Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior - Not your typical Prima Donna

Neymar celebrates his goal with his teammates

What is so surprising about Neymar is that he seems to be all alone in this roller-coaster ride, and the youngster hasn’t flinched at all. He has carried around the tag of the Prima Dona for as long as anyone can remember; for even though he has had powerful footballing influences (Luiz Felipe Scolari comes to mind), he seems to be all alone at the top.

His entire time at Santos was characterized by the club’s reluctance to hold back the youngster in any way, either on the field or off it. Brand Neymar has walked, talked, laughed and danced his way to the cauldron that is the Camp Nou, and it is only now that the world sits back and says – Hey! This kid is definitely something else entirely!

Out there on the pitch, in the firm glare of an unforgiving public, Neymar has let his feet do the talking. His poise and adaptability have relegated even his scintillating skill on the ball to a spot in the background – no mean feat in itself. Sure of touch and always looking for teammates to feed, the Brazilian has integrated himself remarkably well into Barcelona’s system.

There was one moment of jaw-dropping skill too, last night. Out on the left flank, standing nonchalantly as the ball came to him, he executed a perfectly timed Cruyff turn – a thing of beauty that left opposition fullback “Coke” Andújar, who he terrorized all night, bamboozled.

He seems to be genuinely respectful, and in awe of the chance to play alongside the best players of this generation – while able to understand that his own name will be uttered in that company, one day soon, if he gives the club the dedication it deserves. That level of emotional maturity is refreshing for someone who has been treated like a demigod all through his young career, and it certainly says that we can expect great things from the Brazilian in the not-too-distant future.

His displays for the Brazilian national team have been nothing short of spectacular. The effortless manner with which he waltzed Brazil to the Confederations Cup title is a testament to how special this young man really is. The dark cloud of mutiny that surrounded the tournament was not lost on him, and he admitted, in the wake of his sensational goal in the tournament’s opening fixture, that he wanted desperately to win this title for the people, to put a smile on their faces in the midst of the economic crisis.

His willingness to carry the burden of lifting their spirits, when the tournament, as well as next year’s World Cup, are all considered “elitist” events by the people themselves, and more importantly, his ability to deliver on that promise- that shows a personal belief in football’s ability to unite and bring joy.

Barcelona knows they have amongst their ranks the most highly rated young player in the footballing world today. What the world is finding out, slowly and surely, is that this is a man who not only has his feet on the ground, but also his heart in the right place. There is a whiff in the air, one of infinite promise and potential. And it is decidedly Brazilian in flavor.