Neymar couldn’t hold back the tears after his long-awaited return to Brazil at the 2026 World Cup, showing that his inclusion in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad was fully deserved.

It has been a full 980 days since Neymar’s last appearance with the Brazilian national team. His last match ended in the worst possible way, after suffering a serious knee ligament injury against Uruguay in 2023.

Since then, the Brazilian forward has undergone a difficult recovery period. After knee surgery, he also faced a calf injury that kept him out of Santos’ last four games, while this year he had played only 15 games.

Exactly for this reason, coach Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to include Neymar in the list of 26 players for the World Cup was met with a lot of controversy, especially after Joao Pedro was left out of the team.

However, the 34-year-old returned to the field. in the 3-0 win over Scotland, coming on as a 76th-minute substitute for Matheus Cunha.

His return was met with a standing ovation from the fans, while Neymar immediately showed that the magic had not left him. Although he lost the ball on several occasions, he created three clear chances for his teammates, a statistic that was surpassed only by Lucas Paquetá and Rayan, who created four each throughout the match.

After the match, Neymar burst into tears, excited by the reception of the fans and the return to the biggest stage of football.

“Neymar played because he deserved it. He worked very seriously for a long time recovery and showed great professionalism. He can help Brazil in the minutes he was on the field.

Even the French legend Thierry Henry appreciated the impact of Neymar. The biggest players don’t need 90 minutes to make a mark every time he touched the ball, Scotland was forced to change its defense. He immediately brought danger and creativity to Brazil’s attack,” said Henry.

With the victory over Scotland, Brazil became the first national team to end the group stage with three wins in as many matches at the 2026 World Cup. In the next stage, the “Seleçao” are expected to face the team ranked second in Group F, which is expected to be determined after the duel between Japan and Sweden.

Source: prizrenpost