Ten years ago, Neymar took on the number 10 shirt for the national team – 01/06/2023 – PVC

Neymar played with the number 10 shirt for the Brazilian national team for the first time on June 2, 2013. Exactly ten years ago. That day, he left the reopening of the new Maracanã at 6 pm, after Brazil 2 x 2 England, boarded a chartered plane and, with CBF authorization, flew to be presented by Barcelona.

The following day, 56,000 people attended his first greeting to the Camp Nou fans: “Bona tarda a totthom!”. In good Catalan, good afternoon everyone. His blue and maroon T-shirt didn’t have a number on the back, because the number 10 had become his in the national team, but he had an owner at Barça. Prudent, Neymar warned: “I came to help Messi to continue being the best in the world”.

Despite his sensible statement, Brazil was betting that Neymar would fly to Europe to be voted the best player on the planet. There were many mistakes in that June of 2013, from the demonstrations that, it took us a while to realize, led to the longest winter in Brazil after the military dictatorship.

Even Neymar has polarized himself over these ten years, to the point where he has a painting of his face, half Batman, half Joker, in his living room. Netflix’s documentary “Neymar: Perfect Chaos” shows the work at his home. The ace explains that he is a superhero for his family and a villain for those who don’t know him closely.

On the day when the world returns to reason and understanding that there is gray in the midst of extreme tones, Neymar will be looked upon as the best Brazilian player of his generation. It’s no small feat, though less than anyone imagined—and than he himself imagined.

Neymar was champion of the Champions League, the only player to score goals in all matches, between the beginning of the quarterfinals and the very final. He won the Spanish Championship twice, three Copa del Rey, a Club World Cup, five French championships, three French Cups, two League Cups.

The news says that Guardiola called him and could invite him to play for Manchester City, which could give him a chance to win another Champions League. His career is not over, it can still produce new stories, good surprises.

But the tenth anniversary of his trip to Barcelona means that he didn’t get everything he imagined — or that we imagined.

His greatest legacy will be to leave information about what he lacked for other generations. Vinicius Junior has Cristiano Ronaldo as a reference. Your ability to dedicate yourself to training, to know that your body is your work equipment, to understand that there are times for parties, which could happen in greater numbers after your career, if you win everything you set out to do in the short space of the next ten years.

It’s not just Vinicius. It’s his generation.

After polarizing himself, half Batman half Joker, Neymar will probably be the middle ground between Ronaldinho Gaúcho’s party and Vinicius Junior’s professionalism. Those who work in the formation of players have the impression that a batch of Brazilian stars with a lot of talent and more serenity is on the way. More inspired by Messi than Ronaldinho.

Neymar always wanted the bonus of being the best without the burden of working for it.

Not that he didn’t work, but he did it less than what is required of the protagonist.

And so ten years passed.

And, in the next ten, we can imagine having a generation of players as talented, but more capable of trying to combine Messi’s talent with Cristiano Ronaldo’s commitment.

It might be asking too much.

Or it could be that Brazil will have the best player in the world the day they have the world champion team.

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