Does Neymar Speak English?

Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, or simply better known as Neymar, was born on February 5, 1992 and is a Brazilian professional footballer. He currently plays as a winger for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-German in addition to the Brazilian national team.

However, being that he was born and raised in Brazil, does Neymar speak English?

Below, we are going to review just whether or not Neymar speaks English and what other languages he is fluent in.

Brief History of Neymar

Born in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Neymar’s parents are Neymar Santos Sr. and Nadine da Silva. Having inherited his father’s first name, Neymar has commented previously on the closeness and bond he has with his father, stating, “My father has been by my side since I was little. He takes care of things, my finances and my family.”

As a young child, Neymar combined his love of futsal with that of street football. He has also said that his love of futsal helped him to become a better football player, indicating that the tight spaces in futsal helped to develop his technique and ability to perform moves.

When Neymar was 11 years old, his family moved to São Vicente, where he began playing for youth side Portuguesa Santista. In the same year, the family moved to Santos, where Neymar joined the Santos football team.

The success he saw helped his family to purchase their first home and the quality of life they had improved significantly.

And at just the age of 17, Neymar made his professional debut, where he helped the club win two successive Campeonato Paulista championships, a Copa do Brasil, and the 2011 Copa Libertadores, Santos’ first since 1963.

In both 2011 and 2012, Neymar was named the South American Footballer of the Year. He subsequently moved to Europe and joined Barcelona, becoming a part of the trio with legendary players Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez.

Transferring to Paris Saint Germaine in 2017, he would become the most expensive player ever, worth €222 million. In France, and with Paris Saint Germaine, he won four league titles, among other honors, and was voted Ligue 1 Player of the Year in his debut season.

Neymar’s Attempt to Learn English

As a native from Brazil, Neymar originally had no intention to learn English. As he played in Brazil and with other Brazilian players, he found no need or use to learn the language and rather continued to focus his attention and time to football.

However, that all changed when he opted to move to Europe. Having initially played for Barcelona, which is in Spain, he was heavily inundated with English speakers. Realizing that he had little knowledge of the language, Neymar decided in 2011 to learn English.

In an interview, Neymar admits the same, admitting that since he moved to Europe that he is in the process of learning English.

“I have no fear of anything, so I am not afraid to move to Europe. I am not learning Spanish, because I already understand most of it. I am learning English, though.”

However, and rather funnily, in 2015, at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, Cristiano Ronaldo admitted that he had to act as a translator for both Lionel Messi and Neymar. And although Ronaldo finished second at the ceremony, with Neymar coming third, he would joke after, stating:

“We got closer, but we have always had a good relationship,” he said.

Before the gala, on the stage, I was a translator for Neymar and Messi.

I told them they would have to pay me.”

Has Neymar’s English Improved?

Although Neymar is not fluent in English, his speaking proficiency has definitely improved. This is most evident in his recent interviews, many of which were conducted in English and without the use or assistance of a translator.

As such, we can see that Neymar is now able to speak English conversationally and should have no problems answering interviews or questions in the language. In addition, his English skills appear to be significantly better than when he first started taking up the language and he is now much more confident in his abilities.

Perhaps above-all-else, this is evidenced on his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel in June 2017. During the piece, which has over 16 million views, Kimmel asks Neymar Jr. if he is able to make a shot on a goal on an opposing building.

Jimmy Kimmel, speaking English to Neymar, is able to be understood and Neymar clearly engages with Kimmel during the bit and answers many of his questions, all in English.

One of the most entertaining Jimmy Kimmel videos, Neymar initially misses the goal, having the football hit the side of the opposing building. However, on just his second attempt, he is clearly and easily able to make the shot.

In addition, in this YouTube Shorts video below, we see that both Neymar and Mbappé are able to speak English fluently. In this clip, both Neymar and Mbappé are asked if they are enjoying themselves in France and during an NBA game. Both players seem excited and are both easily able to answer the interviewers questions in English.

Lastly, here is a six minute clip of all of Neymar’s best moments speaking English. Clearly, he has become fluent in the language and is able to speak English.

What Other Languages Does Neymar Speak?

In addition to being able to speak English, Neymar is able to speak both Portuguese and Spanish. Having been born and raised in Brazil, Neymar’s mother tongue is Portuguese and it is the language he is most comfortable speaking.

And, looking for videos of interviews conducted in Portuguese, you can note that Neymar is extremely comfortable speaking the language and representing himself in that language.

Lastly, Neymar is also able to speak Spanish. And though he has no formal training in the language, it is similar and reminiscent to Portuguese, making it an easy language to learn for the Brazilian born footballer.