Neymar is one of the world’s most successful footballers and currently plays for Al Hilal FC and the Brazilian National Team. Besides football, the Brazilian also cherishes his family and often shows his love and affection for them on social media.
Neymar’s parents, Neymar Snr and Nadine Gonçalves play a key role in their son’s success in his career. With that said, here are details about his parents, background, and ethnicity.
His parents encouraged his football talent from a young age
The Brazilian footballer was born on February 5, 1992, to Neymar Santos Snr and Nadine Gonçalves in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Neymar’s family has been a huge part of his football career.
Neymar Sr. was a former footballer and his son’s manager who landed him the highest transfer record of €222 million. His son displaying a great talent in football at an early age made it easier for him to train.
On the other hand, Nadine has been very close with his son since he was a child. After seeing his passion and sports skills, they bought him soccer balls and video games in his early childhood.
When he was 14, Neymar had over 50 soccer balls, and his agility and coordination improved. Three years later, the Brazilian footballer’s career peaked, and his life turned around when he signed his first professional contract with the Santos first team.
Neymar’s parents are of Brazilian nationality
Nadia and Neymar hail from Brazil; hence, they are Brazilians by nationality. They married in 1991 and have two children, Neymar Jr in 1992 and his sister Rafaella Beckran in 1996.
They raised their children in a humble upbringing in a village called Mogi das Cruzes in São Paulo.
The footballer’s name is Portuguese
Is Neymar a Portuguese name? Neymar is a Portuguese name, despite he and his family being native Brazilians.
It combines the Portuguese name Netuno, which means “Neptune”, and the Spanish name Marte, meaning “Mars”.
His father worked multiple jobs to support them
Neymar Snr was a former footballer whose career ended abruptly because of his hip injury. In an interview, Neymar’s father stated that the area they lived in was where residents threw their trash.
He worked multiple jobs as a mechanic, salesman, and labourer to provide for himself and his family while they lived with Neymar Jr’s grandfather, Seu Ilzemar.
The family’s life in poverty led them not to afford an ultrasound scan when Nadia was pregnant with Neymar. Luckily, the child was in full health and without any complications.
When Neymar was four months old, he was involved in a fatal car accident with his father. It happened when a notorious driver lost control of his car and crashed Neymar’s car over a steep mountain.
Despite all their hardships, the couple raised their children in a Christian upbringing and the Pentecostal religion. In 2003, his family moved to São Vicente, where his love for football led him to play for the Portuguesa Santista youth team.
Later, in 2003, the family moved to Santos, where he played for the Santos FC, and his life and that of his family changed for the better.
Neymar’s parents divorced in 2016 due to reasons unknown. Nadia Gonçalves, now an internet personality, confirmed her relationship with Tiago Ramos.
She is also protective of her son and spoke to the Spanish newspaper ABC in 2018 about her son’s mistreatment in PSG and that he should move to Real Madrid.
The Brazilian footballer and his sister are close
Neymar has a younger sister, Rafaella, with whom they have a strong sibling bond. He has never missed her birthdays and often misses games on her birth date.
The siblings are so close that they have tattoos; Neymar has one of her faces on his right bicep, and his sister has his eyes on her right arm. They also have matching crown tattoos written ‘Sorella,’ which is Italian for sister, while hers reads ‘Fratello,’ meaning brother.
