It's hard to believe that Neymar is now 34 years old. In the eyes of many people, he is still the "young prince" of Brazilian football - a talent who always strives to reach the top but has never really touched the throne.
Fairly speaking, the expectations for Neymar from the beginning were already too high, even unrealistic. Right from when he shone in the Santos shirt at the age of 17, this winger was placed on two almost mandatory tasks: bringing the World Cup back to Brazil and winning the Ballon d'Or. That was once considered a "privilege" of Brazilian football before falling into the hands of the rest of the world, and Neymar was chosen to bring everything back to its old orbit.
Therefore, it is not surprising that sometimes everything becomes too much for him, especially after a serious knee injury sustained in the national team jersey in October 2023. He himself also admitted that he had struggled with psychological problems during his return.
Currently Neymar wears the Santos shirt, after playing for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Al-Hilal. At this time, the opportunity to touch the Ballon d'Or is almost closed.
However, coach Carlo Ancelotti still gave him another chance - possibly the last - at the World Cup. If Brazil lifts the championship trophy on July 19, it will be the biggest turning point in Neymar's entire career.
Neymar's recall to the Brazilian national team immediately created a wave of fierce debate. Not everyone in Brazil agreed with the decision to put him on the list of 26 players, but supporters still appeared in large numbers and expressed strong opinions. When the official list was announced, the auditorium almost exploded when Neymar's name rang out.
That is the attention that Neymar has always attracted throughout his career. The only difference is that this time, everything revolves around a very different version of himself. Neymar debuted for the national team nearly 16 years ago in the match against the USA, Brazil's first match after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. At that time, the generation of Ronaldinho and Adriano was gradually retreating behind the scenes, while Kaka was constantly struggling with injuries. From the beginning, Neymar was considered the successor - the central star and the biggest hope of Brazilian football.
Except for the time wearing the Barcelona shirt under the shadow of Lionel Messi, Neymar is always the focus in every team he has played for, especially every time he wears the yellow jersey of Selecao. But now, that admiration seems to be no longer intact.
Even the most loyal fans can hardly deny that age and injury have left a clear impact on Neymar. Injury is a persistent problem in his career, especially after the incident in 2023. Neymar returned to Brazil to wear the Santos shirt after Al-Hilal concluded that registering him for the domestic league no longer brings much value because his fitness is not guaranteed.
In recent weeks, Neymar has somewhat shown signs of recovery with a few positive performances. Sometimes his technique and class still shine, but overall, the performance is not convincing enough. Even his former teammate Luis Suarez made a stronger impression during his time playing for Gremio.
Therefore, Ancelotti's decision to call up Neymar was actually a gamble based on belief. The first belief lies in the fact that Neymar's special qualities are still enough to make a difference, instead of becoming a case like Garrincha at the 1966 World Cup, when fame was still there but the body could not meet the requirements of top-level competition.
At the 2022 World Cup, coach Tite once described Neymar as a combination of bow and arrow. Now, the speed of the "arrow" may have declined, but the accuracy of the "bow" is still valuable. Neymar's set pieces are still very dangerous, and his creativity can significantly support Vinicius Junior and Raphinha with decisive passes.
That plan can completely be effective, although what has happened in the past time still leaves many questions. At the highest level, is Neymar still capable of escaping pressing to launch different passes? Can he regain balance - the factor that once laid the foundation for his entire playing style?
Through his statement at a press conference on Monday, Ancelotti also seemed to acknowledge those doubts and emphasized that Neymar still has a few weeks to regain his best condition.
The Italian strategist is betting on Neymar still having enough qualities to contribute to helping Brazil conquer the World Cup. At the same time, he also believes he can control the impacts that Neymar's return creates.
Because the noise surrounding Neymar will certainly not stop after the call-up list. Conversely, it may be even bigger when the next question is raised, whether he has a starting spot or not?
Currently, Neymar is likely not in the starting lineup that Ancelotti is preparing for the opening match against Morocco on June 13. And to change that, he will have to prove himself with his performance on the training ground.
