Neymar has been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, or at least not the reasons anyone expected. His health and recent departure from the Brazil national team and Santos FC team have been the subject of much discussion. However, amid the controversy, the former World Cup champion publicly came out in support of him.
Legendary former Canarinha forward Ronaldo Nazrio has defended Neymar’s place at the 2026 World Cup, ensuring his quality is beyond doubt.
Ronaldo supports Neymar
Recently, he missed the match between Santos and Mirasol due to muscle strain caused by excessive fatigue during training. He then appeared in two consecutive matches (against Corinthians and Internacional), but Cuca, who became the team’s new manager following the sacking of coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda, jointly decided with the forward to keep him out of the match against Cruzeiro to avoid further serious injury.
This comes after he was left out of coach Carlo Ancelotti’s squad for Brazil’s friendlies against Croatia and France on March 26 and 31 ahead of the World Cup, raising questions about his participation in the tournament.
With this in mind, Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazrio has said that the Santos star should be among the players to travel to the United States, Mexico and Canada in June.
“Neymar has suffered some serious injuries recently, but you don’t have to know him very well to call him up for the World Cup. There are a lot of players who could be called up. If he’s fit, I’ll call him up,” he told CNN Brazil.
Ronaldo also tempered expectations about his role within the team. He believes that while Neymar may not be the team’s undisputed leader, he is an important player and can bring leadership and flair in high-pressure situations. “He’s a useful player, he may not play every minute of every game, but technically he’s very important and he’s proven his worth wherever he’s been,” he said.
In the end, the Brazilian icon agreed with Carletto’s idea that he would consider it if he is in the best condition to play in another World Cup. This is an absolute condition that the Italian manager has repeated many times: “I hope he is healthy and available for Ancelotti. If he is healthy, he will definitely take him to the World Cup,” said Nazrio.
Meanwhile, his inclusion in the squad will not depend on Ancelotti’s decision, but will depend entirely on his performance and fitness.
With nearly 80 days until the start of the World Cup, only time will tell when we will see Neymar again in soccer’s biggest tournament.
