)
Will Neymar be at the World Cup?
On Monday, the Brazil manager, Carlo Ancelotti, will announce the final squad for the 2026 World Cup.
In Brazil and around the world, fans are eager to find out which players will have the chance to represent the five-time champions on the biggest stage in world football.
And one question seems to be on everyone’s mind: will Neymar be called up?
The all-time leading goalscorer, plagued by injuries
For over a decade, ‘Ney’ has been the leading figure in the Brazilian national team. Known for his incredible ability to score goals in unlikely situations and for the dribbles that have become his trademark, the striker – nominated nine times for the Ballon d’Or – is also the all-time top scorer in the men’s national team’s history, with 79 goals (surpassing Pelé’s 77 in September 2023).
)
However, the last time he wore the yellow shirt was over two years ago. He was even called up again in March last year, but ended up being dropped once more due to injury. Injuries, unfortunately, have been the shadow haunting Neymar and have gradually eroded his presence in the national team over the years.
Back at Santos, the club where he first came to prominence as a player, the 34-year-old star has struggled to maintain a run of matches due to recurring physical problems. In December last year, he had to undergo knee surgery. Since the start of the 2026 Brazilian Championship season, Neymar has already missed 16 matches through injury, playing in just 14. The figures look even bleaker when we take a broader view: since the start of the 2022 World Cup – for which he was selected and scored two goals – the player has missed 116 matches through injury.
"It depends on him, not on me"
Since taking charge of the Brazilian national team a year ago, Ancelotti has yet to call up Neymar. The question has been asked by countless reporters on different occasions, but the answer remains the same: if Neymar is 100% fit, he will be called up. In the coach’s own words: “Neymar’s call-up depends solely on him. It depends on what the player shows on the pitch. That is a very clear criterion, and it doesn’t apply only to Neymar. With most players, you need to assess talent and physical condition. With Neymar, we only need to assess his physical condition, because his talent is beyond question. It depends on him, not on me.” (The Guardian)
Even without a definitive answer on whether Neymar will be called up on Monday, many people in Brazil have already made it clear that they want to see him at the World Cup. Several players from the current squad have already spoken out on the matter – including Raphinha, Casemiro and João Pedro. A recent poll by the Datafolha institute revealed that 53% of Brazilians want the star to feature in the tournament. And among those most keen for this to happen is, surprisingly, a player who isn’t even Brazilian: Lamine Yamal.
"Neymar is someone I admired, and I used to watch all his matches and videos." – Lamine Yamal
The heir to the dribble
The 18-year-old Spanish sensation, who won the Kopa Trophy at the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony, has never hidden his admiration for Ney: “My idol when I was a child was Neymar. He is someone I admired, and I used to watch all his matches and videos.” (Lance!)
In an interview last month, Neymar reflected on how his style of play is becoming increasingly rare in today’s football: “I think that today, football is much more evenly matched, because there’s more physicality and the pace of the game is very intense. And we end up losing that generation of players who are skilful, who can dribble. Today, we have very few players who fulfil that role.” (Ziggo Sport)
Any fan will say, without hesitation, that Yamal is exactly one of those very few players.
The small, speedy winger has repeatedly shown the same qualities that made Neymar a spectacle in his own right – bewildering dribbles, goals at crucial moments, assists you want to watch again and again… the comparisons come naturally, and it’s not hard to see why.
The shadow of Barça, and the flame it ignited
Ney enjoyed four glorious seasons at Barcelona between 2013 and 2017, winning two La Liga titles and three Copa del Rey trophies, as well as the Champions League in 2015 – one of the two years in which he finished third in the Ballon d’Or ceremony, behind only Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. In 186 appearances for Barça, he scored 105 goals and provided 76 assists, and still ranks among the top 20 all-time goalscorers in the club’s history.
Yamal was just 10 years old when the Brazilian left Catalonia for Paris Saint-Germain. But the impact of that period – the joy, the magic, everything Neymar brought to Barça – remained etched forever in the young prodigy’s memory.
Today, with three seasons in the first team under his belt, Yamal has just lifted his sixth trophy for the club – the 2025–26 La Liga title. With 49 goals and 52 assists in 151 appearances, and having finished second at the last Ballon d’Or ceremony, behind only Ousmane Dembélé, he is writing his own story – and doing so in the same way his inspiration did years ago.
"There was Messi, there was me… but what Yamal is doing at 18 is simply surreal." – Neymar
Club-mate João Cancelo, who recently became the first player in history to win the domestic title in four of Europe’s top five leagues, also sees this similarity between the two: “They are two very talented players. These days, there aren’t many players of that calibre in the world, with the irreverence they possess. The way they approach the game – it looks like they’re playing with friends, as if there’s no pressure.” (TNT Sports)
It is precisely this light-hearted, free-flowing and genuinely entertaining style of football that unites the two.
A friendship born of admiration
Over the years, Yamal has paid tribute to his idol in various ways – including recreating some of the Brazilian’s iconic dance celebrations after scoring equally dazzling goals. And last month, it was Neymar’s turn to return the favour: the star copied the Spaniard’s gesture of sitting on the ball during a match, in a moment of pure mutual admiration.
)
Because this is no coincidence – it is genuine admiration. Neymar has already made clear what he thinks of the youngster: “I truly believe he is one of the greatest teenage sensations football has ever seen. There was Messi, there was me… but what this lad is doing at 18 is simply surreal.” (UOL)
And Yamal, for his part, continues to praise his idol whenever he gets the chance: “He’s my idol. I’ll always be grateful for everything he’s given to football. He’s one of those players who inspires us all. You pay for a ticket to watch him play, and two or three days later, you feel like going to the stadium again just to see him play again." And when it comes to the national team call-up, the youngster has no doubts: "I’m grateful for everything he’s done for football, and I hope he can be at the World Cup." (ESPN)
The admiration grew and, over time, turned into friendship – the two spent their holidays together in Brazil last year. And Yamal has even made a deal with his idol for the tournament: “We agreed that if we both reach the final, we’ll go on holiday together afterwards. We’ll see – hopefully it’ll be Spain v Brazil.” (TNT Sports)
Monday, the day of the verdict
But for now, Neymar’s presence at the World Cup remains an unknown that will continue to fuel passionate debate in Brazil and around the world until Monday, when Ancelotti finally reveals his hand.
In the 14 matches he has managed to play for Santos since the start of the year, Neymar has scored 6 goals and provided 4 assists. Will that be enough to secure his place after a two-year absence?
Yamal, just like Neymar himself, can only hope for the best – and wait.
