Zhang Jiawei: Neymar is such a genius, only 31 years old, is he leaving European football?

Neymar, it is said, is going to the Riyadh New Moon.

He was only 31 years old.

This is leaving European football.

It's a pity.

The team newspaper said that he still has the possibility of coming back and the idea of going to Barca, but this is a matter of the future, who can say.

But, okay:

After that, he should be happy.

After all, happiness is important to him.

I know that most of Neymar's fans are mostly accumulated during the Barca period or the Brazilian national team.

In his six seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, everyone always felt that "he went to make a lot of money" and "there was a problem with his career planning".

I was on and off the court, and after watching him for a few years, I felt different.

Although when he first arrived in Paris, he competed with Cavani for penalties; Although the Parisian media always say that he was complained by which neighbor complained about making a noise, and so on.

But from 2017 to 2020, as long as he can play, he will still be the top card in Paris and even the entire Ligue 1.

In 2020, Paris was able to reach the Champions League final at the peak of the team's history, and he was credited.

Paris Saint-Germain, there are many things that can only be done by him. During the Emery era, he was the team's best player with the ball; In the Tuchel era, Verratti's shot and his push were the only consistent way to break the high-end game in Paris. In the pre-World Cup period at the beginning of last season, he was in Paris and was in better form than Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

Of course, the premise is, "as long as you can play".

Two people who joined Paris at the same time in the summer of 2017:

Neymar has scored 82 goals in 112 league games for Paris, for a total of 118 goals in 173 games.

Mbappe has 148 goals in 176 league games, for a total of 212 goals in 260 games.

"As long as you can play".

Of course, thinking about it the other way around, there are many Brazilian talents who are not suitable for European football: Dejaminha, Denilson, Robinho...

Xiao Luo also began to wander in the year of standing.

Neymar lasted until he was 31, too, almost.

Neymar da Silva Santos Jr. was born on 5 February 1992 in Brazil. According to his words: "When I was very young, my father taught me." He takes care of everything, as my agent, and takes care of the family. "He taught Neymar the skills of the players and made him precocious.

He joined Santos Club at the age of 11.

At the age of 16, in 2008, Neymar earned 25,000 reais a year playing football.

In 2011, Neymar led the team to the Copa Libertadores, scoring six goals, including a tiebreaker, giving Santos the first Copa Libertadores in 48 years. At the age of 19, he won South American Footballer of the Year.

Neymar is pure genius. Coordination, flexibility and balance. I have always said that in terms of the precision, balance and rhythm of touching the ball, Messi is the first man in football history; But in a small area of explosiveness, peak Neymar is enough to compete with Messi: rainbow passing, pulling the ball, volleying.

In the summer of 2015, Neymar won the Champions League with Barca. He himself has scored 10 goals in the Champions League, tied with Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi as the top scorer. At the Ballon d'Or that year, he was third.

As we all know, because of the monopoly of Messi and Ronaldo, after 2008, the third in the world, can be regarded as an honor.

At the age of 23, Neymar is third in the world.

If he is a little taller, where can he go?

In 2017, Barça completed the biggest comeback in history in the Champions League. After losing 4-0 to Paris in the first set, the second set turned around 6-1, with Neymar scoring two goals and assisting the killer goal.

I went to Camp Nou to see him that year. To be honest, because of the cooperation of the other two MSN - Suarez's involvement, Messi's precise handling - Neymar's left-wing rush is particularly brilliant.

In the autumn, Neymar left Messi, the first man in the world, for Paris Saint-Germain.

Paris, meanwhile, got Killian Mbappé, born in 1998.

In the spring of 2018, Neymar was injured and ended the season early. Paris were eliminated by Real Madrid, who later won three consecutive titles.

In the 2018-19 season, Neymar played a career-low 15 league games due to injury.

In the 2019-20 season, the Champions League final, lost to Bayern.

In 2020-21, Neymar played just 18 league games. Missing the Champions League due to injury, Mbappe led the team to Barca, and finally Paris was saved by Manchester City.

In the 2021-22 season, Paris was reversed by Real Madrid.

In the 2022-23 season, Neymar missed the Champions League against Bayern due to injury, and Paris was eliminated.

Every spring in the Champions League knockout rounds, he is rarely healthy.

Looking back now, Neymar's best season has forever stopped at 39 goals in a single year in 2014-15, third in the Champions League and Ballon d'Or: 23 years old.

Before the 2022 World Cup, Neymar said it was his last.

Then in the quarter-final, he almost single-handedly changed the game, but was still eliminated by Croatia.

He is considered the most Pele-like genius in Brazilian football history, but he has not even played in the World Cup semi-finals – he was absent in 2014, when Brazil lost 7-1 to Germany.

When he left Barcelona for Paris five years ago, I wrote:

Looking at Neymar's efforts as a team member at Barca, and looking back at Neymar's freedom in Brazil, Santos (including lazy freedom), you probably realize: he has indeed changed a lot for the team in the past few years at Barca - of course, the team has given him enough, Messi also specifically gave him penalties - but what kind of player is he in his bones?

When he needs to play day in and day out, what is the most desired way to play in his heart?

In the end, in addition to the high salary given by Paris, the unlimited ball given by Paris, and the right of Paris to default to the stars not having to return to defense, the biggest temptation for Neymar may be such a little freedom and indulgence.

As fans (especially Barça fans), of course, we want superstars to always do what makes them greater, more titles and higher honours.

But for a player of Neymar's level, 25 years old is right, not too short of money, not too lacking in fame, and already has a bunch of collective honors, then, in the end, being able to play every game freely and control their own destiny may be the most important?

A little unique memory.

Paris home to Toulouse on 21 August 2017.

Neymar made his debut at the Parc des Princes – a week before he made his debut for Paris and had already assisted Edinson Cavani.

But in the Parc des Princes, it is even more popular.

First 0-1, Neymar chased 1-1 with a supplementary shot, Rabiot 2-1 on the heel, Edinson Cavani 3-1 on penalties, Tissie 3-2 on own goal, Pastoree 4-2 from distance, and Neymar assisted Kurzava 5-2.

It's magnificent enough, and the end is especially brilliant:

Neymar scored his sixth goal. In the box, he flashed and moved, passed the opponent's No. 6 three times, and one person went around the entire Toulouse backline, and scored with a low shot after half a Marseille swing feint.

After he scored, the fans went crazy. I high-fived the French uncle next to me, and the two yelled at each other:

"UNBELIEVABLE!!!"

The last ball is the cherry on top of the cake. It's perfect.

AS I EXITED WITH THE CROWD, EVERYONE WAS STILL SHAKING THEIR HEADS, "INCROYABLE," "INCREDIBLE."

This is probably the first time in many years that Paris has come out with a guy who has convinced fans that "anything is possible as long as he is there". "It's so happy to have a superstar!"

From the perspective of football history, everyone will discuss how his career plan is.

But from the perspective of Paris Saint-Germain, "I was really lucky and happy to have such a genius." ”

There's a superstar on the team, and the feeling is completely different. When there are no superstars, "I don't bother to watch it on the weekend, but I win anyway." ”

When there is a superstar, "Go and see it!" What if Neymar has a new job today? ”

He really is a genius. So free, so happy – as long as you can make it.

Now he is expected to continue to be happy, too.

Life is wide, and geniuses may have their own ideas and their own lives. Not every genius has to do everything possible to move up.

Only, of course, there is a pity in the end.

The more I watch, the more I understand how rare such a genius is.

Watching so many players climb hard with diligence, there is always some curiosity and hope:

Genius, can we push those talents to the limit and let's see? After all, what you probably don't care so much about, how many people dream of owning?