Neymar Jr.

It isn't surprising that Neymar took this free kick because it's about the same angle that he scored from in the Olympic gold medal match against Germany.

He's also one of the best players in the world. It is surprising that Neymar took this free kick because Lionel Messi was standing over it as well, and he's the best player in the world and was also on a hat trick.

Neymar recreated his Olympic goal against Celtic, and, for the record, Messi did eventually get his hat trick.

Remember when Daft Punk released their magnum opus Random Access Memories in 2013, heralded with a genius marketing campaign combining new school strategy and old school nostalgia? By slowly teasing the album’s release, the electronic masters created a buzz that engulfed social media. 

It has been three years since those seminal moments in the music industry, but we appear to be on the verge of another musical zeitgeist. The sound of 2016 is going to be provided by none other than Neymar, his aptly titled #Neymusico already causing a Twitterstorm.

It’s all done and dusted with Neymar penning an improved deal to keep him at Barcelona until 2021, but just imagine what could’ve been. According to Neymar’s agent, Wagner Ribeiro, the 24-year-old Brazilian captain came exceptionally close to joining either Manchester United or PSG over the summer. 

For the first time in about ten years, it must finally be relaxing to be a fan of the Brazilian national team. At the 2005 Confederations Cup, Brazil merrily captured the title with a squad containing the assurances of Kaka, Ronaldinho, Lucio and the phenomenal talents of Adriano and Robinho. That was the end of the fun.

Brazil have found their best form at the 2016 Summer Olympics men’s football tournament at just the right time. Building off their 4-0 hammering of Denmark and 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Colombia, they’ve put in their most impressive performance yet in a 6-0 drubbing of Honduras.

They now await the winner of the Nigeria vs. Germany match in the other semifinal in Sao Paulo later today.

Brazil couldn’t have asked for a better start in front of 70,000 supporters at the world famous Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil’s Olympic footballing dream received a massive lift on Saturday. Following the women’s dramatic shootout victory over Australia on Friday, Brazil’s men followed the example of Marta and company to reach the semi-finals of their own competition.

Having struggled through group play with draws against Iraq and South Africa, Neymar and his teammates sprung to life with devastating efficiency against continental rivals Colombia.

When Brazilian under-23 coach Rogerio Micale suggested that Neymar could one day quit the Brazilian national team due to a lack of respect, the parallels that could be drawn with Lionel Messi’s treatment and subsequent retirement from Argentina’s setup were almost too self-evident.