FIFA Team Of The Year: 11 Overlooked Players Who Deserved Inclusion

Forwards

3. Neymar (Santos, Barcelona & Brazil)

The FIFPro shortlist, and the eventual team selection, was predictably Europe focused. There is, however, one exceptional player who played at least some of 2013 outside of Europe. Neymar began the year with his boyhood club Santos, scoring 12 times in 18 games in the Sao Paulo state championship, before making the move to Europe with his transfer to Barcelona. Since joining Barcelona, Neymar has netted 11 times in 26 appearances and you get the impression that he's only just settling in. A superb performance against Celtic in the Champions League last month saw him tear the Glaswegian club apart and score three times in Barca's 6-1 win. More games like that and he could eventually rival Lionel Messi as the team's star. His best performances have been for the biggest occasions, though, proving the key man in the first Clasico of the season as he scored the opener and set up Alexis Sanchez's winner in Barca's 2-1 league win over Real. Neymar really deserves a place in the team, however, for his performances for Brazil in the build up to the world's greatest football nation hosting the World Cup. With the Confederations Cup the only even vaguely noteworthy international competition this year, there was a chance to show how the rest of the world had caught up with the previously dominant Spanish. With a dominant 3-0 win over the World Champions at the Maracana, Brazil established themselves among the World Cup favourites. Neymar's goal in the final added to three more he'd scored in the tournament. More than that, though, it was clear to anyone that, against Spain or anyone else, he was the best performer on the pitch, winning the Golden Ball for Player of the Tournament.