Neymar had to agree to a list of conditions before being granted a place in Brazil’s World Cup squad, according to a report in Globo Esporte.
The Santos striker was the headline inclusion in the group named by boss Carlo Ancelotti on Monday night, the ‘will he, won’t he’ debate capturing the attention of fans around the world.
In the end, the majority got their wish with Ancelotti bowing to public pressure to include the 34-year-old, who is Brazil’s record scorer with 79 goals in 128 international appearances.
He has not played for his country since tearing an ACL in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay on October 17, 2023 but did enough for Santos to prove he deserved a place over Chelsea forward Joao Pedro.
Neymar told to toe the line
Ancelotti has been asked about Neymar at every opportunity over the past few months and reiterated that his inclusion would depend on his physical state and not his ability.
But it also turns out there were certain other demands that the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star had to agree to.
According to Globe, they were:
- An understanding and acceptance that he would not be one of the team captains
- An understanding and acceptance that he would not be a part of the starting XI
- To limit his social media activity during the tournament
The newspaper reports Neymar was happy to accept and promised Ancelotti he would do “everything possible to be useful to the team”.
Pedro the unlucky man as Brazil boss goes with Neymar
Forner Real Madrid boss Ancelotti has become accustomed to dealing with big-name players during his managerial career but his stipulation that Neymar understands he won’t start seems to add to the mystery of selecting him over Pedro.
Brazil’s striking options are made up mostly of wingers and attacking midfielders – Vinicius Jr, Raphinha, Matheus Cunha, etc – with only Brentford’s Igor Thiago a recognised number nine.
Pedro can play that role, as shown by his 20 goals for Chelsea this season, but it seems he has missed out due to Neymar’s ability to give the squad a boost in morale and confidence.
Ancelotti said as much on Monday, stating: “His experience in this type of competition, and the affection he has for the group, creating a better environment within the group, helping the team, are all important factors.”
