A French newspaper devoted attention to Neymar’s return to the Brazilian team, not only because of his performance on the field, but because of the strong emotion shown by the player. The daily Le Parisien, in a report published on Thursday, highlighted the tears of the number 10 when wearing the Brazil shirt again after almost three years and highlighted the athlete’s tribute to the driver Lewis Hamilton.
At 34 years old, the star entered the second half of the match against Scotland, in the 3-0 victory, a result that assured Brazil the leadership of Group C in the World Cup. Even with just a few minutes on the field, the striker had one of the most memorable moments of the night when he became visibly emotional after the final whistle, still on the pitch.
The French newspaper noted that Neymar’s main technical movement in the match was a pass to Vinicius Júnior shortly after his entry. However, for the vehicle, the symbolic meaning of its return surpassed any technical assessment.
After the confrontation, the player published an image on his social networks showing him crying, accompanied by the phrase “Remember Who You Are”, which in Portuguese means “Remember who you are”.
As pointed out by Le Parisien, this message is a clear reference to seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, whom Neymar often refers to as a “great friend”.
The Parisian vehicle recalled that the expression gained great prominence recently when Hamilton won his first victory for Ferrari, at the Spanish Grand Prix. The British driver revisited the phrase on his social media as a symbol of overcoming, revealing that he heard it from a fan during an event in London, in 2025, while facing one of the most challenging periods of his F1 career. This additional context highlights how the message became a rallying cry for athletes at crucial times.
Now, it was Neymar’s turn to be inspired by the same motto to celebrate his return to the national team.
In the mixed zone, after the match, the striker expressed gratitude for the support he received during the extensive period in which he was absent from the Brazilian team.
“I’m very happy. We played a great game. I have to thank all the Brazilians for their love and support. It was an incredible moment”, declared the player.
The return of number 10 was also a reason for celebration among teammates. Vinicius Júnior emphasized the importance of the athlete’s presence for the squad and praised Carlo Ancelotti’s management.
“Neymar arrives at a very important moment for us. He is one of the best players in the world. The coach made the right choice. He always makes the best decisions and understands very well how each player can perform more”, said Vinicius Júnior.