Neymar Jr. is at it again. This time it’s off the pitch, but he’s giving you a chance to get on it. Neymar Jr. has announced plans for the second edition of his signature five-a-side global tournament – Neymar Jr’s Five.
The History
In 2016, Neymar Jr’s Five launched and it made an impact upon arrival. More than 10,000 teams in 47 countries around the globe competed in the world’s biggest five-a-side football tournament. Perhaps you can call it the Neymar World Cup. The tourney has special meaning for Neymar Jr., and he pulls no punches when talking about it, as he said “the tournament reminds me of my childhood and I am very proud of it. To win the five-a-side games and outplay them all, you need strategy and a good understanding of what the best moment is to attack and defend. A good defense is very important as well and can bring your team very far in the tournament.”
The Rules
So what are the deets? The five-a-side games last 10 minutes and feature a unique twist, as every time one team scores, the opposition loses a player. It’s inspired by the street football Neymar Jr. himself grew up playing. His 2017 tournament is again open to teams of five to seven players aged 18 to 25, but for the first time two over-aged players are allowed as part of each squad.
This year, it gets more competitive with regional qualifiers in 53 countries and a rule change giving more players the chance to compete. The World Championship will again be held in Praia Grande, Brazil at Neymar Jr’s Instituto Projeto Neymar Jr in July 2017.
The Opportunity
In the USA, the tourney kicks off March 25th in Tampa, Florida and Dallas, Texas. From there, qualifiers continue spanning the entire U.S. from California, Arizona to Florida, Texas, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Kansas, Ohio and Colorado. The top two teams from each qualifier then travel to the US finals in Miami in June.
Lest you think the U.S. is an outlier in this completion. Think again. Last year, Team TC Broders from Fresno, California took the USA crown and traveled to Praia Grande to meet Neymar Jr. himself and compete in the World Final. Moreover, Neymar Jr., has a special place in his heart for the USA, as he told Red Bull “long term, if I could choose any other country to play in it would be the United States. The culture in the US is incredible, and that really attracts me – as do the amazing cities. It would be a great place to play one day.”
The Prize
Brazil’s Anjos da Bola, the 2016 World Champions, were rewarded with a VIP trip to Barcelona, where they got to spend time with Neymar Jr. at the FC Barcelona training ground. “Meeting the winners was incredible!” said Neymar Jr. “Now I can’t wait to see who makes it through to the 2017 World Final at my Instituto in Brazil.”
If you and your boys think you have what it takes, or simply want to try your luck visit www.neymarjrsfive.com to sign up.