In February 1992, the first child of the Santos family was born in Brazil. His parents learned that he was a boy only at birth because they could not afford an ultrasound scan. For the first week, he had no official name, so they called him Juninho—a nickname they still use. Eventually, he was named Neymar after his father. That is why he became known as Neymar Junior. He later became a star for Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazilian national team. Unfortunately, the family’s happiness was interrupted in June of the same year by a terrible car accident. Four-month-old Neymar was traveling with his parents to Santos to visit relatives when an oncoming car struck the driver’s side. His father suffered the most serious injuries. When he regained consciousness, he could not see his son. The car had stopped near a cliff, so if the baby had been thrown from it, his chances of survival would have been slim. Neymar’s parents were unable to get out, but bystanders came to help and found the bloodstained baby beneath the rear seat. Thankfully, he had remained inside the car.

Fortunately, Neymar was not seriously injured, but his father was in critical condition. His recovery was painful: for several months, his fractured pelvis had to be immobilized in traction, and his young son was frightened by the sight of him.

As a young child, the future footballer lived with his parents and sister in a single small room. Despite the cramped conditions, Neymar turned it into his own football pitch. “I played my own matches and tournaments. I kicked the ball and added my own commentary. I played, commentated, and cheered.” His favorite exercise was to kick the ball against the wall—first with his right foot, then with his left when the right became tired—before controlling it with his chest and heading it. He often played with his father on the beach. He spent every free moment improving his skills and enjoying the game. He began collecting footballs—old, new, flat, or fully inflated. He owned more than 50 and loved every one of them. As he said, you must first respect the ball before you can aspire to become a professional.

One day, when Neymar was about eight, he struck the ball with his weaker left foot after training. Seeing the poor result, his coach told him to use only his right. His father strongly disagreed: “Son, use whichever foot is closer to the ball, whether it is the right or the left. Do not be afraid to use your weaker foot. If you use it often, it will become stronger—you will feel the difference. The weaker foot supports the stronger one.” Neymar began training his left foot. The results were poor at first, but his persistence paid off. The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup final against Spain provided a striking example: he scored a remarkable left-footed goal that Iker Casillas could not stop. His father always taught him to work on his weaknesses rather than pretend they did not exist. Champions are not born; they are made!

Neymar’s father worked hard to provide for the family. He sacrificed his own sporting ambitions for his children. He turned down opportunities to play because he feared losing his regular job—and therefore the family’s income. “Family above everything—above passion and money” could be the family’s motto. In 2006, Neymar was offered the chance to join Real Madrid for a large sum, but he declined because he did not want to leave his family. Although money was scarce and the electricity was once cut off at their home, being together remained most important. That is why 13-year-old Neymar rejected the proposal.

On August 23, 2010, Neymar and his father attended a meeting with Santos’ manager, who told them that Chelsea wanted to buy the player for €30 million. During the conversation, the manager switched off the light and pointed to an empty chair. “A great hero once sat here. Since Ayrton Senna’s death, the chair has remained empty. If Neymar stays at Santos and rejects Chelsea’s offer, it will be the first step toward earning that seat.” This marked the start of “Project Neymar,” devised by Neymar’s father to secure financial support for the player and his family. Nothing comparable had previously been done to keep a player in the country.

This article is based on the autobiography “Neymar: My Story: Conversations With My Father.”