The weight of expectation can be overwhelming and very seldom do players live up to that hype. On this occasion the young Brazilian Neymar did just that he lived up to his billing and lit up the Confederation’s Cup with scintillating performances while leading his Brazil side to the trophy, while also being the Golden Ball winner as the player of the tournament.

Neymar celebrates the Confederations Cup and the Golden Ball as the tournament’s top player

We have heard a lot on Neymar and his great potential, but even in these times of constant media, the bulk of what we know about him has been garnered from hi-lights and video youtube clips.

So for the 21 year old Brazil and now Barcelona star, there is nothing like a major tournament to make your announcement and in the two weeks of the Confed cup, Neymar did just that. His goals and assists were at the forefront as he led Brazil to the title.

His overall performances were stunning as he showed the full array of his talents; free kicks, dribbling, volleys and vision. It was there for all to see. And not only did he score goals, he scored great goals with his contributions being memorable talking points.

Next years World Cup looms large, and on the backs of this success, Neymar and Brazil, along with Spain will be favorites to win it all. Only time will tell if he can go and cement his name as one of the great Brazilians, but he’s off to a good start. As he continues his education in Barcelona with their array of stars, the sky’s the limit.