Neymar Jr. is the world's most influential Brazilian athlete in 2021; 7 billion impressions

Neymar Jr. is the most influential Brazilian athlete in the world in 2021, according to SportPro, a website focused on sports business. The survey was released on Monday (23). To give you an idea, the star player had more than 7 billion impressions on social media this year.

The highest-ranked Brazilian on the list, the PSG and Brazilian national team player also ranks 31st on an overall list of the 50 most prominent sports figures of the year. American gymnast Simone Biles tops the list.

The ranking of the most “marketable” athletes was presented by the digital social media platform Greenfly, using digital engagement metrics from Zoomph.

Neymar Jr. scored 162 points based on a methodology developed by experts. The companies used five key metrics: posting frequency, reach, engagement, fan demographics, and fan appeal.

The data shows how public figures can engage with various types of audiences (women, Gen Z, or Millennials), as well as groups with an affinity for music, gaming, business, or luxury goods—areas in which Neymar Jr. is involved and has a natural affinity.

The Brazilian athlete, for example, has the highest number of organic posts [460] among the social media platforms analyzed (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok—though he does not have an account on the latter). His total number of followers across these platforms exceeds 292 million.

In terms of impressions, Neymar Jr. has surpassed 7 billion—(7,177,127,231)—the second-highest figure among the 50 athletes listed. Check out the full article!

To calculate an average “Influential Athlete Score” based on the data collected, the experts did not rely solely on social media reach, but also on the demographic makeup and consumer affinities of the athlete’s audience. The inclusion of a Brazilian on the list underscores the importance of image and career management beyond soccer and highlights the athlete’s ability to reach a wide variety of audiences.