Following his record-breaking goals for Brazil, PUMA revealed a special signature edition Future for Neymar, and now we get a much closer look at the details of the boot, which is called the NJR78.
On the weekend, Neymar Jr became Brazil’s all-time top-scorer when he netted a brace in a 5-1 win over Bolivia, taking his tally for the Selecao to 79 goals, surpassing the great Pele’s total of 78, and PUMA were quick to honour their athlete with a special Future boot. There was only one image released, and little to no detail about the boot itself, but now PUMA has lifted the veil on the special edition NJR78 Future, giving us a better look at the boots as well as releasing more details about the story behind them.
So, to honour the record-breaking 78th goal for Brazil, PUMA and Neymar have created 78 of the NJR78 that will be presented to 78 of the most influential people in his career. The forward has personally selected the special group that includes family, friends, coaches, current and ex-teammates, and Brazil legends (all of whom will receive the boot number that corresponds to the goals they have scored for their national team). There’s also one pair being held back to give to one lucky fan as part of a competition.
The NJR78 FUTURE football boots in White, PUMA Gold and Matte Gold feature 10 unique icons created from images drawn by Neymar Jr. that are representative of 10 special moments from his life. The career highlights begin with a young image of Neymar Jr. on the right boot and finishes with a present-day image on the left boot. Surrounding the images is the line ‘History doesn’t repeat itself’ and on the front of the boot is Neymar Jr.’s first signature that he wrote in his notebook as a child when dreaming of becoming a professional football player.
The special coins celebrate the following moments:
1. Neymar Jr. drawing himself as Pelé in his school notebook.
2. A letter Neymar Jr.’s mother wrote to him.
3. The bus stop where he used to take the bus to practice.
4. Zito – Santos FC’s idol that gave him his chance at Santos.
5. First trophy as top-scorer in a youth championship.
6. Betinho – Neymar Jr.’s first coach.
7. 7th March 2009. Debut for Santos.
8. Neymar Jr.’s first goal for Santos and goal celebration.
9. Neymar Jr.’s first goal for Brazil.
10. Neymar Jr.’s first Championship for Brazil.
“Breaking the record is a dream come true. Pelé is my hero and has been an inspiration to me and many young children growing up in Brazil. I would not be where I am today if it was not for the support of my family and the many who have helped me along my journey," said Neymar Jr. “After reaching 78 goals I wanted to do something special and show my appreciation for them. Together with PUMA we have created 78 pairs of FUTURE football boots that will be gifted to the 78 people who have influenced me on and off the pitch. To those people I want to give my gratitude and a part of this record that they have helped me achieve.”
Each pair of NJR78 FUTURE football boots will be presented in special cases with a white protective outer sleeve with high gloss gold foiled graphics. The piece of art features special white cotton archive gloves to preserve the limited-edition items. Each pair comes with a signed Neymar Jr. certificate of authenticity and will not be for sale.
