Minutes after the opening of the 2014 World Cup, Neymar’s father, of the same name, received a WhatsApp group message from his company’s employees. One of them praised the attacker’s performance and flattered:
“If the World Cup in Brazil is a success, it is largely due to your son.”
Neymar had just played his first World Cup game. Brazil beat Croatia 3-1, with two goals from him. Acting at home, the selection was favorite for the title in the same proportion that the number 10 was a candidate for the competition’s star.
“I’m psychologically destroyed. That, for sure, was the defeat that hurt the most, which made me paralyzed for 10 minutes and then I burst into tears nonstop”, wrote the Brazilian this Saturday (10th), on his Instagram account.
A day earlier, Brazil had been eliminated by the same Croatia in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Cup, on penalties. As he was responsible for the fifth charge, he did not even participate in the dispute. In the 1-1 draw, he scored the goal for the green and yellow team in overtime.
“Thank you all for your support with our selection. Unfortunately it didn’t work out… It will hurt for a long, long time”, he added.
Neymar arrived in Qatar after saying that this would be his last World Cup, although, at the age of 30, he is old enough to participate in the competition to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026. But stars of the past selection did not manage to be in a World Cup at 34.
Pelé played his last one in 1970, when he was three months away from turning 30. Garrincha went to England, in 1966, aged 33. He is the same age as Didi in Chile, in 1962, and Zico in 1986. In Argentina, in 1978, Rivellino was 32 years old. Ronaldo had reached 30 in Germany in 2006, while Ronaldinho Gaúcho was just 26.
Romário could have been champion in 2002, with 36, but he was not called up, controversially, by Luiz Felipe Scolari.
CBF officials have no idea what Neymar expects from his future with the national team. After the elimination against Croatia, he said he doesn’t know if he’ll be back. The statement was seen as normal in the heat of the moment, right after the fall that affected him so much.
Until now, Neymar’s record in Cups has not been what it could be. Or what the fawning message his father received shortly after the 2014 premiere suggested.
In the tournament in Brazil, he had a good group stage, but his rise was interrupted by injury in the quarterfinals, against Colombia. That saved him from taking part in Germany’s 7-1 semi-final thrashing.
Neymar in the Cup
- Games: 3
- Time played: 281 minutes
- Total finishes: 10
- Shots on goal: 7
- Goals: 2
- Absences suffered: 16
- Fouls committed: 4
- Long passes: 3 (66.7% accuracy)
- Short passes: 139 (81.3% accuracy)
In Russia, four years later, there was a World Cup so discreet that it was remembered for the simulations of fouls and the memes on the internet. He suffered an injury to his right ankle in this year’s opener against Serbia. He returned in the round of 16 against South Korea and scored a beautiful goal against Croatia, despite the elimination.
He has eight goals scored in the history of the tournament, in 13 matches. There were four in 2014, two in 2018 and two more in Qatar, in 2022. Alongside Rivaldo, he is the 6th highest scorer of the national team in Cups. He is behind Ronaldo (15), Pelé (12), Ademir de Menezes, Vavá and Jairzinho (all with nine).
The numbers do not show the principal. Neymar doesn’t have any memorable moment in the three World Cups he participated. He had sporadic plays, not brilliant performances. If he is the biggest Brazilian candidate to be elected the best player in the world and the main player in the country, he must be measured with the same ruler as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese left the competition this Saturday (10) without having won the most important title in football. The Argentine, also in his goodbye, is in the semifinal.
The assessment of the selection’s technical commission, even before leaving for Qatar, was that Neymar has full technical conditions to play in another World Cup. The question to be answered is whether he will have the physical condition that will keep him at his peak until then. In addition to personal preference, of course.
“I don’t know if I’ll play in Brazil again. I would really like to play in the United States. I would like to play there for at least one season,” he said earlier this year.
Despite the questions and not having had a great World Cup in Qatar, he leaves the tournament still as the greatest technical reference and leader of the squad.
“He’s everyone’s idol, our best player”, commented Vinicius Junior.
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