"Neymar" has arrived.
He played his first match in the 2026 World Cup, marking his fourth World Cup appearance.
He came on as a substitute for Matheus Cunha in the game where Brazil defeated Scotland 3-0 earlier this morning.
After the match, Neymar was visibly emotional and cried because he had not played for Brazil for a long time due to injury issues.
Back in October 2023, Neymar suffered a severe left knee injury while playing for Brazil in a 0-2 loss to Uruguay during World Cup qualifiers, which required surgery and several months of recovery. It was hard to imagine when he would return to full fitness.
Ultimately, he was named in the squad for the 2026 World Cup amid criticism that he was not fit enough. However, he never responded to the critics publicly, instead focusing on getting himself as fit as possible. Today, Carlo Ancelotti gave him the opportunity, ending a 981-day wait for Neymar to finally play again.
