Neymar's Impact on Brazil's World Cup Journey

Neymar hasn’t kicked a ball at this World Cup yet, but in Brazil’s camp his presence is already changing the mood.

Left out of the matchday squad for the 1-1 draw with Morocco and the 3-0 win over Haiti, the No. 10 has been confined to the training pitch so far. Even there, though, he has become the emotional centre of a group trying to steady itself and lock down top spot in Group C.

Lucas Paqueta, speaking on Sunday, made it clear how much that matters.

“We're all very happy to see him training and back on the pitch with us. Neymar is a very important player for the Brazilian national team,” he told reporters. “He has an extraordinary history with this shirt and he can still help us a lot. We're glad he's back and we hope he'll be available as soon as possible to contribute to the team.”

For a side that has stuttered through an inconsistent opening to the tournament, the sight of Neymar gliding through drills offers something beyond tactics or team selection. It offers familiarity. It offers hierarchy. Brazil know what it looks like when he is fully fit and fully engaged at a World Cup.

Whether he is ready to cross the white line in Miami, though, remains the unanswered question. If cleared to play, it would be his first competitive appearance for Brazil since 2023, a long wait for a player who has carried the shirt for more than a decade.

Neymar’s lift, Raphinha’s loss

The optimism around Neymar’s return is tempered by a significant absence on the opposite flank. Raphinha, such a key part of Brazil’s attacking rhythm, is sidelined with a hamstring injury and faces a race against time to feature again at this World Cup.

The Barcelona winger’s injury has stripped the Selecao of one of their most direct outlets. His work without the ball, his width, his willingness to stretch defences — all of it has been missed. No one inside the camp is pretending otherwise.

“Right now he has the support of the whole group. We're by his side and we'll do everything we can to help him during his recovery,” Paqueta said. “He's a guy who works really hard and I'm sure he'll do everything possible to come back as soon as he can. As for his importance, there's not much more to add. He's coming off some extraordinary seasons and has grown a lot with the national team as well.”

Brazil must now juggle both realities: the emotional surge that comes with Neymar’s return to full training and the tactical headache of losing a winger who had become a structural reference point in the attack. The balance between those two threads could define how deep they go in this tournament.

No room for arrogance in Miami

On paper, Brazil arrive at Miami Stadium as favourites and as leaders of Group C. Four points from their opening two games have them at the summit, level with Morocco but ahead on goal difference. It looks comfortable. It isn’t.

The equation is simple: victory keeps Brazil in control of the group. Anything less, and they risk being overtaken if Morocco, facing already eliminated Haiti, do what most expect and take all three points.

Scotland, chasing a first-ever appearance in the knockout stages of a World Cup, stand in the way. For them, this is not just a group game; it is a shot at history. A positive result against Brazil could be enough to carry Steve Clarke’s side into the last 16, and that alone ensures there will be nothing friendly about the atmosphere in Miami.

Paqueta is under no illusions.

“All the teams at the World Cup deserve respect. You have to study them and prepare as best as possible to face them,” the former West Ham midfielder said. “We have great respect for Scotland, but we also know we need to play our game and follow what the coach asks of us. Regardless of the opponent, our goal in every match is to win.”

The message is sharp: respect, but no fear. Brazil’s status as five-time world champions guarantees expectation, not points. Their performances so far have flickered rather than burned, and the margin for error is shrinking fast.

As the knockout rounds loom and the stakes rise with every minute, Brazil find themselves walking a familiar tightrope: the weight of history on one side, the urgency of the present on the other. Somewhere in the middle, Neymar is lacing his boots again, and the world is waiting to see if he still has one more World Cup act left in him.