The Auriverde number 10 has not worn the Seleção jersey since October 17, 2023 against Uruguay. The former Paris Saint-Germain player is currently injured. If coach Carlo Ancelotti was diplomatic last week, Emerson Leao, 1970 world champion, delivered, in an interview given to ESPN and taken over by
A.S.a clear opinion on it.
“ Neymar is not an example for anyone. He started out as a tremendous player. I remember one day when I was playing against Santos, he came out. I ran into him and said, “Listen, kid, we're going to need you for the World Cup. Take care of yourself. » And that's the only thing he didn't do. In his head, when he is about to start an action, he knows what he is going to do, but he can no longer do it. He can't do it anymore. He no longer has the same muscular reaction. He no longer has the same training sequence. He's no longer the same athlete.” declared the former goalkeeper of the Brazilian selection (80 caps).
Ancelotti counts on Neymar
Despite physical problems and difficulty in stringing matches together, Neymar can count on the support of Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian coach hopes to have his playmaker in full possession of his means for the 2026 World Cup next June and July.
“ When he is in good shape, he has the quality to play not only for the national team, but for any team in the world. The FIFA date of March could be that of the selection which will compete in the World Cup. We have to manage both. A team that will be defined gradually with other players and we want to see how they fit into the game,” he said during a previous interview.
