ Neymar, including the rich Saudi League.
₹800 cr Stairway to ‘money haven’ Saudi Arabia
Stating his intentions of “being a global player and with new challenges and new places” to test him, Neymar joined the Saudi league side Al Hilal on Aug 15 on a two year deal worth €90 m (₹800 cr) and a per-year salary of €100m (₹889 cr).
The salary bifurcation of the Brazilian would look like:
Everyday ₹24.3 cr
Every hour ₹10.15 lakh
Every minute ₹16,916
Every second ₹281
On top of this stupendous salary, this deal reportedly also includes several amenities including a 25-room house, luxurious cars, a private jet, and much more.
The Brazilian would also get $5,43,786 (₹4.5 cr) for each social media post he makes that would promote Saudi Arabia!
In a closer comparison to home, Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra reportedly charges ₹1.8 cr, Deepika Padukone ₹1.5 cr, Alia Bhat ₹1 cr, and Shahrukh Khan charges ₹80 lakh to ₹1 cr for every promotional instagram post.
Earlier in Dec 2022, footballing legend Cristiano Ronaldo joined the Saudi club Al Nassr, igniting a string of European stars joining the Saudi league.
Neymar’s club Al Hilal itself includes European stars like Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Malcom, and Kalidou Koulibaly.
Other European stars who joined the Saudi League also include Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and Fabinho in Al Ittihad, Sadio Mane, Alex Telles, and Marcelo Brozovic in Ronaldo’s club Al Nassr, Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez, and Edouard Mendy in Al Ahli, are just a few names of the massive roster.
These stars, having earned glory in Europe at a relatively young age, chose to move to the Saudi league, eyeing a circuit that would fetch them money in the multiples of what they have been earning in Europe.
The prime example of this ‘Saudi migration’ is that of Neymar Jr with his €90m (INR) deal. Though it allowed him to explore opportunities in different leagues, he would be playing against clubs of far inferior prowess than him. On the brighter side, a completely different side of the world other than Europe, like Mumbai and India, who were so close to witness the talent of this Brazilian superstar, up close and personal.
