Neymar (33, Santos) is no longer at the national team level.
Brazil will face Colombia in the '13th match of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup South American qualifiers' to be held in Brasília on the 21st. Brazil has a rivalry match against Argentina scheduled for the 26th.
Ahead of the decisive match, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) excluded Neymar from the roster on the 15th. He returned to the field 17 months after undergoing rehabilitation surgery on his Chonbang ligament. Having returned to his former team, Santos, he seemed to be making a comeback with 3 goals and 3 assists.
However, recently injuring his thigh again, Neymar ultimately was left off the national team roster. The Brazil national team coach selected young star Endrick (18, Real Madrid) instead of Neymar. Endrick has scored 6 goals for Real this season and has also netted 3 goals in international matches, making him a rising star.
Neymar has become the worst return on investment in history. He moved to Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal in August 2023, earning a salary of €150 million (approximately 226.3 billion won), but was limited to just 7 appearances due to injuries.
Neymar has recorded 79 goals in 128 international matches for the Brazil national team, making him the all-time leading scorer. However, due to frequent injuries, it remains uncertain whether he will be seen in the national team again.
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