What is Neymar’s legacy to modern football?

To any football fan, certain players have become truly iconic during their playing careers. English fans will fondly remember the late, great Bobby Charlton, who played a pivotal role in securing the national side’s first, and only World Cup championship in 1966. French fans will speak for hours about the collective genius of Zidane, Makelélé, and Thierry Henry, each of whom dominated the sport during the height of their playing careers.

However, these top-tier players are all now retired from the sport, and current icons such as Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are heading toward the end of their careers. The Brazilians have a rich history of producing some of the world’s greatest players. Pelé was perhaps the greatest of all time and subsequently, maestros such as Zico and Ronaldo also showed the world the power of Brazilian football.

Today in 2023, there’s a world-class talent in the form of Neymar. This winger has already achieved worldwide recognition for his skills as one of the best dribblers of modern times. However, at the age of thirty-one, he still plays at the highest level for the Brazilian national team and may have several years of play left. In this article, the legacy of Neymar in modern football will be explored.

 

Risk and reward gameplay

In modern football, there’s currently an emphasis on conservative tactics. Teams aim to keep possession of the ball without taking undue risks and with an emphasis on defending. While this allows top teams to edge out wins against lesser opponents, it doesn’t always provide a captivating experience for the football fan.

Thankfully, players such as Neymar go against this conservative mindset in the modern game. One of Neymar’s key strengths is his ability to dribble around and past some of the world’s best defenders, using speed, agility, and an uncanny ability to read the game. This incredible skill has made him gain renown as one of the world’s best dribblers and led to a style of play that focuses on risk-taking to create truly memorable goals.

This risk-and-reward gameplay is also present in the online world. Sports fans can experience the same emotions and excitement when playing online blackjack at online casinos where the rewards for bold risk-taking can be great. This popular card game has a lot of similarities with aggressive styles of football as each game contains an element of risk, sometimes with big gambles paying off.

Many online casinos recognize that sports fans frequent their establishments and have games that are specifically focused on the risk and reward nature of football such as Football Star and Football Star Deluxe. In short, Neymar encapsulates a style of play that is becoming less common in modern football with a risk-taking mentality that is recognized and emulated by many gambling fans.

 

Helping to raise the profile of the Saudi Pro League

Whilst Neymar still plays at the highest levels of the sport, this season he has chosen to play for a less prestigious league, the Saudi Pro League, where he is a first-team player for Al Hilal SFC. This comes after seasons with Paris Saint-Germain and before that, the Spanish giants Barcelona. While this move may have shocked some fans, and many believed that it was for financial motives, it’s undeniable that he’s helping to improve the profile of football in Saudi Arabia.

With other top-tier players such as Benzema and Koulibaly currently playing in this league, the sport has enjoyed increased prominence in this country. While Neymar will be remembered as one of the greatest dribblers of all time when he retires, he will have also helped to cultivate a bright future for the sport in Saudi Arabia.

Sources: sportskeeda.com / planetfootball.com