Marcus Chan
World football’s governing body, FIFA, were forced to ban a genius penalty technique used by Brazilian superstar Neymar.
Over the years, Neymar has become one of the world’s best players.
After making a name for himself at Brazilian side Santos, Neymar moved to Europe in 2013 to sign for Barcelona.
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The forward then left Spain for France as he joined Paris Saint Germain in 2017.
In the summer of 2023, Neymar ditched European football when he signed for Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal.
Ever since he was a youngster coming through at Santos, it was already clear that Neymar had a bundle of talent and skill in his locker.
When he was playing in Brazil, Neymar was often the man to step up whenever his team was awarded a penalty.
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Neymar’s run-up was second to none as he would stop right before making contact with the ball.
At this stage, the goalkeeper would move to one side and Neymar would then simply slot the ball into the other side.
Although he didn’t use that technique on every occasion, it was captured at least five times. In total, it has been claimed by Transfermarkt that Neymar scored 11 out of 14 penalties he took for Santos.
However, Neymar was later forced to change his whole run-up due to FIFA’s decision to ban the feint right before kicking the ball.
In 2010, a FIFA document said: “Feinting to kick the ball once the player has completed his run-up is considered an infringement of Law 14 and an act of unsporting behaviour for which the player must be cautioned.”
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Despite that, Neymar still boasts an impressive penalty record, having scored 87 in his career so far.
Currently, Neymar is on his way back to full fitness after as he continues to recover from a serious knee injury.