Neymar: The Brazilian Boy Wonder Bedazzles Camp Nou

Apart from scoring goals at will and leaving other teams bamboozled with his bags of tricks on the field, he has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. FHM speaks to Messi’s protégé Neymar

Neymar has been known for performing better for his country Brazil than his club Barcelona because he gets to dictate the intensity of Brazil’s gameplay, so there will be enormous pressure on the striker to justify this and of course, win the World Cup for the sixth time for his country

Read FHM India in the digital libraryEvery issue, every shoot, on TCG Media.

FHM: You have reached such a high level at such a young age, but who were your idols growing up?

Neymar: I was a big fan of Ronaldinho and Kaka – they were big idols for me. To think that I even had a chance to be in the national team (he was in the reserves at the time) when they were playing was like a dream come true.

FHM: Real Madrid offered to pay you almost double of Barcelona’s offer, but you still chose the latter... What made you join Nou Camp?

Neymar: It’s not just the success that Barcelona have had, but also the way they have achieved that success. They play some of the most beautiful soccer that has ever been played, and I wanted to be a part of that.

FHM: Is there massive pressure on you to perform regularly when you have two of the best players in the planet – Ronaldo and Messi scoring goals at will?

Neymar: I don’t think so. I put pressure on myself to do well, but I don’t like to compare myself to other players. I am still a young guy and am still learning from all the fantastic players I play with at Barcelona.

FHM: Your incredible form for Barcelona has been marred by transfer controversy. Reports suggest that your transfer might be in the region of Gareth Bale’s?

Neymar: The media are always very interested in transfer fees and the financial aspects of a deal, but as players it is not something we even think about. You have to understand all we want is to be successful on field and win trophies for our team.

FHM: You got to show your brilliance against Real Madrid and score the opening goal as a 21-year-old footballer making his debut in the 167th edition of El Clasico – was it a dream come true moment?

Neymar: I enjoyed it but it was just a moment. The bigger picture is winning La Liga or winning The Champions League. Individual games bring happy moments, but what is more important is what we achieve at the end of the season.

FHM: Ronaldo won the Ballon D’or, but how do you rate him when compared to Messi?

Neymar: I don’t think it’s fair to compare two such great players – they are both very special. Messi is a good friend of mine and I had said even when I had joined Barca that I thought he was the best player in the world – and I still think that now.

FHM: The mind games have already started with the Man City manager stating that Barcelona should be concerned when they face City as Barca is not the supreme force it once was. City are currently the most dominant team in the Premier League as they have scored over 100 goals, so does Barca have an answer to stop them?

Neymar: We respect big opponents like Manchester City but we are not thinking about how we can stop them. If we approach the game in the style we normally do, then we can do no more than that. It is more important that we concentrate on our game and not on other teams.

FHM: If not La Liga, which team would Neymar be playing for?

Neymar: As soon as I knew that Barcelona wanted me, I did not even think about any other team.

FHM: The World Cup is in your own nation Brazil this summer – are you already thinking about it?

Neymar: It is very special that the World Cup in Brazil, but it can’t distract from all we are trying to achieve at Barcelona. There are a lot of games left to be played and we have the chance to win some big trophies. When the season is over, then I can think about the World Cup.

FHM: How much pressure is there on Brazil?

Neymar: There is always pressure on Brazil at a World Cup because of our history, but of course, as host nation there’s even more pressure now. That is not a bad thing though – we know what the World Cup means to the people of Brazil and I hope we can win it for them this summer.

FHM: How do you cope with the personal pressure on you at both Barcelona and Brazil?

Neymar: I take training and games very seriously, but outside of soccer I’m a very easygoing guy. I like to joke around – I like to have fun with my family and my son. I don’t let things bother me – it is important to make sure you have fun in life.

From the April 2014 issue of FHM India.