Neymar Makes $25 Million in Just Endorsements

Neymar is one of the most prolific scorers in soccer history. He’s also one of the most well-paid, with his net worth fluctuating around $100 million. The Brazilian forward reaps his biggest rewards directly from playing. But international soccer’s rewards are rarely limited to the game itself.

As one of the most well-known living athletes on the planet, a sizable portion of his fortune comes from endorsement deals. Let’s look at Neymar’s career earnings and what he does with his enormous paychecks.

How Neymar earns his money on the pitch

Neymar emerged from a humble background in São Vicente, Brazil, reports Brittanica. His father, Neymar Santos, was a professional soccer player by trade. But he was more on the working-class end of the sport. When he noticed his son taking to the sport, he shifted his energies into facilitating the boy’s burgeoning talent.

The younger Neymar’s professional debut in 2009, with Santos, hit the ground running. He averaged a goal every other game, despite being a shorter than average 17-year-old. In 2013, reports the Mirror, he moved on to Barcelona, announcing a five-year deal. The details of it weren’t public, but it was assumed to be a blockbuster offer to get him to transfer.

He emerged as one of the top soccer stars in the world. Today, he’s with Paris Saint-Germain, who lured him on with what might be the largest transfer deal of all time. The money wasn’t the whole story, though.

One of the other top scorers in soccer, Lionel Messi, often stole the show from even Neymar’s most eye-popping performances. There doesn’t appear to be any long-term bad blood, thankfully. Messi is open about his desire to reunite as a powerhouse duo.

Neymar’s endorsements

Neymar’s father, who doubles as his agent, has negotiated some of the biggest contracts in sports. The elder Neymar has also hammered out a litany of endorsement deals. It adds up to over $25 million, reports Investopedia, split across an arms-length list of major brands.

Neymar Jr.’s deal with the Air Jordan brand is the biggest and most historic. He’s the first soccer player to represent Nike’s crown jewel. He also works with Red Bull, Gillette, Beats by Dre, and Volkswagen. In both Europe and Brazil, he also represents many smaller regional brands.

Neymar dabbles in acting. He appeared as himself in XXX: The Return of Xander Cage. He also played a guest role in the Netflix hit series Money Heist. Most of his experience with the craft comes from commercials. Uncharitably, his well-known habit of flopping during his main job might also count as practice for this particular side income stream.

How Neymar spends his money

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The Brazilian scoring king has piles of cash on hand and isn’t shy to spend it. In 2016, he bought a $10 million Rio de Janeiro mansion. He fitted the premises with tennis courts, an enormous swimming pool, and even a helipad, reports Money.com.

He also spent $4 million on a yacht, as well as a fleet of luxury cars. He’s regularly seen using all of the above and is often spotted enjoying short trips with his wife and child. He’s also a massive fan of the LA Lakers, buying countless authentic jerseys, sneakers, and other NBA memorabilia.

It’s not all about opulence and personal gratification for Neymar, who is keenly aware of his background. He runs a major school in his old home town targeted toward helping poor children out of poverty, via academia, sports and music training. Every time he returns to Brazil, he makes a point of touring the facilities.