SAO PAULO — Brazilian football superstar Neymar Jr. faces mounting uncertainty regarding his selection for the upcoming World Cup following an unimpressive performance in Santos’ 1-1 draw against Corinthians on Sunday. The match represented the final opportunity for the 34-year-old striker to demonstrate his capabilities before Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti announces his squad for crucial preparatory friendlies against France and Croatia.
Neymar, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 international goals, delivered a notably subdued performance at Vila Belmiro Stadium. His most significant opportunity came in the second half with a narrowly missed header, while throughout the match he demonstrated limited dribbling effectiveness and failed to register a single shot on target. The performance followed his controversial absence from Tuesday’s match against Mirassol, which Ancelotti attended without prior notification of Neymar’s withdrawal.
The striker’s recent history compounds his selection challenges. Neymar underwent ACL reconstruction surgery in October 2023 followed by additional knee surgery in December, limiting him to fewer than 10 appearances for Santos this season. Despite these setbacks, he has demonstrated flashes of his former brilliance, most notably in February when his two-goal performance against Vasco da Gama elevated him into Santos’ top ten all-time scorers.
Ancelotti has maintained stringent selection criteria, emphasizing that only fully fit players will be considered for the World Cup tournament. The coach has simultaneously suggested that certain established players might bypass the usual evaluation process, leaving Neymar with residual hope for final squad inclusion even if omitted from the upcoming friendlies.
Following the match, a visibly disappointed Neymar told reporters: ‘My aspiration to rejoin the national team and compete in the World Cup remains strong, but ultimately this decision lies beyond my control. Regardless of my participation, I will always support Brazil.’
With Brazil’s federation staff observing Sunday’s match and Ancelotti’s final squad announcement scheduled for May, Neymar’s pathway to what would be his fourth consecutive World Cup appearance appears increasingly precarious.