Brazilian football superstar Neymar Jr. is making headlines again, this time for reportedly eyeing a private island worth a cool £7 million (₹64.5 crore). According to rumours, Neymar has his sights set on the stunning Japao Private Island, located just off Brazil’s coast.
The last few months have been difficult for Neymar, who has been sidelined for about a year with a tough knee injury. The Brazilian recently returned to training, but the best predictions are that he will not play again for a few months. The winger prefers to take it easy on his recovery so that he can still extend his career for a while. In the meantime, he maintains his high standard of living away from the pitch and also continues with his investments, which this time will lead him to acquire a private island in his country.
Currently sidelined due to an ACL injury that’s keeping him off the field for almost a year, the Al-Hilal star seems to be shifting his focus to paradise living. The six-acre island is the epitome of luxury, boasting four lavish villas, a jacuzzi, swimming pool, and just about every indulgence money can buy. Nestled near the port town of Angra dos Reis, it’s the perfect spot for someone like Neymar to escape the public eye.
Island features and amenities
The property comes with two Indonesian-inspired villas featuring master suites, a peaceful koi fish pond, and three sea-view bungalows. What’s caught Neymar’s attention, though, is that the island’s Canadian owner has slashed the asking price by over £3 million, hoping for a quick sale. The Ilha do Japao, for which the Al-Hilal player will pay around 9 million euros. This was revealed by Brazilian journalist Leo Dias, who explained that the player had already rented the island for 50,000 euros per day to get to know it in depth before buying it. At the moment, a Canadian investor is the owner of the island and has reduced its price by 3 million euros, which would have caught the attention of both Neymar and other interested parties. Because of its proximity to Rio de Janeiro, the footballer seems more interested than the rest of the potential buyers.
Brazilian journalist Leo Dias revealed that Neymar, along with Dubai-based property mogul Sheik Muhammad Binghatti, have already spent more than £40,000 to rent the island later this month—a sort of “test drive” to see if it’s the perfect fit. Interestingly, this isn't Neymar's first brush with the island. His ex, Bruna Marquezine, is one of the many celebs who have vacationed there before. Located in Angra dos Reis, the island will be rented by the athlete next week for a trial period.
This secluded paradise can accommodate up to 10 guests and is only accessible by boat or helicopter. For those wondering, the chopper ride from Rio de Janeiro's International Airport takes about 35 minutes. The island can accommodate up to 10 guests and has a heliport that can be reached in about 35 minutes from the popular Brazilian coastal town. The other way to reach Ilha do Japao is by boat. It is about 3 hectares in size and has an Indonesian-style main villa, 2 suites, a koi fish pond and 3 bungalows overlooking the sea. Ilha do Japao will not be the first luxury property for Neymar, who already owns a six-bedroom mansion in the Mangaratiba resort on the green coast. Also, at the end of 2021 he shelled out €3 million to buy a glass-fronted palace in a private estate near Sao Paulo.
Neymar's Luxurious Real Estate Portfolio
Neymar already owns a six-bed mansion featuring its own helipad, gym, tennis court and jetty - situated an hour’s drive east of Angra dos Reis in the Green Coast paradise resort of Mangaratiba. The mansion is built on a two-and-a-half acre plot in an upmarket gated estate called Portobello and as well as the helipad and jetty, boasts a sauna, massage room, spa and heated jacuzzi - along with an underground cellar with space for 3,000 bottles of wine. Brazilian putlet Em Off reported in December 2021 that the footballer had splashed out more than £2.5million to buy a glass-fronted palace on a private gated residential estate in an area called Alphaville near Sao Paulo. It was described at the time as a seven-bed property with its own squash court, massive swimming pool, panoramic lift between floors and enough space in the garage for 20 cars.
Escape from the Pitch
Looks like Neymar’s ready to make a move from the football pitch to island life! Neymar, 32, signed a two-year contract at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal in August last year after six years with Paris Saint-Germain. Reports earlier this week claimed that Barcelona are considering a shock move for their former forward - if they miss out on signing Manchester City star Erling Haaland first.
