Neymar, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho: The greatest seasons by Brazilians since 2000 | OneFootball

Neymar will go down as an all-time great, of that there should be no doubt whatsoever.

Sure, the Paris Saint-Germain forward isn’t everybody’s cup of tea with his fiery nature and proneness to feigning injury, but from a strictly footballing perspective he’s absolutely magnificent.

Neymar is a pure entertainer and has managed to find the sweet spot in which he compliments his array of garish skill moves with world-class output.

At club level with Santos, Barcelona and PSG, the 30-year-old superstar has scored 274 goals and assisted a further 171.

On the international stage, Neymar’s numbers are up there with the very best in history.

He has 71 goals and 52 assists to his name from 117 outings in Brazil’s colours, an average of 1.05 contributions per match.

If there’s anything to be said about Neymar, it’s the fact that he’s massively underrated by the masses in the present day.

And the folks over at PopFoot have highlighted that further by detailing the 20 best seasons by a Brazilian player in the 21st century.

Contributions for both club and country contribute to the overall totals provided for each player.

The 20 best seasons by Brazilians in the 21st century

20. Robinho (Real Madrid, 2009/09) – 21 goals, 15 assists | 37 contributions

19. Roberto Firmino (Hoffenheim, 2013/14) – 22 goals, 16 assists | 38 contributions

18. Ronaldo Nazario (Real Madrid, 2002/03) – 32 goals, 6 assists | 38 contributions

17. Vinicius Junior* (Real Madrid, 2021/22) – 22 goals, 16 assists | 38 contributions

16. Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain, 2020/21) – 24 goals, 14 assists | 38 contributions

15. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City, 2018/19) – 29 goals, 10 assists | 39 contributions

14. Luis Fabiano (Sevilla, 2007/08) – 36 goals, 4 assists | 40 contributions

13. Ronaldinho (Barcelona, 2006/07) – 26 goals, 14 assists | 40 contributions

12. Ronaldinho (Barcelona, 2004/05) – 24 goals, 17 assists | 41 contributions

11. Adriano (Inter Milan, 2004/05) – 35 goals, 7 assists | 42 contributions

10. Nene (Paris Saint-Germain, 2011/12) – 27 goals, 15 assists | 42 contributions

9. Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain, 2018/19) – 27 goals, 17 assists | 44 contributions

8. Ronaldo Nazario (Real Madrid, 2003/04) – 37 goals, 9 assists | 46 contributions

7. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool, 2017/18) – 29 goals, 18 assists | 47 contributions

6. Ronaldinho (Barcelona, 2005/06) – 26 goals, 21 assists | 47 contributions

5. Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain, 2017/18) – 32 goals, 19 assists | 51 contributions

4. Neymar (Barcelona, 2016/17) – 26 goals, 26 assists | 52 contributions

3. Neymar (Barcelona, 2013/14) – 30 goals, 22 assists | 52 contributions

2. Neymar (Barcelona, 2015/16) – 33 goals, 20 assists | 53 contributions

So, only one Brazilian has reached the landmark of 50 goal contributions in a single season and it’s Neymar – who’s achieved that feat an astonishing five times.

Overall, Neymar features seven times on the 20-man list, with Ronaldinho the player with the second-most inclusions on three.

Firmino and Ronaldo are the other two players to make the cut more than once.

Neymar’s numbers above speak for themselves and it’s why he’ll go down as one of the greatest to have played the beautiful game.

If he helps Brazil win a sixth World Cup later this year, all his doubters will finally be silenced once and for all – even though they should have been already.

Premier League quiz: 20 questions on the division’s all-time records

1 of 20

Sadio Mane scored the fastest ever Premier League hat-trick, how quick was it?

3 mins 15 secs 2 mins 56 secs 2 mins 50 secs 3 mins 2 secs