Neymar celebrates emotional Brazil comeback after 982 days

Tears after 982 days

Neymar's previous appearance had been in October 2023, when he suffered a cruciate ligament rupture in the 0-2 defeat against Uruguay. Since then, according to his current club FC Santos, his market value fell from 60 million to 8 million euros. The forward, whose contract runs until 31/12/2026, is part of the Brazilian attack with the club.

Neymar remains Brazil's all-time top goalscorer ahead of Pelé. He has so far scored 79 goals for the "Canarinho" and made his 79th international appearance for the five-time world champions. He thus sits in second place behind Cafu, who leads the national record list with 143 caps.

Record goalscorer ahead of Pelé

With ten goal contributions in 15 matches, Neymar had made a promising start to the World Cup year before the serious injury interrupted his national team career. Under coach Carlo Ancelotti, the 34-year-old is now set to play a central role again in the knockout stage.

Teammate Vinicius Junior, who scored twice against Scotland, was also moved by the moment: "Es war einfach magisch, Neymar wiederzusehen! Er ist unser Idol – für uns alle." There was unanimity in the Brazilian camp about Neymar's importance to the team.

Outlook on the knockout stage

As winners of Group C, Brazil will face the runner-up of Group F in the round of 16. Possible opponents are the Netherlands, Japan or Sweden. Neymar's return could therefore gain even more significance for Brazil in the decisive phase of the tournament.

The match against Scotland was Neymar's fourth World Cup overall as a player. The forward, who has already collected titles and trophies with Brazil, thus remains a key figure in the attack of the "Seleção".