Category: Neymar

‘I thought my World Cup was over’: Neymar reveals injury fear after goal | World Cup 2022


Neymar has admitted he feared his World Cup was over after spraining his ankle two weeks ago and paid tribute to the Brazil medical staff as he made a goalscoring return in their 4-1 rout of South Korea to help earn a quarter-final date with Croatia on Friday.

Goals by Vínicius Júnior, Neymar, Richarlison and Lucas Paquetá helped Brazil into a four-goal lead within 36 minutes before a second-half thunderbolt by Paik Seung-ho proved a consolation for South Korea, whose manager, Paulo Bento, announced he is quitting following their last-16 exit.

At full time, Neymar, who converted a first-half penalty to move within a goal of Pelé’s goalscoring record, carried a banner bearing the Brazil legend’s name on to the pitch. Pelé is in hospital but one of his daughters has denied the 82-year-old is under palliative care. “It’s hard to put it into words,” Neymar said. “I wish Pelé the best. He will become healthier very soon, I am sure.”

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Neymar worried about his tournament after sustaining injury against Serbia. “I was thinking of a million different things,” he said. “I was afraid of not being able to play in this World Cup again but I have the support of all of my colleagues, my family and I tried to look for strength where I could not find it. When I was reading all of the messages of encouragement, it helped my recovery.”

After scoring, Richarlison headed for the Brazil bench to celebrate with Tite, who joined his players for a Samba dance, which the 61-year-old head coach practised at the team hotel. “I try to adapt to my players,” Tite said.

“They are very young and have a love of dancing, joking and making moves. They said I had to learn how to do the moves. They’re very tight and difficult, but we kept playing around. Richarlison was there and I said: ‘What’s that dance?’ I said: ‘If you do it, then I’ll do it.’ There are various people who will say it was disrespectful. I know there’s always a camera and I didn’t want it to be misinterpreted.”

Tite made five changes during the game, including the introduction of Weverton in place of Alisson with 10 minutes to play. As a result, all 26 members of the Brazil squad, including three goalkeepers have now featured in Qatar, becoming the first team in World Cup history to use as many as 26 at a finals. “It is very difficult to substitute a goalkeeper but when we have the opportunity it is very good because it makes the whole team happy,” Tite said.

Bento said he will resign following their exit, with the Portuguese confirming he made his mind up in September to walk away after their World Cup campaign concluded. “I have just announced to the players and to the president of the confederation that I had already taken [the decision] since September,” Bento said.

“This was a decision that was set in stone and today I have just confirmed it. I have to thank them for everything they [the players] have done and they have given their very best. I’m very proud to have been their manager.”

Tite plots gameplan without Neymar as Brazil prepare for Switzerland test | World Cup 2022


Casemiro had a confession. “I sometimes feel sorry for our opponents,” Brazil’s Manchester United midfielder said last week. “We have so many good players.” Considering he was not boasting or exaggerating but merely being candid it may seems something of a surprise that Casemiro’s manager, Tite, his teammate Marquinhos and Tite’s assistant César Sampaio devoted most of a 40-minute media briefing on Sunday to discussing a sidelined forward.

No prizes for guessing that man is Neymar, with question after question concentrating on how Brazil will cope without him against Switzerland on Monday and how a Paris Saint-Germain striker with 75 goals in 122 games for his country could be replaced.

Tite used a lot of words to, engagingly and eruditely, avoid answering both inquiries. “We’ve already decided the starting players but we will only be communicating that right before the game,” said the manager, who could offer no timeframe on when Neymar may return from an ankle ligament injury but expressed confidence the player’s World Cup was not over. “Football’s about context and sometimes we have to be strategic. We have to think outside the box but we’re very confident we have the right replacement.”

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Sitting alongside him, Marquinhos repeatedly referred to his manager as “the professor”. Tite, though, was keeping much of his wisdom to himself. He merely smiled when someone asked whether the versatile and richly gifted Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimarães may fill Neymar’s No 10 role between Raphinha and Vinícius Júnior, and just behind Richarlison.

Tite was more forthcoming when asked whether referees should afford greater protection to Neymar, injured after a heavy challenge by Nikola Milenkovic during the opening Group G 2-0 win against Serbia. “If you want to celebrate the football you have to pay attention to the fouls,” the 61-year-old said. “They target specific players and this is the effect. It has to be stopped.”

Many Brazil fans want to see Real Madrid’s 21-year-old attacking prodigy Rodrygo fill the gap vacated by Neymar but others would advance Lucas Paquetá from midfield.

“We can’t stop talking about Neymar,” Casemiro said. “It’s just how important he is to us. He’s our biggest player, the difference for us but we have a lot of other very good players too. Rodrygo, for example, lights up the eyes and delights everyone who sees him play.”

