Tahsin Irteza Dhaka
After 981 days away, Neymar crossed a touchline again. He pointed both hands to the sky, turned slowly, and walked into a wall of noise at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. Brazil were already 3-0 up against Scotland. It did not matter. The crowd had waited nearly three years for this moment, and they were going to savour every second of it.
It was Vinicius Junior who had done the damage before Neymar arrived. The Real Madrid forward scored twice, had a third ruled out by VAR, in a commanding display that saw Brazil top Group C and advance to the round of 32. But it was the 34-year-old coming off the bench on 76 minutes that sent the 64,478 inside the stadium into delirium.
Vinicius opened the scoring in the seventh minute after Scott McKenna dawdled on the ball and Rayan closed him down, teeing up the winger to round Angus Gunn and roll into an empty net. He added a second deep into first-half stoppage time, peeling off his marker at the back post to nod home Bruno Guimaraes’ cross. Matheus Cunha completed the scoring on the hour, coolly slotted in after Guimaraes unselfishly picked him out.
By the time Neymar replaced Cunha, the contest was long over. But Brazil kept looking for their returning icon at every opportunity, and Neymar looked comfortable within a team that no longer revolves around him. He stayed central, received from Guimaraes, threaded a pass to Vinicius whose shot forced a smart save from Gunn, and drew a free kick after being dragged down driving forward. His best moment came in the 89th minute, drifting into the left channel before cutting onto his right foot, only for Gunn to save comfortably.
In 21 minutes, he completed 12 of 13 passes at 92% accuracy, produced three key passes, had 24 touches and registered one shot on target. The duels were harder, winning just one of four ground contests, and he lost possession nine times, showing the rust that comes with stepping in cold.
The emotions spilled over at the final whistle. Neymar stood on the pitch with tears in his eyes. He later posted photographs of the moment on Instagram alongside the words “REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE”, borrowing the phrase from Lewis Hamilton, who had used it after clinching his first Formula One victory for Ferrari in Barcelona on 14 June.
Speaking to Globo TV, Neymar admitted: “My heart’s racing, I’m really nervous. But happy. I’m proud, everything went well.” When asked if he was fully fit, he was unequivocal: “100%, 100%.”
Vinicius, who has spoken openly about idolising Neymar, was equally emotional in the mixed zone. “It’s a very important moment for all of us,” he said. “Our idol is back, a guy who always fought hard and did everything to be here, returning after a spell out with injury. I hope he can keep evolving and helping us throughout the competition.”
Ancelotti, whose decision to select an injury-prone 34-year-old had drawn fierce criticism in Brazil, was measured but warm. “He had the opportunity to play because I think he deserved to,” the Italian said. “He worked and trained to recover with great professionalism and seriousness. Neymar needs no motivation. Everyone loves him here. He is 34 and has the same passion for playing football as a child.”
This is a different Neymar. Heavier, slower, operating centrally rather than tearing down the left flank that defined his peak years at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. Brazil’s attack no longer runs through him. It runs through Vinicius, who now has four World Cup goals in three matches, level with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, one behind Lionel Messi.
But Neymar is back. And in a country desperate for a sixth star, even a supporting role from their greatest modern player could yet prove priceless.
