SAO PAULO — Neymar‘s troubled path to the upcoming World Cup narrowed additional after his subdued efficiency for Santos in a 1-1 house draw towards rival Corinthians in a Brazilian league match on Sunday.
It was Neymar’s final recreation earlier than Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti publicizes his squad for 2 key friendlies on Monday, and he mentioned after the sport that regardless of how a lot he needed to be with the nationwide staff, the choice was less than him.
“I wish to go back to the national team and play in the World Cup, but that’s not up to me,” a dissatisfied Neymar advised journalists after the match in Santos. “Whether I am there or not, I will always cheer for Brazil.”
Neymar is Brazil’s all-time prime scorer with 79 targets.
Brazil’s matches towards France and Croatia within the United States will, in flip, be the 2 final video games earlier than Ancelotti publicizes his ultimate squad in May for the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19.
The 34-year-old Neymar’s efficiency towards Corinthians got here after he missed a match that the Brazil coach attended.
Memphis Depay opened the scoring on Sunday for Corinthians within the nineteenth minute on the Vila Belmiro Stadium. Gabriel Barbosa equalized 4 minutes later.
Neymar’s finest probability in Sunday’s recreation was a second-half header that narrowly missed. The Santos striker struggled with ball at his toes and did not have a shot on aim.
Two staffers of Brazil’s soccer confederation attended the match in Santos, the membership mentioned.
Ancelotti has mentioned he’ll solely take gamers who’re 100% match to the event within the United States, Mexico and Canada. He has additionally advised that some gamers want no testing, which retains Neymar with some hopes of constructing the ultimate squad even when he isn’t picked for the subsequent two friendlies.
Neymar suffered an ACL harm in October 2023 and went by means of one other knee surgical procedure in December. He has performed lower than 10 matches for Santos this yr, however he has additionally proven glimpses of what he might nonetheless convey to Brazil.
In February, he broke into the highest 10 of Santos membership’s all-time main scorers after scoring twice in a 2-1 win towards Vasco da Gama within the Brazilian league.
Fans of Neymar worry that his determination to miss a match against Mirassol on Tuesday, in one other Brazilian league recreation, may need taken him out of his fourth consecutive World Cup.
Local media stories mentioned Ancelotti was not knowledgeable concerning the striker’s absence till a couple of hours earlier than the sport on the 19,000-seater José Maria de Campos Maia Stadium.
Information from The Associated Press was used on this report.
