Neymar to star as a monk in Netflix hit show 'Money Heist'

The Paris Saint-Germain star, who is on the cusp of moving to Barcelona, said he is 'realising his dream' by appearing in the Spanish series

Neymar is to make an appearance in Netflix's Money Heist. EPA

Neymar has become well-known for his acting on the football pitch in recent years – particularly during the 2018 World Cup when he was widely mocked for his theatrics.

Now he's going to be seen acting for real after it was revealed that he has a cameo role in the hit Netflix show Money Heist.

The Brazilian will play a monk in season three of the Spanish show, which is known as La Casa De Papel in its native language.

He tweeted: "I was able to realise my dream and be part of my favourite series, And now I can share Joao with you all! Thank you @lacasadepapel!"

Neymar was originally edited out of the series due to ongoing rape allegations, however once a police investigation was dropped, he was edited back in.

"I don't like football nor partying. At the World Cup, I always pray for our team," his character says in the show in contrast to his real life persona, although his passion for his country has never been in doubt.

This actually isn't the first time he's appeared in front of the camera for something other than sport, having been cast in a brief role as himself in the 2017 film xXx: Return of Xander Cage.

Meanwhile, the Paris Saint-Germain striker has been involved in a transfer saga in recent weeks as a return to former club Barcelona was said to be "getting closer" according to Barcelona director Javier Bordas on Wednesday.

The world's most expensive footballer had made it clear he wanted to depart PSG, having joined the French side in August 2017. He's yet to play for the club this season.

What is 'Money Heist'?

The Spanish thriller Money Heist (La Casa De Papel in Spanish) caught a few people by surprise when it became the most-watched non-English-language show in Netflix history following its 2017 debut. It was particularly surprising given the show had already aired as a 15-part series on Spanish terrestrial channel Antena 3 by the time Netflix acquired streaming rights.

The streamer re-edited the show into two seasons of slightly shorter episodes, with the first debuting in late 2017.

The show deals with a mysterious man who is carrying out the biggest bank heist ever, breaking into the Spanish Royal Mint and printing more than €2 billion, complete with his own team of specialists, elite police units and 67 unfortunate hostages.

The show is based in Madrid - a city Neymar could end up residing in if his move to Barcelona fails to materialise, as Real Madrid have also been heavily linked with the Brazilian this summer. His future will be decided before the transfer window closes on September 2.