Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar is the latest Brazilian football icon to join the Maracana stadium’s prestigious Walk of Fame.
The 28-year-old, who returned to his homeland after suffering an ankle injury while playing for PSG last month, visited the Maracana in Rio’s north to have a mold taken of both feet before flying back to France on Sunday, reports Xinhua news agency.
“I’m very happy and proud to be able to make football history and join so many great players who left their feet imprinted at the Maracana,” Neymar said in an Instagram post.
He joins Pele, Garrincha, Zico, Romario, Socrates, Marta, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo in a select group of players to have their footprints preserved for posterity at Rio’s fabled stadium.
Neymar surpassed Ronaldo as Brazil’s second-highest scorer by netting a hat-trick in a 4-2 World Cup qualifying win against Peru in October.
He now has 64 goals from 103 matches and is just 13 shy of Pele’s record, which has stood for almost half a century.
