Neymar reaches historic milestone by being confirmed in the fourth consecutive World Cup by Carlo Ancelotti By Thiago Lemos
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Attacking midfielder Neymar was confirmed on the Brazilian national team’s call-up list for Copa of the 2026 Mundo. The athlete’s choice for this year’s tournament places the player in a restricted group of professionals who defended the country in four editions of world football’s main competition. The Santos striker was present at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
The new opportunity appears as a decisive moment in the trajectory of the greatest scorer in the history of the national team. The athlete tries to achieve an unprecedented achievement. The country’s best performance with the player on the field occurred twelve years ago, in the tournament played in Brazilian territory. Nas two following editions, played in Rússia and Catar, the national team ended up eliminated in the quarterfinals stage.
Grupo of athletes with four editions of the tournament under their belt
The inclusion of the attacking midfielder in the list of the international tournament repeats achievements achieved by big names in national sport in the past. The player reaches the same level as defenders, midfielders and goalkeepers who have maintained regularity for more than a decade wearing the national team’s shirt.
The gallery of athletes with four world championship appearances is made up of nine professionals:
- Castilho (1950, 1954, 1958 and 1962)
- Djalma Santos (1954, 1958, 1962 and 1966)
- Nilton Santos (1950, 1954, 1958 and 1962)
- Pelé (1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970)
- Emerson Leão (1970, 1974, 1978 and 1986)
- Cafu (1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006)
- Ronaldo (1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006)
- Thiago Silva (2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
- Neymar (2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026)
Dentre all the members of this group, only the Santos striker and the defender Thiago Silva did not win the world trophy during their professional careers. The defender ended his recent cycle at Catar, while the current number 10 tries to change this scenario in this year’s championship.
Desempenho of the attacker and numbers in world competitions
The athlete’s record in knockout matches and group stages accumulates important goals and assists. The player played in twelve matches, including the three previous editions in which he participated. Foram eight goals scored and three decisive passes for teammates’ goals.
The first experience occurred in the domestic tournament, when the young player took on the responsibility of leading the squad led by Luiz Felipe Scolari. The debut saw a comeback victory over the Croatians 3-1, with two goals from the striker. Progress in the competition had moments of tension. Brasil beat the Chilean team on penalties before facing the Colombians in the quarterfinals.
The 2-1 victory against Colômbia determined advancement to the semifinals, but ended the number 10’s participation in dramatic fashion. A blow to the back from defender Zúñiga resulted in a fracture in the athlete’s third lumbar vertebra. Fora of combat, the player watched from afar the setback against Alemanha and Holanda in the final stretch of that edition.
Retorno on Rússia and physical brands in recent competitions
The following cycle required physical overcoming from the main name of the Brazilian cast to ensure their presence in Europa. The striker suffered a serious injury to the fifth metatarsal of his right foot while defending Paris Saint-Germain months before the 2018 tournament. The debut against the Swiss ended in a 1-1 draw, on an afternoon marked by ten fouls received by the player.
The first goal in that tournament came in the second round against Costa Rica, in a victory defined in second-half stoppage time. The player showed physical evolution in the 2-0 victory against México, scoring a goal and directly participating in the goal scored by Roberto Firmino. The elimination in the quarterfinals occurred against Bélgica, in a match in which the offensive sector encountered difficulties against the opposing goalkeeper.
Participation in Catar in 2022 was the athlete’s shortest due to physical problems suffered in the first round. The player was on the field only three times throughout the Brazilian team’s entire campaign. The squad stopped again at the same stage of the competition after suffering a draw from Croácia in extra time and suffering disqualification due to penalty kicks.
