Neymar’s Return Sparks Controversy in Brazil’s World Cup Squad
Carlo Ancelotti knew this would split opinion. Naming a 34-year-old Neymar in Brazil’s squad for the 2026 World Cup was never going to slip quietly under the radar.
Three years after his last appearance for the Selecao, the forward is back. At first, the reaction in Brazil felt almost nostalgic – a wave of joy, a sense of one last samba with a player who once carried a nation’s hopes on his shoulders. But as the noise settled, the tone shifted. The romance of a farewell tour is now colliding with a colder, more clinical question: what, exactly, can this version of Neymar still offer?
Dugarry Tears Into ‘Freak Show’ Recall
One of the sharpest critics comes from outside Brazil. Christophe Dugarry, World Cup winner with France in 1998, has not tried to soften his words. He sees the recall not as a celebration, but as something bordering on spectacle.
He branded the situation a “freak show,” arguing that the mood around Neymar’s return carries an undercurrent of mockery rather than respect. Speaking on RMC Sport, Dugarry said he hears more sniggers than support when the forward’s name comes up: jibes about injuries, whispers about weight, the sense that people are waiting for the next physical breakdown rather than the next piece of magic.
To him, Neymar is not just being mocked – he is, in part, enabling it. The aura that once surrounded Brazil’s No. 10 has been replaced, in some quarters, by curiosity tinged with cruelty.
A Symptom of a Deeper Brazilian Decline?
Dugarry’s criticism stretches beyond one player. For him, Neymar’s return after a long absence and repeated fitness issues exposes a deeper malaise within Brazilian football.
In his eyes, a nation that once overflowed with attacking talent is now turning back to a fading star. That, he argues, says more about Brazil’s current state than it does about Neymar himself. Selecting a player he believes is past his peak is, to Dugarry, a sign of how far the five-time world champions have slipped.
He doesn’t buy the idea that Neymar can simply be “one more option” in Ancelotti’s squad. The idea that he is just another squad player, he suggests, is pure delusion. Dugarry openly questions whether Neymar can still bring anything meaningful to this team, tactically or physically.
Ancelotti’s Gamble Meets the Clock
The timing only heightens the scrutiny. Brazil’s squad will gather at Granja Comary on May 27, and all eyes will be on Neymar from the first training drill. Every sprint, every touch, every grimace will be examined as proof or condemnation.
A friendly against Panama at the Maracana on May 31 offers an early glimpse of how Ancelotti plans to use him. It will not feel like a gentle warm-up. For Neymar, it is an audition in front of a fanbase torn between memory and reality.
After that, there is no hiding place. Brazil head to North America, where Group C awaits: Morocco, Haiti and Scotland. On paper, it is a group they should control. In practice, it may become a live referendum on Ancelotti’s boldest call.
If Neymar glides through defenders again, if he dictates games and leads Brazil deep into the tournament, the decision will be framed as a masterstroke – a manager trusting a genius one last time.
If he breaks down, or drifts on the fringes while Brazil labour, the questions will turn brutal very quickly.
Is this really Neymar’s last great act with the Selecao, or the clearest sign yet of how far Brazil have fallen?