Rodrygo passes the ball for Brazil against Serbia
Many Brazil supporters would like to see Rodrygo come into the first XI. Photograph: Tolga Bozoglu/EPA

After selecting an extremely attacking starting XI against Serbia Tite may turn slightly more conservative at Stadium 974. Although Brazil remain strong favourites, Switzerland succeeded in holding the five-times World Cup winners to a 1-1 draw in the opening game of Russia 2018.

Their manager, Murat Yakin, possesses high-calibre talent of his own in, among others, the creative catalyst Xherdan Shaqiri, the midfield enforcer Granit Xhaka and the Yaoundé-born striker Breel Embolo, scorer in the 1-0 win against Cameroon on Thursday.

Although Embolo is not in Neymar’s league it is easy to find a player who runs his own charity foundation helping Swiss refugees and disadvantaged children in Cameroon infinitely more appealing than Brazil’s talisman. Many Brazilians have been outraged by Neymar’s very public support for the country’s far-right, polarising and outgoing president, Jair Bolsonaro.

The opinion of those who claim Tite’s team are often better balanced without Neymar, who has pledged to dedicate his first goal at Qatar 2022 to Bolsonaro, are frequently coloured as much by politics as tactics. “Neymar doesn’t deserve this,” Casemiro countered. “He has a great heart.”

Tite, meanwhile, expressed regret that Danilo, too, is nursing an injured ankle. The manager declined to identify the Juventus defender’s replacement – although the 39-year-old Dani Alves is widely expected to return at right-back – and indicated a degree of caution could be called for against Switzerland.

“They’re different from Serbia,” he said. “They have very intelligent midfield and forward players; we can still play offensively but in a different manner.”

Once Sampaio started speaking the narrative had resumed a familiar theme. “Neymar’s an extraordinary talent, obviously,” said Tite’s assistant. “But we can rely on our other players; they really are a gift to football. Neymar has the leading role but often, as we see with the movies, someone who is not the protagonist steals the scene.”

Marquinhos agreed. “We wish we could have Neymar and Danilo with us,” the PSG defender said. “But the professor can confirm the talented players we have will maintain our level. Switzerland will give us a run for our money but we can still seal our place in the last 16.”

Neymar to miss rest of Brazil’s World Cup group games with ankle injury | Brazil


Neymar and Danilo will miss Brazil’s remaining World Cup group games against Switzerland and Cameroon after sustaining injuries in Thursday’s opening 2-0 victory over Serbia, the team’s doctor said on Friday.

“Neymar and Danilo went through an MRI on Friday afternoon and we found ligament damage in the ankle of both of them,” he told reporters.

“They will miss the next game for sure and we will be cautious as they will undergo treatment in order to try to get them in shape so they can play again in the World Cup.”

Neymar was forced off against Serbia with 10 minutes to play, having been on the receiving end of several heavy tackles over the course of the game. A challenge from Nikola Milenkovic ultimately cut short his stay on the pitch, leaving him with his head in his hands on the sidelines.

He was fouled nine times during the contest, more than any other player at the World Cup so far. Brazil take on Switzerland on Monday, then round off their group games against Cameroon next Friday.

Brazil’s Tite calms fears after emotional Neymar limps off with ankle injury | Neymar


The Brazil coach, Tite, has insisted that Neymar will play again in this World Cup despite suffering a suspected sprained ankle in their 2-0 Group G win over Serbia. The forward came off with 11 minutes remaining and television footage appeared to show him hobbling and his ankle badly swollen.

He looked closed to tears as he sat on the bench during the closing minutes of the game, before slowly limping back to the dressing room.

Neymar had been subjected to roughhouse tactics all night from an aggressive Serbian defence, and was fouled nine times in the game as well as receiving numerous off-the-ball shoves.

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But Tite, who otherwise enjoyed a near-perfect night as Brazil began their campaign with a convincing victory, said that Neymar would be assessed over the next 24-48 hours, and was confident the injury was not serious.

“Don’t worry, Neymar will play in the World Cup,” he said. “He will keep playing, you can be sure about that.”

The Brazil team doctor, Rodrigo Lasmar, confirmed that Neymar had a “direct trauma” on his right ankle after being tackled by Serbia’s Nikola Milenkovic. “We started immediate treatment on the bench. He continues with the physio, but now we need to wait 24-48 hours for a better assessment. He felt this pain throughout the game, but chose to stay on the pitch to help his team after his injury. It’s remarkable that he did this.”

Perhaps Tite’s relaxed demeanour was an attempt to avert the sort of injury drama that derailed Brazil’s World Cup campaign in 2014, when a fractured vertebra ended Neymar’s tournament at the quarter-final stage, and a hysterical squad held up his empty shirt as they sang the national anthem before their semi-final against Germany. Brazil went on to lose the match 7-1.

