For over 10 years, the two Brazilian athletes Neymar and Gabriel Medina have maintained a solid friendship. Their respective careers in football and surfing have brought them closer together, creating a real “bromance” between the two stars.
It all started when Medina, then 14 or 15 years old, expressed the wish to meet the footballer. “My manager told Neymar that I wanted to meet him, and he practically organized it. I met Neymar for the first time at his house in Santos,” the surfer said. At their first meeting, Medina gave his new friend a surfboard.
Neymar and Gabriel Medina's friendship pic.twitter.com/l9reMQlgRs
— zaaz (@riyale7) August 6, 2024
Since then, their friendship has only grown stronger. They support each other in their respective competitions, whether it be football or surfing. Neymar notably made the effort to be present on the beach to cheer on Medina at the Rip Curl Pro Portugal in 2018, despite the latter’s defeat in the semi-finals. And when Medina won his second world title in December 2018 in Hawaii, Neymar was there to celebrate with him.
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Their friendship goes beyond social networks and simply representing the same country. Neymar said about them: “Everyone knows the talent he has in the sea, in surfing, but the greatness he has is because of the person he is. He is a happy, smiling guy, a family guy and a friend. I think that’s what makes him different. He has greatness in his heart.”
Neymar and Gabriel Medina's friendship pic.twitter.com/l9reMQlgRs
— zaaz (@riyale7) August 6, 2024
Both are qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where surfing is making its Olympic debut. Medina will have the tough task of securing one of the two spots available for the Brazilian men, facing stiff competition from his compatriots Italo Ferreira, Filipe Toledo and William Cardoso. For his part, Neymar hopes to lead the Brazilian football team in the defense of its Olympic title.
But their friendship doesn’t end there. In 2024, Medina won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, in difficult weather conditions in Teahupoo. Despite his defeat in the semi-finals, the Brazilian was able to pull himself together to win the bronze medal against Peruvian Alonso Correa. Neymar, his faithful friend, was surely there to congratulate him and celebrate this new achievement.
🥉 É BRONZEEEEEEEE! GABRIEL MEDINA CONQUISTA MAIS UMA MEDALHA PARA O BRASIL AO VENCER O PERUANO ALONSO CORREA!!!#ESPNemParis #paris2024 #surfe #gabrielmedina pic.twitter.com/kh4Xdq2Raa
— ESPN Brasil (@ESPNBrasil) August 5, 2024
