Journalists celebrated wildly at the grand unveiling of Neymar, capturing the scene with cameras. The Brazilian star, who is the country's record goalscorer, has not played for the national team in three years. He was part of the legendary MSN attack but never won a Ballon d'Or. A generational talent, Neymar arguably squandered his career with lucrative moves to Paris Saint-Germain and Saudi Arabia. After numerous off-pitch controversies—most recently slapping Santos teammate Robinho Jr in training—Neymar will be remembered as much for his injuries (including the one that kept him out of the 7-1 defeat to Germany) as for his nutmegs, rainbow flicks, Remontada heroics, Pausa, Bigger Cup triumphs, and Puskas Award goal. The prevailing sentiment in Europe is 'yes, what a player,' but also 'what a waste.'
However, that European perspective holds little weight in the context of the Geopolitics World Cup. The European mindset, except for Carlo Ancelotti, cannot grasp how different the viewpoint is in Brazil, where Neymar remains a demi-deity. He is seen as the last bastion of jogo bonito and the essence of the Selecao, symbolizing both the glorious past and recent struggles. No Brazil team has endured a longer World Cup drought than the current 24-year stretch. After decades of collective suffering, Neymar and Brazil desperately need redemption and glory. In a deeply Catholic country, these themes are overwhelmingly seductive.
Videos of people reacting to Neymar's inclusion in Ancelotti's Brazil squad capture the fervor. Grown men were reduced to tears of joy, there were street parties, and schoolchildren—too young to remember Neymar's Barcelona days—chanted in celebration, seemingly hardwired in their devotion. 'Neymar will be an important player for us at the World Cup,' Ancelotti said. 'We realized that in this last period he had continuity and was in good physical condition.' That is backed by 11 goals and four assists in his last 18 matches for a relegation-threatened Santos.
Neymar's domestic form starkly contrasts with João Pedro's lack of impact for Brazil—no goals or assists in eight appearances. This discrepancy was likely lost on commentators and social media influencers complaining about Ancelotti's omission of the Chelsea forward. While surprising, it is best not to question Ancelotti, one of the greatest managers with five Bigger Cups. You are better off with Ancelotti than without, as Real Madrid's current struggles illustrate.
In other football news, Pep Guardiola reflected on his tenure at Manchester City, saying he does not need the new North Stand named after him because memories of good times are enough. 'The important thing in our lives is when you look back and say, wow, you can look with a big smile and that is good,' he said. Meanwhile, letters from readers pondered hypotheticals like Tottenham's relegation and Burnley's yo-yo payments. Benfica's unbeaten league season was also noted, drawing comparisons to Arsenal's Invincibles.
