A partnership between entrepreneurs Neymar da Silva Santos, Charles Martins, Marcus Buaiz, and Altamiro Bezerra, the Neymar Sports chain will operate globally and plans to open 100 locations within three years

Neymar Jr., currently the greatest Brazilian soccer player and the most expensive player in the history of world soccer, will be the face of Neymar Sports, a network of schools whose mission is to foster the key characteristics of Neymar Jr. as an athlete and of the sport itself—creativity, unpredictability, flair, refined technique, and joy—in children and teenagers.

The project, which reinforces soccer star Neymar Jr.'s initiatives in the area of education and training for children and adolescents, is the result of a partnership between Neymar Sport Marketing (NR Sports)—which has granted the use of the athlete's image to the Neymar Sports school network—and his respective partners and agents.

Neymar Sports will focus not only on soccer but also on other sports, always respecting the culture and integration of different sports in a wide variety of countries, as the project will expand through a master franchise model in different regions and countries.

Neymar Sports is expected to have up to 100 locations in four countries (Brazil, the United States, Australia, and China) over the next three years. “Our first location will be in Miami, Florida, where interest in and participation in soccer has been growing,” says Neymar da Silva Santos.

According to Neymar da Silva Santos, establishing a sports school will be a way to contribute to the development of thousands of children. “In addition, we want to give back for all the support Neymar Jr. received as he developed as an athlete. To become a top-level player, Neymar Jr. relied on the support of many people and a great deal of dedication. Through Neymar Sports, we want to pass on these fundamentals to young people from all over the world who also love sports.”

Charles Martins, who leads the project, emphasizes that Neymar Sports wants to focus strongly on children and young people who today tend to lead sedentary lifestyles due to the use of technologies such as video games, tablets, and smartphones. “We want to encourage children ages 6 to 13 to participate in sports, as this is the period when children and adolescents develop their motor skills. Participating in sports within a network that employs an innovative methodology is a great incentive for young people to take an interest in sports,” he says.

“Having a soccer academy with a global presence has always been a dream of Neymar Sr.’s,” says Marcus Buaiz. “Neymar Jr. is a role model—both as a man and as an athlete—for millions of children and teenagers around the world, and he’s synonymous with boldness and joy. It is precisely this trait—one that has been a part of the star since childhood—that we want to pass on to young people,” he concludes.

“Having a positive influence early on in a child’s athletic career can be crucial to a future athlete’s success, and that’s exactly what happened with my son,” says businessman Neymar da Silva Santos.

“In the Neymar Sports", "The high quality of the classes and the students' learning is our focus, and the network's values align with those that guide the Neymar Jr. Project Institute," adds Altamiro Bezerra.

The Neymar Sports website is now live, with more information and details about the project. Visit www.neymarsports.com Check it out!

Neymar Sports will donate 1% of its revenue to the Neymar Jr. Project Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to social causes that has the capacity to serve thousands of children and adolescents each day. It is an educational and sports complex located in Jardim Glória, in Praia Grande (SP), and serves children, adolescents, and their families.