World Cup 2026: Neymar - the return of Brazil's forgotten hero

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti didn't have to look for evidence to back up his claims at a news conference in Miami on Wednesday. Just hours earlier, any sign of the country's misguided son had been met with fervor from fans. After nearly three years, Neymar returned to play for the national team. In a World Cup where he is no longer Brazil's brightest star, this is his chance. An anterior cruciate ligament injury and meniscus tear in a World Cup qualifying match in October 2023 kept the striker out of action for a long time. Now, at the age of 34, the international spotlight shined on Neymar in Miami as Scotland failed to stand up to the pressure. Miami Stadium has four screens that can be seen from the International Space Station. Perhaps commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov could hear the cheers from his orbital position when Neymar's name appeared on the screen before this final match of Group C. Vinicius Jnr scored twice against Scotland in the first half before Matheus Cunha added another. Cheers rang out from the stands, partly for Haiti's goals in Atlanta, but mostly for any sign of Neymar. You can imagine the explosion when he took off his warm-up jacket, walked onto the field and replaced Cunha. "He had the chance to play, because I think he deserved it. He trained and worked hard to recover, with professionalism," Ancelotti said in the press conference after the victory. "In this World Cup, I think he can help the team with his qualities. I think he played well in the few minutes he was on the field. Neymar doesn't need any other motivation. People love him here. He doesn't need motivation to wear the Brazilian shirt. Neymar is the same, and at 34 years old, he still has the same passion as when he was a kid." Although the work has been done by the Selecao's new hopes, the veteran still shows glimmers of something left in the country's yellow shirt. He spent 20 minutes on the field, touching the ball 24 times - while the player he replaced only had 14 more touches. He also had a shot on target. Really, that doesn't matter. The big screens once again turned to him after the match as he took to the field to greet the crowd before hugging his young daughter in front of the stands. A hero has returned to Brazil when greatness is strongly desired. The five-time world champions have not won the game's biggest title since 2002. You have to go back in time to 2019 to see their last tournament victory when they won the Copa America for the ninth time. Under Ancelotti, the Brazilian team was unstable. They failed to win against Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, Japan, Tunisia, France and most recently Morocco. Against a Scotland side that made things difficult for themselves, they had sublime moments, with a strong attacking style. Supporters left the Miami Stadium with joy, not only because the victory put them top of Group C, but also because their forgotten hero had contributed to the victory.

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