On a July evening in 2011 the football world’s focus was on the Vila Belmiro Stadium in Santos, which appears little changed from the days when a teenage Pelé lived in a dormitory under one of the stands. National-team coaches had arrived in Brazil before the World Cup qualifying draw, as a 19‑year‑old footballer called Neymar went toe-to-toe with Ronaldinho, the two-time world player of the year famous for his hip-swivelling trickery with the ball and toothy grin.
Sporting a blond mohawk hairstyle that teenagers all over Brazil were copying, Neymar was a blur of energy and movement. He danced past six players before slipping the ball into the net. One of the moves was so rapid that it required slow-motion replays to understand just how he had done it.
Related: Brazil qualify for 2018 World Cup after Coutinho and Neymar down Paraguay
Related: Spain’s public prosecutor calls for Neymar to be sent to prison for two years
Related: How Neymar's arrival turned from triumph to disaster for Sandro Rosell| Sid Lowe
Continue reading...