When it comes to Neymar and the Brazilian national team, it’s tempting to think that, at least for the general audience, we’ve already entered full epilogue territory.
Neymar is 32 and has been largely irrelevant at club level since moving from Paris Saint-Germain to Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal last August. He hasn’t played since suffering a terrible knee injury nine months ago, and even before that he had shown signs of physical decline, with the gazelle-like resilience of his magnificent youth a distant memory.
Meanwhile, a generational change is taking place in international football. Fifteen different players have made their debut for Brazil since Neymar was last included against Uruguay in October. Endric, a 17-year-old bound for Real Madrid, is Brazil’s new favourite. Rodrigo wears the No. 10 shirt and Vinicius Junior is the man Brazilians turn to in times of crisis.
So is it game over? The end of the Neymar era?
Not at all. Look a little closer and you’ll see there’s still a fair bit of overlap between the Brazil roadshow and the Neymarverse, which, to misquote Mark Twain, means the rumors of his death have been greatly exaggerated.
For one thing, Neymar has been a highly visible non-player presence at the Copa America so far.
He was in Los Angeles at the same time as the Brazilian national team, rehabbing in the same training facilities they used and posed for photos with Marquinhos, Vinicius Junior and Rafinha, and after two commercial commitments – a Puma event and a poker tournament – he visited the team hotel on the morning of their first group stage match against Costa Rica.
Neymar watched the game from a VIP box at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium and, although there was little excitement on the pitch, he was arguably the star of the night, caught on camera multiple times and the crowd roared whenever his face appeared on the stadium’s big screens.
Neymar watches the Brazil vs. Costa Rica match from a VIP seat (Ronaldo Martinez/Getty Images)
Neymar’s reaction when Vinicius Junior was sent off made headlines in Brazil, as did his attempts to keep calm when Danilo got into an altercation with a fan at the end of the game. At that point, Neymar collapsed on the pitch. He then joined the Brazilian players in the dressing room. Four days later, he repeated the ritual in Las Vegas after a 4-1 win over Paraguay.
It would be easy to dismiss it all as a distraction, to see Neymar as a recurring ex-lover, a party ghost, but Brazil’s players and staff certainly don’t see it that way.
First, Neymar is widely considered to be Brazil’s present and future player. Neymar has been in frequent contact with head coach Dorival Junior and Brazil national team manager Rodrigo Caetano as he recovers from knee surgery, and is expected to return to the national team as soon as he is fit.
Looking further ahead, Neymar is said to be targeting the 2026 World Cup, where he’ll be 34 by then but will almost certainly play if his body holds up. He’ll also be a popular choice. “For me, he’s still the best,” Brazil legend Ronaldinho said last week. “He still has a lot to contribute.”
That sentiment is shared by Brazil’s players. “He may be wearing the number 10 now, but it’s his shirt,” Rodrigo said before the Copa America kicked off. “I’m just keeping warm for him. We’re waiting for his return.”
Such respect is commonplace within the squad; the more experienced players speak of Neymar in shy hushed tones, as if he were a god. “Neymar is an idol for all of us,” left-back Guilherme Arana said last week, while Endric made his reverence for the player clear in an anecdote he shared a few days ago.
“I was in the physio room and he called Marquinhos,” Endric said. “It was great just to hear his voice. I’ve spoken to him a few times and I’m glad he’s here. He’s a great guy, an inspiration. It would be great to meet him, take a photo with him and get some advice from him.”
Endric spoke of his admiration for Neymar (Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP via Getty Images)
Neymar has always been something of a Peter Pan figure, a symbol of the stalled player, and not just because of his insistence on having “Junior” attached to his name. His critics paint him as a completely irresponsible boy, obsessed with poker and surrounded by sniggering sycophants to help him along. And they probably have a point.
But there’s another side to Neymar. Not everyone thinks of him as a role model, but his teammates are more than just complimentary about his abilities. They support him both privately (Marquinhos and Vinicius Junior are particularly close with him) and in public. In Los Angeles last week, after suffering a 0-0 draw with all the Brazilian fans in the game against Costa Rica, he made a point of calling for unity. “I really believe in this team,” he said.
That affection was on full display in a short interview Neymar gave to Brazilian YouTuber Isabella Pagliari last week, in which he spoke of his affection for Vinicius Junior and Rodrigo, and explained why he sees it as his duty to guide the next generation of Brazilian stars.
“They know how much I care about each and every one of them,” he said. “I always send them messages wishing them well. I spoke to Vini and Rodrigo before and after the Champions League final (against Real Madrid in early June). They are not just great players, they are human beings. I will always support and encourage them. If I have to put myself on the line for them, I will.”
“I didn’t have anyone to hand the baton to me in that way. When I first joined the national team, it was just me and God. I know how hard it was to take on that responsibility, so I always try to help them in any way I can.”
That might mean being the cheer leader at this Copa America, but don’t assume that’s Neymar’s fate: he’ll be back.
Until then, don’t make the mistake of giving up on the Neymar verse: Brazil is still in it.
(Top photo: Lucio Tavola/Xinhua via Getty Images)