Neymar made his debut for the Brazil national team in August 2010 against the U.S. in New Jersey. The 18-year-old marked his first match for the five-time world champions with a goal in Brazil's 2-0 win.
(CNN) -- Neymar plays football like he tackles life -- with flair, excitement and a sense of fun.
At 20, he is potentially the best young player on the planet, and is tipped to follow in the illustrious footsteps of Brazilian icons such as Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and perhaps even the legendary Pele.
The Santos forward's flamboyant tricks and flicks have captured the attention of scouts around the world, with his exceptional solo strike against Flamengo earning him FIFA's 2011 Ferenc Puskas award for the year's best goal.
And his flair on the pitch is more than matched off it. Neymar was pictured several times lapping up the party atmosphere during the recent carnival season in his homeland.
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"I'm 20 years old, I have to take advantage of being young," he told CNN.
"It's hard, especially for me. I want to do this and that, but I have to follow a line. I'm a professional player and a professional athlete. I have to resist some things to get ahead in the future. That's my life."
Despite his appetite for the sights and sounds of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Neymar is still working hard to improve all aspects of his game.
"I'm always trying to perfect everything -- dribbling, shooting, headers and control. You can always improve," said the striker, who last year helped Santos win South America's top club tournament, the Copa Libertadores.
Neymar is also becoming an increasingly important part of the Mano Manezes' Brazil national team, scoring eight goals in his first 16 games for his country.
"Being on the Brazilian team is a privilege," he said. "There are some marvelous players and I'm very happy to be among them."
In 2014, the World Cup will arrive in Brazil, and the country's football fans expect their "Samba Kings" to claim a record sixth crown on home soil. But Neymar is not letting himself get distracted by dreams of glory.
"It's two years away, it's a long time. But in football, time passes quickly. So I have to constantly be playing a good game, constantly working so that I'm in every line up," he said.
Whether Neymar will still be plying his trade in Brazil when the four-yearly tournament comes around is unclear. He has been heavily linked with a move to Spanish and European champions Barcelona, Real Madrid and English side Chelsea.
"I don't know about the future," he said. "It is two years, a lot can happen. I don't know if I'll leave or if I'll stay, there are a lot of things ahead ... Barcelona is an excellent team. If not the best team of all time, then they are among the best."
Joining the Catalan club would give Neymar the chance to team up with a player who he has been drawing favorable comparisons with, Argentina's three-time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi.
"The best player currently is Messi. I think he is a great player at an excellent time on a great team. So for me, he is the best," he said.
Earning a move to one of Europe's leading teams would depend on Neymar keeping on the straight and narrow. If he does stray too far from his sporting duties, his father is there to get him back on track.
"My father has been by my side since I was little," he said. "He takes care of things, my finances and my family.
"He is the one who is in charge. He's the boss. There's always somebody nearby, keeping an eye on me more than watching me."
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Neymar played a crucial role in Santos' Copa Libertadores triumph in 2011. After a goalless first leg against Uruguayan side Penarol, Neymar scored and was named man of the match in Santos' 2-1 second-leg win. It was the first time Santos had been crowned South American champions since the legendary Pele was playing for the team during the 1960s.
Neymar has drawn comparisons with Pele, who also came through the Santos youth academy and is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. Pele won two Copa Libertadores with Santos and the World Cup with Brazil on three occasions.
Neymar is the latest in a long line of exciting Brazilian talent. Here he is pictured next to Ronaldinho, the two-time FIFA World Player of the Year who won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and the European Champions League with Barcelona in 2006. He is now back in Brazil with Flamengo.
The carnival in Rio de Janeiro is world-famous festival which is held each year before the Christian period of Lent. The carnival is characterized by flamboyant dancing and extravagant floats, and Neymar has been spotted partying in recent times.
Like Neymar, Ronaldinho also enjoys letting loose during the carnival. He is pictured here dancing with a samba school in Rio during the 2011 carnival.
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