Neymar’s ‘cursed’ generation goes empty-handed

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The sixth star became unattainable. Brazil fell to Croatia this Friday (9) on penalties in the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Qatar, ending Tite’s cycle and dealing a blow to the generation of Neymar, who has not been able to approach his illustrious predecessors .

The team arrived in Qatar with all the winds in their favor to put an end to twenty years without winning the greatest trophy in football: a solid defense, a devastating attack with a Ney in great shape and a parchment coach respected by the group.

The team’s good start in the tournament sparked hope, but also marked the beginning of a negative trend that affected key players: Neymar and full-back Danilo, Tite’s main starter, injured their ankles and only returned until the game against South Korea , in octaves.

They were followed by left backs Alex Sandro and Alex Telles and striker Gabriel Jesus. The last two left permanently.

To add to the pain, when falling in the quarterfinals against Croatia, Neymar’s team was unable to overcome the performance in Russia-2018. And his best performance in recent times, the 2014 semifinal at home, was marked by humiliation against champions Germany (7-1).

carry the weight

So many years of drought for a team that only accepts victory have accumulated immense expectations on the shoulders of some players who shine in Europe, but who had already suffered a blow a year and a half ago: the defeat in the Copa América final against Argentina (1 to 0) by Lionel Messi, no less than at Maracanã.

The three-time world champion, Pelé, joined the chorus that claimed the title in the Arab country: “Bring the trophy home!”, said the former striker before the debut.

In the training sessions in Doha, the spirit and communion around winning the sixth title was evident. The “girls” and the more experienced players broke into hugs and laughter before the eyes of the journalists.

The World Cup trophy was the preferred image on the wallpaper of some cell phones, including Ney. The decoration of the training ground was reminiscent of the achievements of Pelé (1958, 1962, 1970), Romário (1994) or Ronaldo (2002).

“We carry that weight like all Brazilians,” said full-back Raphinha before his debut. “Since 2006 everyone wants Brazil to win the sixth star.”

But the nomination has now been postponed to 2026, when the United States, Mexico and Canada will host the tournament.

At that point, at least on paper, players Thiago Silva (38 years old) and Dani Alves (39) will no longer be there, and the shadow hangs over Neymar, who last October assured that Qatar would be his last World Cup.

“I don’t know if I have the mental strength to keep playing football,” he said in a documentary.

Ney could yet change his mind, especially as he is only 30 years old and has a long contract with Paris Saint-Germain. But the failure in the three Cups may end up prevailing: humiliated in 2014, disappointed in 2018 and surprised in 2022.

The playmaker is at risk of ending his career with only the Confederations Cup (2013) and Olympic gold (2016) in his international record, since he was injured in 2019, when Tite’s Brazil won the Copa America.

the fresh blood

The relationship with Canarinha (77 goals in 124 games) was altered by numerous injuries and controversies on and off the field, which made it difficult for many Brazilians to approach their figure.

In the short term, if he remains in the national team, he has the balm of having equaled Pelé (77 goals) and being able to surpass him as the top scorer in the history of Brazil.

But the negative balance doesn’t just swing to the side of the number 10. It also points to coach Tite, 61, who announced before the tournament that he would step down after the World Cup.

“I know that football is made of cycles and I had a unique opportunity to find myself in this position”, said the coach a few months ago, in charge since June 2016 after Dunga’s dismissal.

Adenor Leonardo Bachi, nicknamed Tite, knew how to straighten out the team, which easily qualified for two consecutive World Cups and led to the South American title in 2019.

But the coach has regularly been criticized for his sometimes-defensive game by a fan whose palate still savors the dazzling football of legends like Pele, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.

With their inexhaustible reserve of talent, such as young Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Antony or Gabriel Martinelli, the five-time champions will be able to reinvent themselves, regardless of the new coach.

The pressure to win again, however, will be more suffocating.

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