Brazil's 1-2 defeat to Norway in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup has sparked much controversy about coach Carlo Ancelotti's decision to use Neymar.
Since taking over Selecao, Ancelotti has always pursued the philosophy of building a team that balances attack and defense, maximizing existing resources instead of dependence on an individual. However, things began to change in the middle of the second half of the match against Norway, when the Italian strategist brought Neymar onto the field.
At that time, Brazil did not play too convincingly but still maintained a balanced game. They defended solidly, ready to switch states to exploit the speed of Vinicius Junior and Endrick in counter-attacks.
Neymar's appearance quickly broke that structure. Due to not having enough physical strength to operate as widely as at his peak, the 34-year-old striker mainly plays in the central area. This forced Vinicius and Endrick to drift to the wing more, and at the same time caused Brazil to significantly reduce pressure in the front line.
No longer under pressure from Brazil's attack, Norway is easier to deploy the ball. Just with small spaces, Erling Haaland punished the opponent with 2 goals to help the Northern European team win 2-1.
In this match, the difference does not come from the tactical system but from individual quality. If Brazil used to have stars who made a difference, this time the person who decided the match was Haaland, and Neymar was just a shadow of himself.
Ancelotti's call-up of Neymar to the national team before the World Cup has already caused much controversy. Although this striker still possesses tactical vision, passing ability and making set pieces, his fitness is a big question mark after a long period of struggling with injuries.
Neymar was sidelined for a long time after a serious knee injury in 2023. When he was playing for Al-Hilal, he was not even registered to play because he was not in the best physical condition. Returning to Santos, the situation did not improve significantly when he continuously had physical problems.
Before the time of finalizing the World Cup squad, Ancelotti once affirmed that he would only call up players who are in form and completely healthy. However, Neymar was still chosen even though he just suffered a muscle injury right before the gathering day.
In the group stage, this striker showed clear signs of decline. In the match against Scotland, Neymar played without speed, handled the ball heavily and almost did not make a difference.
However, Ancelotti still decided to give the former Barcelona star a chance in the match against Norway. That gamble did not bring the expected results, and even caused Brazil to lose the balance that was the foundation in their playing style.
After the match, the debate about Neymar did not only revolve around expertise. In the final minutes, he almost received a red card after a rough foul and spent too much time arguing with goalkeeper Orjan Nyland instead of focusing on finding an equalizer.
Neymar still closed his international career as the greatest scorer in Brazil's history. However, the 2026 World Cup may be remembered as the end of his era, and also a costly lesson for Ancelotti about placing faith in an icon who is no longer at his peak form.
