It’s been the World Cup of stars — Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo, among others.
But one notable name was missing.
Neymar Jr.
But that’s no longer the case, as the Brazilian icon made his first appearance of the 2026 tournament Thursday in a 3-0 win vs. Scotland in Miami.
The 34-year-old Neymar came on as a substitute in the 76th minute after missing the first two games vs. Morocco and Haiti due to an injury.
Brazil has mostly been fine without him so far, especially in this game. Vinicius Jr., the next star up for the nation, logged a brace to take his tournament tally up to four goals while Matheus Cunha scored his third. Cunha had a brace vs. Haiti in his first start in place of Igor Thiago.
But the headlines will be Neymar’s availability for the rest of the tournament, as Brazil’s ceiling may be dictated by his impact off the bench.
With Carlo Ancelotti in charge, the team has looked better as a unit with each passing game. That’ll be important as tougher tasks lie ahead, with the 1-1 draw vs. Morocco a sign that more attacking firepower will be needed.
Neymar finished the game with 24 touches, three chances created and a shot on target, though some rust on the physical side was evident.
It’s been a long international wait for Neymar, who last represented his country in October of 2023. That’s when Brazil fell 2-0 to Uruguay in a game where Neymar was stretchered off with what turned out to be a ruptured ACL and meniscus.
He was not fit enough to make the 2024 Copa America squad, but just made Ancelotti’s 26-man team in what is most likely his final World Cup.
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