Neymar’s $262M Barcelona Buyout Clause Has Officially Been Paid

Neymar is officially no longer a Barcelona player after his release clause has been paid in full.

Barcelona has accepted a $262 million payment from Neymar’s legal representatives to trigger the buyout clause in his contract, the club announced Thursday.

Initially, Spanish league La Liga refused to accept the payment for the buyout clause that released Neymar from his contract. La Liga president Javier Tebas says he believes transfer violates UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules. But the club’s statement made clear that the money had been received and the deal mutually terminated. Neymar had signed a contract extension last October that lasted through 2021.

"On Thursday afternoon Neymar Jr's legal representatives visited in person the Club's offices and made the payment of 222 million euros in the player's name with regards to the unilateral termination of the contract that united both parties," the club wrote in a statement, before offering an indication that it would follow through on Financial Fair Play queries against PSG. “As such, the Club will pass on to UEFA the details of the above operation so that they can determine the disciplinary responsibilities that may arise from this case.”

The transfer fee obliterates the record set by Manchester United, which paid $116 million France midfielder Paul Pogba last year.