It feels like yesterday that the wonderkid Neymar joined PSG on a four-year contract for an outrageous world record fee of £198 million. He now makes a whopping £75 million-plus in a year — most of which comes from what he can do with a ball under his feet.
Yet Neymar’s endorsement earnings cannot be ignored. After all, these earnings alone make him more money than most people make in their entire lives. Which brands has Neymar been working with? Let’s take a closer look.
Puma
Neymar ended his 11-year relationship with Nike in September 2020 in favour of Puma. Why not? The deal would see him earn £23 million a year. According to the Daily Mail, it dwarfed Cristiano Ronaldo’s £15 million Nike partnership and Messi’s £18 million Adidas deal.
Although Nike sponsored PSG, Neymar insisted that Puma’s history was more important to him. He says he grew up watching the likes of Pele, Matthaus, Cruyff, Maradona, and Eusebio. In his own words, Neymar wished to bring back the legacy that those players created on the pitch.
Puma included Neymar’s logo on the PUMA KING Platinum boot, the fastest and lightest PUMA KING available. It is perfectly aligned with his electric moves.
Red Bull
Neymar also endorses Red Bull, which works with the trickster in his non-profit organisation that facilitates the Red Bull Neymar Jr Five. It is an annual five-a-side tournament that boasts the most participation in the world.
Matches in this tournament only last 10 minutes and are played on a miniature field. Additionally, players can leverage the walls through bounce passes, and no goalkeepers are allowed.
Turma da Monica
Neymar teamed up with celebrated Brazilian cartoonist Mauricio de Sousa in 2013, resulting in the comic book Turma da Monica with Neymar as the star called Neymarzinho. The Neymarzinho character is a football lover and talented boy who is enthusiastic about making his first steps in the sport.
Moreover, Nickelodeon produces a series of the same name. It is a puppet show featuring singer Thiaguinho as the voice actor.
PokerStars
Neymar knows how to have fun during his free time. Not only is he a passionate poker player, he’s also a really good one. Neymar even participated in the Brazilian Series of Poker, finishing sixth out of 300 participants. Therefore, it is no surprise that one of the biggest online casinos would approach him for an endorsement deal. This has become a highly popular marketing move of online casinos in recent years, which, together with their no deposit bonuses and similar promotional offers, are designed to attract new crowds of players onto their sites.
Neymar became PokerStars’ brand ambassador in 2015, left in 2017 just as he moved to PSG, and then re-joined The Stars Group in December 2020. Then 28 years old, Neymar was the only ambassador PokerStars ever re-signed. He features in the brand’s promotional content and often attends their global events.
Qatar Airways
Neymar has enjoyed a long relationship with Qatar Airways and Qatar as a country in general. He starred in the airline’s promotional content when he was still in Barcelona. Qatar Airways was the primary sponsor of Barca back then. His move to PSG did not break his ties with the country, seeing as the club belongs to the Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) group.
One of Qatar Airways’ most viral promotional content featuring Neymar was the airline’s safety video released in 2019. He appears alongside Cafu, Robert Lewandowski, and other stars in the 6-minute funny clip.
Epic Games
US-based video game developer Epic Games disclosed their collaboration with Neymar in March 2021. It came as no surprise, considering Neymar is a fan of the game and had played alongside many pros.
The Epic Games deal would have Neymar endorse Fortnite on social media and appear in the game as a skin. He entered Fortnite barely a month later, on 27 April, allowing players to tackle his Battle Pass Quests and unlock his outfit, among other items.
Konami
A busy year for Neymar, 2021 also saw the football star partner with a Japanese gaming company KONAMI as an ambassador, beginning with eFootball PES 2021.
Neymar expressed his delight to his 50 million followers through a tweet. He promised an iconic PES moment soon and welcomed everyone to come and play. He is now the ambassador of all KONAMI football games.
Fan the Flame Comics
Fan the Flame Comics partnered with Neymar Jr Comics in 2018 to launch an entire comic book series called INKED. Fan the Flame is a studio that works with celebrities to create comic, caricatured versions of themselves.
Neymar’s Twitter post described the release of INKED as a “dream come true!” Its plot revolves around the adventures and life journey of self-knowledge of the story’s protagonist, Junior. His tattoos are drawn with a special ink that allows them to come to life and help fight crime.
Diesel Fragrances
L’Oréal-owned luxury fragrance Diesel Fragrances has partnered with Neymar since 2019. They have a co-branded product called Spirit of the Brave. It is based on a fresh, green start of bergamot and galbanum alongside aromatic-woody shades of cypress, fir, and other ingredients.
Spirit of the Brave was released just as Diesel Fragrances celebrated 10 years, perfectly coinciding with Neymar’s 10 years of professional football. They used the lion tattoo on his hand to decorate the bottle, which arrives in the shape of a fist, to complement the fragrance’s expression of audacity, boldness, and refinement.
GaGa Milano
Neymar has been GaGa Milano’s brand ambassador since 2017. His love for Italian luxury watches predates the endorsement, in any case. This partnership has sparked co-branded content between the two, and Neymar has even gotten a limited-edition range of the watches.
Named Neymar Jr. Skeleton, the limited edition watches come in Rose Gold, Diamonds Rose gold, and Steel. They cost upwards of $1,000.
More and More Neymar Partnerships
The most branded football player has enjoyed more endorsements than you can count. Among other brands on the list are:
- REPLAY Jeans
- Qatar National Bank (QNB)
- DAZN
- Triller
- Superdry
- NR Sports
- Altice Portugal
- Above Cosmeticos
- Digible
He has also had previous contracts with Nike, Gillette, TCL, Beats by Dre, and Mastercard. Although we don’t know what’s next, we’re sure that the Brazilian football wizard will remain an asset to many brands for a long time.