Brazilian footballer Neymar Jr has stepped into the new year brimming with confidence after coming out of a difficult 2019 due to injuries. This year, he hopes to lift silverware with PSG and Brazil before handing some out when he crowns two new Red Bull Neymar Jr’s Five World Champions.
The world’s biggest five-a-side tournament, which offers a professional platform for global amateur football players, is back to celebrate its exciting fifth edition this year. Action gets underway this weekend as the global qualifiers kick-off and teams from across the world embark on a journey they hope will take them all the way to the World Final at the Instituto Projeto Neymar Jr in Praia Grande.
For UK teams, the road to Brazil starts with regional qualifiers happening in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Cardiff. Winners of the regional qualifiers will then head to the National Finals, which will take place in Shoreditch, London. Both a UK men’s and women’s team will then head to Brazil in a bid to outplay them all and be crowned world champions.
In addition to lifting the coveted trophies, the prize for the winning teams will be a mouth-watering match against the superstar himself and a hand-picked selection of world-class teammates.
Last year, Hungary's mixed team Zsírkréták and Slovakian women's side Spartak Myjava managed to outplay them all in the world’s biggest and most exciting five-a-side tournament format - 10 minutes of intense action, no goalkeepers and teams losing a player every time the opposition scores. In the past four years more than 400,000 players from 75 countries and six continents have signed up.
On a personal note, Neymar Jr is ready to use the learnings from a difficult year to help propel him to success in 2020.
“Professionally and personally, 2019 was a tough year for me,” admits the world’s most expensive footballer. “But it was a year full of learnings and lots of experiences. I am taking the positive side of it so that 2020 can be better.”
“I’m always seeking new challenges, and my biggest expectation for 2020 is to win everything I can with PSG and the Brazilian team. I want to be in the Champions League final and I want to win the Copa America again.”
Asked about his dream Red Bull Neymar Jr’s Five team, the striker replied:
“A team with players that are still playing: Messi, Suarez, Mbappe, Pogba and Hazard. A team with retired players: Xavi, Lampard, Gerrard, Beckham and Henry.”
Now it’s time for you to construct your very own team of world-beaters and get ready to outplay them all. To find out about the qualifiers in your country and the route to glory in Brazil, click here and sign up your five-a-side team.