Sheffield footballers to compete in Neymar Jr tournament

Fresh from being voted as the third best footballer in the world at FIFA’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, the striker has now teamed up with Red Bull to invite players aged 16 to 25 years in more than 35 countries to compete in his five-a-side tournament, ‘Neymar Jr’s Five’.

An event is to be held at Goals Soccer Centre, Norfolk Park Road, Sheffield, on Sunday, March 6.

“It’s a fun, fast and technical game,” said Neymar Jr, who grew up playing five-a-side football.

“It’s the kind of football I’ve always loved to play and this time we play it with a special twist to it - the five-player teams lose one player each time they concede a goal until there are no players left, or the 10-minute game ends. This will be even more exciting.”

A total of 13 qualifiers will take place at Goals’ soccer centres up and down the country, with more than 416 teams and 2,500 five-a-side footballers expected to compete.

The national final will be held in Manchester on April 23, with the winning team advancing to the world finals in July at Praia Grande, Brazil - Neymar’s Jr’s hometown.

“I always dreamed of putting on my own signature tournament and inviting the best teams over to my hometown. This finally becomes a reality so I’m really looking forward to see what these players can do - and have a great time doing it,” Neymar Jr added.

To sign up or to find out more visit www.neymarjrsfive.com, log onto the tournament Facebook page facebook.com/neymarjrsfive and follow #neymarjrsfive on Twitter.