The Brazilian national team has just received some rather unhappy news as their most anticipated player, Neymar, has not recovered from his injury in time. He will miss at least 3 matches in the 2026 World Cup group stage. This has made the Samba media very frustrated.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to include Neymar’s name in the 2026 World Cup squad once consumed a lot of ink from the press. And then, right after the tournament kicked off, the news that the 34-year-old superstar suffered a torn muscle injury and had to miss the entire group stage created a wave of anger from the Samba home media.
No longer shedding tears of sympathy like in previous World Cups, the Brazilian press this time unanimously called it a “foretold failure” of a system they deem “too conservative”.
The newspaper Globoesporte ran a heavy headline right after the medical information was announced: “A failed gamble and the price of stubbornness”. Brazil’s leading sports publication bluntly criticized the country’s Football Confederation for stubbornly bringing a “wounded soldier” to the biggest tournament on the planet.
According to Globoesporte, coach Carlo Ancelotti was forced to bring the 34-year-old striker to the US. The reason is simply that Brazil needs a name with enough weight to bring hope to the fans and also bring appeal to sponsors.
UOL Esporte offered a similar analysis: “Bringing Neymar to the 2026 World Cup is more heavily political and commercial than for professional reasons. He appears as a brand ambassador to please sponsors rather than a player ready to take the field and fight.”
Many Samba news outlets did not hesitate to use the word “fardo” – roughly translated as a burden – to describe the number 10 at this moment. The Brazilian version of ESPN commented: “He is nothing but a burden to the whole team. Neymar’s presence is like an overly large shadow cast over the dressing room, inadvertently creating an invisible psychological pressure on his teammates. The entire team’s tactics are affected when the stars are always in a state of having to pass the ball to Neymar instead of confidently deploying their playstyle.”
Commentator Walter Casagrande expressed his view: “You cannot use a 34-year-old player who has had 13 injuries in recent years, who hasn’t even played a good match in the last 3-4 years, and who was injured for 1 month before the 2026 World Cup. You cannot put your faith in a 34-year-old player with 13 injuries in 4 years like Neymar.”
In their opening match, the yellow-and-green team disappointed by being held to a draw by Morocco. This puts even greater pressure on coach Ancelotti’s shoulders. Undoubtedly, he and his players need better performances to reduce public pressure, while also reassuring the home fans that even without Neymar, the Selecao still knows how to overcome difficulties.
