At a local football stadium about half an hour’s drive west of central Paris, where a match-day café costs one euro and the single stand seats 600, Neymar Jr. is doing keepie-uppies on the pitch while Esquire’s photographer chooses his next shooting position.
It’s the end of summer and the Brazilian forward has begun the 2022-23 season in impressive form for Paris Saint-Germain, the club with which he has won a dozen domestic trophies since his debut in 2017. Retaining the Ligue 1 title and winning the Champions League are high on his and PSG’s agenda, but before all that, he has lifelong ambitions to realise playing for Brazil.
“It has been my dream since I was a kid to win the World Cup,” he says. “I have imagined myself holding that trophy and I’ve got another opportunity coming up to try and do that in Qatar. I hope I will be smiling at the end.”
He’s all smiles throughout the several hours he spends in shot for and conversation with Esquire, engaging with the photoshoot team, chatting with his agent and a rep from Puma and checking in regularly with two of his entourage, including Gil Araujo, who films Neymar Jr. the entire time on a DSLR camera, a Brazilian Boswell documenting another day in the life of his superstar best friend.
Now 30 years old, Neymar Jr. is the world’s fourth-highest earning sportsperson (US$95m in the year to May according to Forbes), with a third of a billion followers on social media and, come November, carrying the hopes and expectations of the pre-eminent World Cup nation to Qatar.
At time of writing, Brazil are first in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking and favourites to win the 2022 World Cup. They were favourites for 10 of the 21 World Cups prior to Qatar—they are the only team to have qualified for every tournament to date—and won four of their record five titles as the bookies’ choice (France were tipped to win in 2002, when Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and Ronaldo powered second-favourites Brazil to victory).
“At the World Cup, being favourite does not mean you win,” says Neymar Jr., who speaks here from bitter experience. In the previous two World Cups, Brazil went in as favourites, red-hot in 2014 when they were the host nation. Neymar scored four times in the first five games, but suffered a fractured vertebra when kneed in the back during the quarter-final against Colombia, and his team-mates lost the semi 7-1 to Germany in one of the all-time World Cup upsets.
“I wouldn’t say it was the lowest point of my career,” he says, and does not elaborate on what was, “but it was certainly one of the most difficult moments. My first World Cup, in my own country, and I wanted to win so much. The way I went out was upsetting, but I returned to play football just as I had before, which was the main thing.”
In 2018 came a painful exit of a different kind, in the quarter-final against Belgium, who needed an own goal and a man-of-the-match display from their keeper Thibaut Courtois to win 2-1. Brazil had 27 shots, including one from Neymar Jr. that Courtois finger-tipped over the bar in stoppage time.
“I wouldn’t say that [losing to Germany 7-1 at home] was the lowest point of my career, but it was certainly one of the most difficult moments.”
Neymar Jr.
You could certainly include among his World Cup heartaches missing out on selection for South Africa 2010 despite an explosive debut season for Santos in 2009. Most international footballers have negative World Cup experiences, from not qualifying to penalty-shoot-out final losses; only 445 players know what it’s like to win the trophy. Even the haters would grudgingly admit that Neymar Jr. has been unlucky in his relationship with football’s greatest stage.
“Losing is never easy in football, but at a World Cup it’s worse,” he says, looking down at the floor. “That’s why you have to do the preparation right, be 100 percent right physically and mentally. The preparation for this World Cup is better than usual, because it’s coming in the middle of the season, where you’re at your best physically. Players can be tired for tournaments at the end of a season and so I think the level of this World Cup is going to be very high.” He mentions France, Argentina, England, Germany and Belgium as the sides that will be challenging alongside Brazil for the title.
If he performs in front of goal in Qatar, Neymar Jr. could become his country’s all-time top scorer. Having scored 74 goals for the Seleçao, only Pelé is ahead of him on 77. The man who helped win three World Cups for Brazil is, Neymar Jr. says, quite correctly, “always going to be the king of football and it’s an honour to be close to his record, just to be mentioned alongside him.” There has been no discussion of World Cup-winning strategy between the current Brazilian number 10 and his most famous predecessor in the shirt. “I don’t need to ask anyone how they won it because only I can prepare myself to be the best I can be, to get to that place where I don’t make mistakes. Teams that win trophies are the ones that make the least mistakes.
“In 2018 we played really well against Belgium and two mistakes cost us. I’m not afraid to take risks, though. In a game, if I can do something new to help the team, then I’ll do it. Puma is doing something similar with its Generation Fearless campaign: making something new, something different. It’s important to try do that in fashion, in football and in life.”
Practicing what he preaches, Neymar Jr. eases into the fits for his photoshoot, popping a collar here, turning up a sleeve there, tucking in trousers.
At a Puma Futrograde fashion show in New York Fashion Week in September, Neymar’s 3D avatar, created from full body scans, walked the runway in a real-world/virtual crossover. He’s one of those annoying fellows who looks terrific in all weathers, from shorts-sliders-sunglasses to award-ceremony formalwear. “I’d say my own style can be daring,” he says. “I don’t have one way of dressing. I like to mix things up.”
“I’d say my own style can be daring. I don’t have one way of dressing. I like to mix things up.”
– Neymar Jr.
Causing a stir on the pitch, though, is what makes him tick. On his day, he is the best footballer in the world and he knows that if he can be the best footballer at the World Cup and win Qatar 2022 with Brazil, all-time greatness beckons.
“I can’t wait to get started over there,” he says, with great focus. “World Cup games are different. The atmosphere is very special. Game day of a World Cup match is unlike any other game. I get really motivated by it.
“Playing in Qatar is going to be very different but I’m looking forward to learning about another country, another culture. I know it’s going to be very hot, and I’m glad that many of the stadiums will have air conditioning. I really do think it’s going to be an incredible World Cup.”
Brazil’s talisman will have no small part to play in making that prediction come true.
See the full cover story with Neymar Jr in the November issue of Esquire Middle East, on newsstands now
Photography by Luc Braquet / Styling by Ferdi Sibbel / Hair by Quentin Guyen / Makeup by Laurie Moreau