LEGACY: Neymar was once Brazil’s only World Cup hope – but will he even make it to 2026?
In the 2022 quarter-final against Croatia, Neymar scored in extra-time and celebrated as if redemption had finally come. The semi-final seemed within reach, this time with him on the field.
But moments later, the experienced No.10 was stunned as his team-mates pushed forward instead of holding back. ‘Why are you going up?’ he screamed as the final throes of the match played out. Croatia counter-attacked and equalised, forcing penalties. Neymar, listed by coach Tite as Brazil’s fifth taker so as to take the decisive kick, never got his turn. Before it reached him, Rodrygo and Marquinhos had already missed.
Once again, Brazil were eliminated in the quarter-finals, and the dream of a sixth title was postponed, extending the drought to 24 years, the same length as the gap between 1970 and 1994. Neymar’s tears that night reflected the belief that it might have been his final World Cup chance – and he may have been right.
The cycle leading to 2026 has marked Neymar’s decline from the sport’s top level. He ended the 2022–23 season at PSG, a club that had long since shifted its spotlight to Kylian Mbappe, and was subsequently sold to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal. No European club thought he was worth the investment anymore, and so at 31, he was taking a path usually reserved for those near retirement. Even there, he barely played.
With Brazil, there was still time for two more goals – both in a 5-1 win over Bolivia in World Cup qualifying – that brought his total to 79, surpassing Pele as Brazil’s all-time top scorer. It was, however, more a nod to his lonely hero legacy than a reflection of his current performance.
A few months later, in October 2023, Neymar tore his knee ligaments and was sidelined for a year. When he returned, playing just his seventh match for Al-Hilal, he was injured again, and he soon ended his Saudi stint. Months later, he sealed an emotional return to Santos, but by 2025, he had gone two full years without playing for Brazil.
During that same period, the national team itself stumbled through turmoil. It spent too long under an interim coach, Fernando Diniz, and too little time with a permanent one, Dorival Junior, who himself wasn’t the first choice. Only on the eve of the World Cup did the Brazilian Football Confederation finally hand the job to Italian icon Carlo Ancelotti.
There are plenty of doubts, but one thing is certain: Brazil no longer inspire confidence heading into the 2026 World Cup. This time, though, the criticism isn’t about their ‘Neymar-dependencia’, because Neymar has barely played. The thrones are, in fact, empty again.
Not that there’s a lack of candidates. For the first time since Kaka in 2007, a Brazilian was named FIFA’s best player when Vinicius earned the award in 2024 after starring in Real Madrid’s Champions League triumph. Rodrygo, alternating between starting and bench roles, also remained decisive for the club. Raphinha, meanwhile, took on a leading role at Barcelona and even emerged as a strong Ballon d’Or contender before the award went to France’s Ousmane Dembele in 2025.
That should be reason for excitement before the tournament in North America, but Brazil’s disastrous post-2022 cycle has pulled expectations back down. Having great players isn’t enough – and so far, none of these new stars has replicated their club form with the national team. Neymar’s seat remains vacant.
