He moved from Santos to Spanish club Barcelona as one of the most promising young players in the world. And he impressed early on with the Catalan club, quickly achieving star status in the world of football.
The general question surrounding Neymar at the time was about when – if not if – he would be crowned the best in the world.
Fast forward eight years, though, and things have changed drastically. The Brazilian remains one of the world’s top players, but has failed to fully live up to the expectations that came with his high-profile move to Europe. Neymar lost visibility after joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, and it’s been a while since he’s been considered for player of the year awards.
His performances with Brazil at the World Cup have mostly disappointed since the 2014 tournament at home, when he was taken off on a stretcher in the quarter-finals with a back injury. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Neymar crouched on the pitch and looked in disbelief as Belgium’s players celebrated their victory over Brazil in the last eight.
He was key to Brazil when the country won its first Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, an achievement that was widely celebrated and widely praised throughout the country.
But ahead of the World Cup in Qatar at the age of 30, the questions being raised about Neymar are different.
Did he make a mistake leaving Barcelona to join PSG? Is he getting overshadowed by Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe? Is he at his peak?
But for Neymar, the only question that really matters is whether he can play for Brazil and lead the national team to its first World Cup title in 20 years.
Neymar said earlier this year, ‘I don’t want to let this World Cup get away from me. “I don’t want to let this opportunity slip out of my hands. I am doing everything possible to prepare for it physically and mentally. It is my biggest dream right now. I am focused on winning this title. ”
This year’s World Cup could be redemption for Neymar, and if he finds a way to lift Brazil to the title in Qatar, his name will be back at the top of the prize list.
“I would give my life for the World Cup,” Neymar said in a conversation with former Brazilian midfielder Diego Ribas. “It’s a unique moment. I’ve been through two World Cups and now I see how it works. Everything happens really fast, and if you’re not at your 100%, if you’re not ready If you are, the opportunity passes you by.”
Neymar, who said as a youngster that his dream was to be the best player in the world, has been in good form again this season and is one of the leaders of a PSG team that hopes to finally win their first Champions League title. We do. He enters the World Cup – which he does not rule out being his last – as one of the most in-form players.
Brazil coach Tite said, ‘He is flying now.’
Neymar has apparently not been affected by the recent fraud trial regarding his 2013 transfer from Santos to Barcelona, where he and his father are among those accused of concealing the real cost of the transfer. He faces a prison sentence of more than two years if convicted, although some of the charges against him have been dropped.
Tite is undoubtedly counting on Neymar to lead in Qatar and lead Brazil, hoping his talent – and now his maturity – will eventually make the difference and give the national team a chance to win their first World Cup title since 2002. Degi, when Neymar was still only 10.
And hopefully, for Brazil, Neymar ends his World Cup run by lifting the trophy for his team and his people, rather than leaving the field on a stretcher like in 2014 or watching opponents celebrate like in 2018.
No comments:
Post a Comment