Neymar was thought to be past his prime, but when he returned to Brazil for a short time, he immediately won over fans there. Meanwhile, Messi and Ronaldo, at 37 and 40 years old, continue to be magnets attracting fans worldwide.
“The appeal of these famous players has not yet disappeared, the upcoming 2026 World Cup will be their last dance. That is why fans around the world are still very interested in these stars. Each person has a unique influence, no one is the same, creating a strange attraction in the colorful world of football”, Marca (Spain) commented. Meanwhile, Sportico (USA) recently announced that Neymar, Messi and Ronaldo are still the highest-paid players in the world in 2025.
Marca continued: “The most obvious thing is that Brazilian fans never abandoned their favorite son, Neymar, even though he was treated badly in France when he played for PSG or was a huge disappointment in Saudi Arabia. In Brazil, where there is always love and trust, Neymar has been revived as a gallant Neymar. The 33-year-old striker scored a super goal from a corner kick and contributed 2 assists to help Santos beat Inter de Limeira 3-0 at the Paulista Championship (Sao Paulo state) on February 24.” Neymar has gradually found his peak. He played for Santos in 6 matches, scored 2 goals and had 3 assists. Thanks to that, Neymar will almost certainly be called back by coach Dorival Junior to the Brazilian team to play in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in March, after more than a year and a half of absence.
Ronaldo still leaves a huge mark in Saudi Arabia, through his record number of goals. This famous player has turned 40, but still “shoots” regularly and is getting closer to the milestone of scoring 1,000 goals. Meanwhile, in the US, Messi always creates “magic” in football with his talent. The attraction of the Argentine player always ensures that the football stadiums in the US, where he plays or the Inter Miami club, are packed with spectators.
“Ronaldo is still a money-making machine at the age of 40. This famous player has an annual income of up to 251.7 million euros. Messi is ranked second with 129.7 million euros, and Neymar is next with 127.8 million euros. Until now, many years have passed but no one in the world of football has been able to surpass them, even though all 3 no longer play in Europe,” Marca concluded.
