He is a player who captures the imagination like few  in footballing history  and his name will be the focus of  press attention ahead of next summer's World Cup. 

 

 But how did Neymar reach the current stage of his career? 

 

 Without leaving his home country or even playing in a World Cup, the talented 21-year-old has become one of football's most iconic players. It's quite an achievement. 

 

 The next few years will determine how Neymar will  be remembered, but those who have seen his development vehemently believe  he will rank among football's finest.

 

 

 How did a young man from a coastal town in São Paulo state rise to  the top of the football world? 

 

 

 Neymar was born in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo state in February 1992 but moved to the coastal city of São Vicente that same year. It was in this city that he started his soccer career, playing street soccer in the neighborhood. (The Age) 

 

 Growing up, the lanky youngster developed his game in a similar way to many of the world's greatest attacking talents: he played indoor futsal. He would later play the 11v11 game  with local club Portuguesa Santista.

 

 Neymar was spotted by scouts for  Santos at the age of 11 while playing for the club, with the town of São Vicente adjoining the coastal town. However, they almost lost the youngster to São Paulo FC, who were also impressed with what they saw in the young forward. 

 

 The video shown on the right shows  11-year-old Neymar helping his team beat São Paulo in a local tournament; It was the game that attracted the Tricolor to his talent. However, Santos would be the team that would ultimately secure his talent. 

 

 Neymar joined Santos in 2004, dividing his time between training in the club's youth system and the private school where he and his sister received scholarships.(soccertalk.us) 

 

 His talents had gotten him a chance for a better education and now he was quickly leading him  through the ranks of Santos' famous youth academy. 

 

 At the age of 15 he took part in the 2008 Copa São Paulo, the most important youth football competition in Brazil. At a U18 competition, the young star was among the youngest  but it was her looks that caught the attention of the national press. (Portuguese)

It was at this tournament that he played, at least in public, for the first time alongside attacking midfielder Paulo Henrique. Ganso, as he would later be  known, played an important role in Neymar's career. 

 

 Without signing a professional football contract, Neymar had already signed a contract for the "assignment of image rights". He was already making a significant amount of money and, significantly,  had a  $25 million buyout clause over his head more than a year before his senior debut. Also 

 

 Brazilian super agent Wagner Ribeiro was already negotiating on his behalf.

 

 To say  Neymar's arrival was highly anticipated would be an understatement. Links to Real Madrid and Manchester United have already been made, while comparisons to Robinho's development  at the club have been common. (Globo Esporte, Portuguese) 

 

 After undergoing a special diet to gain weight, Neymar finally signed as a professional on February 8, 2008, just three days after his 16th birthday. and signed a contract  until 2011. A new star was very much on the rise for the time being.(Globo Esporte, Portuguese) 

 

 

 After signing a professional contract the year before, Neymar continued to develop with the Santos U20 side and took part again in the 2009 Copa São Paulo youth tournament  

 

 On this occasion, Neymar was the focus of his team after playing a minor role the previous year. The 16-year-old later scored three goals to bolster his growing reputation. 

 

 Shortly after, just after his 17th birthday, he made his first-team debut when Neymar took half an hour to beat Oeste. A week later he scored his first goal in defeating Mogi Mirim.

 

 His influence on the team was so rapid that despite being called up for Brazil U17s for the South American Cup in April 2009, Santos turned down the bid. 

 

 He would finish his first league campaign with three goals  in 12 games, earning him the  Best Young Player award in the process. 

 

 At this early stage, Santos icon Pelé, perhaps unintentionally, added to the hype that was beginning to form around the player by telling Globo Esporte: "Neymar could be better than me." 

 

 The young star garnered plenty of praise early in the league season, scoring double-digit goals for Brasileirão  in his debut season despite missing a few weeks mid-season to take part in the U17 World Cup. 

 

 Pressure was already beginning to mount on Brazil coach Dunga to bring Neymar into the squad for the 2010 World Cup.However, that call would never come. However, 

 

 Neymar would continue to improve and as he entered his second professional season, he was poised to make an even greater impact.

With Robinho's loan, the "Meninos da Vila" - Robinho, Neymar, Ganso and André - began to riot. Santos would go on to win both the São Paulo State Championship and the Copa do Brasil in the opening months of the season, with Neymar scoring 25 goals in the two competitions. 

 

 Neymar would be named  the best player in the national championship for his performances, would finish  the Copa do Brasil as top scorer and be named  the Brazilian championship team of the year in December. 

 

 A  World Cup spot might not have come for the Santos prodigy, but it was soon made up for with a debut for Brazil  in August 2010 against USA. 

 

 Brazil would win 2-0 on the night Both Neymar and fellow Santos  Ganso stood out as the former also scored a first international goal.It was a dream start to an already  impressive career in Brazil. 

 

 

 Neymar achieved a lot in 2011, including winning the South American U-20 Championship, taking part in the Copa America and being named the best player in the Brazilian championship. 

 

 Nothing, however, could top his performance as he led his Santos side to the Copa Libertadores title, the club's first title since the Pelé era. 

 

 Neymar scored six goals on his way to continental success, including a record in the  final three rounds of the competition. Santos had once again risen to the top of the South American game  and there was no question who had become their poster child.

 

 

 The year had started well at the South American Championships, where he scored  nine goals to lead Brazil to the title and U20 World Cup in the same summer. 

 

 A second La Liga success was to follow the Libertadores' triumph and Neymar was named player of the competition for the second straight year. However, he is confronted with criticism. 

 

 After the Libertadores, Neymar would not take part in the U-20 World Cup. Instead, Brazil's brightest youngster headed to Argentina for the Copa America.

 

 However, it was not to be a success story for either Brazil or their young star as they faced a second-round elimination to Paraguay. The Santos forward would score twice in the tournament but has been criticized for some of his performances despite his young age. However, as always, 

 

  Neymar was ready to bounce back and ended the league season in great style, scoring 14 goals in 17 games. It was enough to get him named Player of the Year, and it would also help him win the prestigious 2011 South American Player of the Year award (Meta.com) 

 

 However, the year was not over as Santos traveled to Japan for the Club World Cup. But while Neymar was awarded the  Bronze Ball of the tournament for his superb performance in defeating Kashiwa Reysol, Santos would be outclassed by European champions Barcelona in the final. (Guardian) It was to be a disappointing end to a good season.