We love Brazilian skill, so why do we criticise their flair players so much? | World Cup 2022


The World Cup has finally started and, for some Brazil players, representing their national team may prove a welcome break from the day job. Manager Tite included 12 players from the Premier League in his 26-man squad – second only to England – and 22 in total from European clubs. Brazilian players have increasingly made home in Europe but their style is not always feted. At least once a month this season a young, skilful Brazilian has been criticised for doing what they do best: entertaining fans, expressing themselves and exhibiting their art.

Most recently, it was Antony’s turn to suffer a media pile-on in his adopted home. The São Paulo product was one of new Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag’s marquee signings in the summer. The Dutchman convinced the club to pay Ajax £82m – an Eredivisie record – for the 22-year-old. The forward has enjoyed a strong start in England, setting a record as the first United player to score in his first three Premier League games. He was generally well received by fans and the media. Until he did the unthinkable and tried to pull off a trick during a 3-0 win over Sheriff in the Europa League.

Former United player Paul Scholes called the youngster a “clown” after he span 720 degrees with the ball glued to his feet and then misplaced a forward pass. “That’s the way he plays,” said Scholes. “I’ve seen him do it many a time at Ajax as well and that’s just the way he is, but I think he needs that knocking out of him.” Robbie Savage called Antony “embarrassing”, adding: “If I was the manager and he did that again, I would drag him off.”

Savage’s wish was granted when Ten Hag replaced Antony with Marcus Rashford at half-time. The manager said after the match that he would “correct” his player, explaining: “When there is a trick like that, it’s nice as long as it’s functional. If you’re not losing the ball, then it’s OK – but if it’s a trick because of a trick, then I will correct him.”

Antony, meanwhile, was defiant. “We’re known for our art and I’m not going to stop doing what got me where I am,” he said on Instagram.

Antony in action for Manchester United against Sheriff in the Europa League.
Antony in action for Manchester United against Sheriff in the Europa League. Photograph: Jon Super/AP

The hugely popular Brazilian football pundit Paulo Vinicius Coelho sees both sides of the argument. “Like everything in the world, there’s reason in the middle of it,” says Coelho. “Brazil still sees football as if it were a team sport won by individuals when it is increasingly a collective game that is resolved by collective aspects. From this point of view, the English are correct and Paul Scholes was right to criticise him. Dribbling and tricks need to have an objective.

“There is also a certain contempt in Europe for the dribble, as if it wasn’t a beautiful thing. I think there’s an exaggeration in Brazil about the aesthetics of the dribble and an exaggeration in some parts of Europe in the contempt there is for these aesthetics. But there’s a place in the middle of this. Dribbling and tricks are some of the beauties of football, but they need to lead to a chance or a goal. From this last point of view, Antony can improve how he uses tricks – tricks that aren’t to promote himself but to advance his own team.”

If footballers face a battle between aesthetics and results, Brazilians have always tended to be more artful than pragmatic. But their choices have not always been appreciated in Europe. When Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison indulged in a few keepy-ups against Nottingham Forest earlier this season, Forest manager Steve Cooper was appalled, saying: “I wouldn’t want my players to do what Richarlison did. It wouldn’t be accepted here.”

Vinicius Jr has also been criticised for doing the samba after he scores for Real Madrid, which leads to the question of just how much these Brazilian players are appreciated in Europe. Why buy skilful Brazilian wingers for their craft and then chide them for doing skilful Brazilian winger things? Would they even bother leaving home if – and this is a big if – they weren’t guaranteed higher wages and the chance to play in the Champions League? Would staying in Brazil be more fulfilling than moving to Europe, being chastised for entertaining and made to play in rigid, mechanical systems that offer little room for creativity.

Moments like Antony’s are no longer allowed to pass by fleetingly, raising a smile from supporters. They are scrutinised to their limit by commentators and pundits, and used by rival fans to attack players. This feels like something new. Players such as Ronaldinho and Garrincha, artists with the ball, were lauded for their skills. Not everything they tried came off. Zico and Sócrates wowed the planet at the 1982 World Cup, but would they be branded show ponies today for crashing out of the tournament before the semi-finals?

As Neymar said last year when his Brazil teammate Lucas Paquetá was booked for attempting a rainbow flick while playing for Lyon against Troyes – something that Neymar himself has been cautioned for in Ligue 1 – “joga bonito is over”.

Perhaps the World Cup will give Brazilians a chance to be themselves and charm a generation of fans who have become obsessed with results over aesthetics. Maybe the current crop of players, who refined their art on muddy pitches and concrete favela courts, can win over hearts and minds by winning a sixth World Cup – and doing it in style.