Will Neymar Play at the 2026 World Cup? Brazil's Last Dance with a Legend
Five World Cups, zero titles since 2002 — and now Brazil must decide whether Neymar is part of the solution or the problem.
Brazil arrive in North America as five-time champions with something to prove — but the Neymar question looms over everything.
Under Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil are chasing a record-extending sixth world title. Optimism, however, is tempered. Since their last triumph in 2002, the Seleção have been eliminated at the quarter-final stage four times out of five — with the sole exception being the catastrophic 7-1 humiliation on home soil against Germany in 2014.
At the center of this disappointing era stands Neymar — Brazil's biggest star and most controversial figure. Whether he will be included in the final squad remains one of the tournament's most compelling storylines.