Not everyone was happy that Neymar was part of Brazil’s squad. Now the injury-prone superstar misses the first game. So the question is what it really brings.
His advertising partner had perfectly staged this special moment. When Carlo Ancelotti announced in May that Neymar was part of the Brazilian national team’s World Cup squad, the superstar was sitting in a large room with a crowd of people and next to his girlfriend Bruna Biancardi. When his name was mentioned, the 34-year-old burst into tears; the Red Bull cameras captured every second up close. Neymar cheered, as did the others, and confetti cannons were ignited.
Neymar has the Brazilian version of the “calf of the nation”
“I would like to thank every Brazilian who supported me and cheered me on, who wanted me to be in the squad. It’s very special to feel this love from the fans”he said. Shortly before the “Selecao” left, Neymar was able to soak up this love; more than 70,000 people cheered him on in the friendly against Panama in Rio. “How nice it is to feel this affection. Now it’s time to continue the journey with our dream. Here we go, Brazil, on to the sixth title”he wrote on Instagram.
But it is also an uncertain journey in the case of Neymar. The most expensive footballer in history (Paris St. Germain once paid 222 million euros for him) is ailing and his calf is still causing problems. “Neymar underwent an MRI scan on Monday and, as expected, the tests showed a positive course of his treatment. He will continue to follow the rehabilitation plan set by the medical department.”the Brazilian association now announced.
No international match for over two and a half years
It is still unclear exactly when Neymar will join. But it is already certain that he will miss the start on Sunday night against Morocco (midnight), and six days later against Haiti it will probably not happen. Neymar could celebrate his comeback on June 24th against Scotland; he played his last game for the “Selecao” on October 18th, 2023 against Uruguay (0-2).
The Brazilian superstar then tore his cruciate ligament and many other injuries followed. His move to Saudi Arabia to Al-Hilal SFC wasn’t exactly a career booster – after that his homeland was the salvation. Since 2025, Neymar has been playing for FC Santos, where he caused a sensation as a teenager and was reminiscent of the times of the Brazilian idol Pelé.
Neymar has missed over half of the games in 2026
Since the beginning of the year, the offensive player has only played 15 of 35 possible competitive games (six goals and four assists) due to his injuries – but it was still enough for the World Cup nomination. Since then, coach Ancelotti has repeatedly emphasized the value of Neymar, who has 128 international matches to his name. Finally he said: “With Neymar we only have to judge his physical condition because his talent is beyond question. It depends on him, not on me. He only competes with himself.”
But is that really the case? Neymar is no longer number one in the country as he was at previous events. Other players have overtaken the veteran, for example Vinicius Jr. is in his prime position as left winger, so his place would have to be in the center – where a large number of top players are also pushing for a role. So it won’t be easy for Neymar to get playing time – even if he’s healthy again.
Giovane Elber: “Just one more marketing machine”
This is also why there are critics of his nomination, and one of them has now found particularly clear words. “A large majority called for his nomination, even the President got involved and publicly spoke out in favor of him. The pressure on Ancelotti was increasing, so he couldn’t do anything else.”said Giovane Elber to “SportBild”. “I’m sorry, I wouldn’t have nominated him.”
And then the former top striker from VfB Stuttgart, FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Mönchengladbach addressed the supposed imbalance between sporting class and entertainment. “Maybe Neymar will surprise me and play as well as he did a few years ago, but I don’t believe that. Neymar used to be a world-class footballer, today he’s just a marketing machine.”said Elber. Big show or big sport? This question arises with Neymar and Brazil.