How Neymar survived car crash to become the star of the World Cup (2024)

• Neymar is odds on favourite to win Brazil World Cup's Golden Boot award
• But his father tells how the star nearly died in a car crash aged four-months
• He was found covered in blood under the seat after shard of glass cut head

By Janet Tappin Coelho In Brazil

Published: 23:20, 27 June 2014 | Updated: 00:19, 28 June 2014

He’s being hailed as the golden boy of Brazil’s World Cup with odds-on favourite to win FIFA’s prestigious Golden Boot award.

His closest rival and Barcelona teammate, Argentina’s Lionel Messi, could steal the showcase.

But, in his first outing on the World’s most prestigious football stage, Brazil’s number 10 star striker Neymar Jr has already achieved more in his short space of time on the pitch than both Messi and Ronaldo have managed to do in the three World Cups they have both played in since 2006.

His goal-scoring antics and precocious footballing skills are becoming legendary as millions of World Cup spectators tune in to be entertained by the talented 22-year-old.

But Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, or simply Junior as he is affectionately called by his family, nearly didn’t make it beyond four months old when his dad, Neymar Sr, thought his new born baby had died in a near-fatal car crash.

The family were on their way to visit relatives when they were hit by an oncoming car on a steep mountain road in lashing rain.

In an excerpt from Neymar: Conversations between Father and Son, Neymar Sr recalled: 'I was with Nadine in front and our son was in the babychair on the back seat.

'A car came towards me. I tried to swerve but it hit us full on, on my door side. My left leg landed on top of the other, dislocating my hip bone. I was desperate and said to my wife: "I'm dying.' But my worse fear beyond the pain, was the sensation that followed: where was Junior?

'We couldn’t find Neymar Jr. We thought the force of the impact had thrown him out of the car. I shudder every time I remember the moment. But who believes in God, has faith! The people who rescued us found our son under the seat of the car.'

Little Neymar was covered in blood after a shard of glass cut deep into his forehead.

Neymar grew up in simple and humble circ*mstances on a housing estate in Mogi das Cruzes in Santos, Sao Paulo. His dad, who is his manager and adviser, was a former professional footballer, playing at the time for União Mogiano FC.

Speaking about his dad’s influence Neymar said: 'My father has been by my side since I was little. He takes care of things, my finances and my family.'

Even today with his million dollar earnings, his father gives him a monthly allowance, keeping him grounded and focused on his financial and athletic future.

'They are everything to me. They are my base, they help me in all that I need. I thank God for putting me in this family. Today I can give back to them what they did for me,' Neymar said.

From an early age, Neymar, who has a younger sister Rafaela, 18, showed a natural talent for the sport. His prodigious dribbling skills and improvisation with the ball were developed in part in his family’s kitchen, on the streets and on the beach.

'I had almost 50 balls indoors. It used to drive my mum crazy. My first ball was given to me by my mum when I was two-years-old,' Neymar recalled.

'When I was small I didn’t want anyone else to get the ball. I always wanted to score a goal. At home, I would always be dribbling my ball around the chairs and the table.'

Neymar’s first coach, Roberto Antonio dos Santos, who also spotted Robinho recalled: 'One day, I was watching youngsters play football on the beach in Sao Vicente, when I saw a skinny lad running and playing with the ball.

'I noticed several similarities between him and Robinho when (Robinho) was the same age, especially the way he ran and his physique that were very similar. I knew instantly that the boy would give a lot of trouble to opposing teams.'

Like the legendary and former Santos idol Robinho before him, Neymar began his career in futsal.

"Indoor football was good at teaching me how to dribble with more speed. It also gave me a better, more concentrated view of the game,' Neymar explained.

His major break came when he was spotted by Santos FC scouts at the age of 11 and offered a contract in 2003 playing in the youth team.

Just over a year later he turned down the opportunity to play for Real Madrid, youth side, at a time when the Spanish giants were fielding players like Ronaldo, Beckham, Zidane, Robinho and Roberto Carlos.

Citing homesickness his family returned to Brazil and Santos where the young star quickly rose through the football clubs’ ranks as one of the most skilled players in the team’s history.

Neymar’s professional debut came at the age of 17 and after nearly ten years playing for Santos carving out an outstanding, awarding winning, and prolific goal-scoring career he returned to the Spanish shores signing last year for Barcelona FC.

He is known for having a temper, which he does his best to control on the field. Particularly as is he a target for heavy and much larger defenders.

In September 2010, he had a very public run in with Santos coach Dorival Júnior, when the trainer stopped him from taking a penalty at a match against Atletico de Goais. Previous difficulties between the two had already surfaced with Dorival refusing to pick Neymar for games and frequently substituting the young star.

On this occasion, Neymar responded angrily as he came off the field shouting abusively at Dorival in front of the watching crowd.

After the match, the feud between coach and player continued in the locker room with them almost coming to blows. Santos dismissed Dorival shortly afterwards.

The episode nearly blighted Neymar career as critics declared that Santos was ‘creating a monster’.

Neymar admitted: 'It was the worst day of my life. I cried all day. I came home completely gutted to see my father and mother crying too.

'My mother had been at the stadium and seen what had happened. She told me this was not the son she had brought up. This was not what she had taught me to do. As I listened to their scolding, it was my turning point because I grew up from that moment. That horrible day made me a better person.'

Along Neymar’s rise to international poster-boy status and brilliant playmaker he became a father to David Lucas who will be three this August. The child, who was born when Neymar was 19, is an integral part of his life and he takes his role as a father incredibly seriously.

The relationship with the mother Carolina Dantas, now 20, never lasted and the child lives full-time with his dad in Spain.

The parents remain on good speaking terms with Carolina recently commenting on how proud she is of Neymar’s performance during the World Cup. Neymar supports his former lover with a monthly income of £8,000 per month and she lives in a five-bedroom penthouse flat in Santos bought by him.

He has been embroiled in a series of relationship controversies which apparently jeopardised his standing with girlfriend Bruna Marquezine, 19, who he has been seeing for over a year and a half.

Last year it emerged that Neymar had invited a host of girls from Brazil to an all expenses paid party at his apartment in Barcelona. One of the girls, Layrssa Oliveira, revealed her phone conversations with Neymar in November last year, where he promised to pay for the party-girls’ flight tickets and hotel accommodation.

Following the revelations, Marquezine a TV Globo soap actress, allegedly dumped him. But it was all a hoax. The pair remained close and kept their relationship under wraps away from the glare of the media so they could develop their love.

On his return to Brazil just before the start of the international tournament Neymar said: 'We’ve always been together. We resolved our differences long time ago.'

Marquezine has been photographed by his side on many occasions ever since. He, on the other hand revealed he is insanely jealous about her soap opera roles which involve kissing and some very revealing scenes. A former avid soap fan, Neymar said he no longer watches when she is on the screen.

With the world at his feet now, the star who has a host of major sponsors and modelling contracts earning him millions of dollars remains a stable, balanced and fiercely yet ambitious humble athelete.

Writing on his Facebook page yesterday Neymar said: 'I’ve always been a fan of Robinho, I am today and will always be. At the time he wore a golden boot and it was my dream to do the same.

'When I played in a match for Portuguesa Santista I decided to do my own golden boots just like my idol. I used two tubes of gold and white to paint by boots. But by the end of the match they were black again,' he said laughing.

'Even so, I’m thankful for the few minutes I experienced the dream of having one foot in the boot. Today, God has given me more than my dreams. To win the boots would be amazing. I’ve always believed that everything I dream for will come true but I’ve always struggled and fought to make that dream come true.'