From GOATs to Grace: How Neymar Kept Football's Soul Alive

Ronaldo and Messi might be the GOATs of football, but in a way, they also changed the game—perhaps even ruined it.

These legends played with such ruthless efficiency that it became normal to score 50 goals and register several assists in a single season. They played like machines—or as some say, like aliens. They created an era of football obsessed with numbers, where scoring and assisting took precedence over everything else.

This made football more competitive, but it also robbed it of its soul—its flair. Clubs and coaches became so fixated on efficiency that they weren’t looking for footballers anymore; they were searching for goal machines—players like Lewandowski, Haaland, and Suarez.

The artistry, the unpredictability, the joy of the game began to fade.

Yet, even in that era, there was one who preserved the natural rhythm of football—its grace, its beauty, its street-born magic. He was the prince who never became king: Neymar Jr.

He carried forward the Brazilian legacy of skillful dribbles and flamboyant moves, following in the footsteps of Pele, Ronaldinho, and Ronaldo Nazario.

He became the torchbearer of "Joga Bonito"—the beautiful game.

When the ball meets the samba beat and the streets erupt like carnivals, that’s Joga Bonito. Football not just played, but danced.

Football was once an art form, with the ball as paint, skills as the brush, and the field as a canvas. To dribble past an entire backline, rainbow flick over a defender, and finesse the ball into the net—that was Joga Bonito.

During the GOAT era, this flair was buried deep in the hearts of a few.

But now, as Ronaldo and Messi near retirement and play outside of Europe, the game is beginning to heal.

This new generation admires Messi and Ronaldo, but doesn’t mimic their style. Instead, it is Neymar’s flair that inspires them.

Young talents like Lamine Yamal and Desire Doué not only admire Neymar—they embody his spirit on the pitch. Their celebrations, their dribbles, and their creative play blend efficiency with flair. They are the modern flagbearers of a reimagined Joga Bonito.

In an age where football once chased results over romance, Joga Bonito had become a fading echo—until now.

The beautiful game dares to dance again.