Neymar 'not a tremendous professional' like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, claims Brazil legend Zico

In an world where talent is often measured by silverware and statistics, Brazilian icon Zico has pointed to a different metric when evaluating former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar: professionalism. Speaking in an exclusive interview with ESPN, the Selecao icon compared Neymar to the two defining players of the modern era, Messi and Ronaldo, but noted a crucial distinction in their respective approaches to the game. Zico wants Neymar to play at the 2026 World Cup, but only if he is at 100% physically and mentally.

"I want him to recover and play, I'm a fan, God gave him a talent that he gave to few," Zico explained. "In this world I'm talking about, it's Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar. They are the three. But the other two are tremendous professionals. He was not being one. Football gave him everything, and that's the problem. But talent, he has more than everyone else. For a while now, he hasn't known how to make the most of it."

The decision by Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti to leave Neymar out of his March squad has ignited a firestorm across South America. Despite the 34-year-old’s lengthy absence from the international stage following a serious knee injury in late 2023, the Brazilian public and former players remains divided on his utility. This recurring cycle of injuries is, according to Zico, directly linked to Neymar's lifestyle and physical preparation. Zico argued that any manager, including Ancelotti, must prioritize a player's reliability before naming them in a squad for a major tournament like the World Cup.

He said: "It depends on how Neymar is. Put him to play 10 games in a row for Santos and then you can make an evaluation. But in the last two or three years, what was the period that he played that amount of games? He didn't have it. That's the problem, it's his health. And he has had his injury problems made easier. Injuries increased."

Speaking ahead of Brazil's friendly against France in Boston, Ancelotti addressed the ongoing debate over Neymar's absence, insisting that while he respects public opinion, his role is to make pragmatic decisions for the collective. "Football isn't an exact science," Ancelotti noted, defending his choice to sideline the Santos forward. This stance aligns with the views of Zico, who reflected on his own fitness battles during the 1986 World Cup. Zico warned that personal experience shows why a coach must prioritise physical reliability over star power, especially when a player is not fully prepared for the demands of elite competition.

"I learned, from my case, that I couldn't go to the 1986 World Cup, I had a serious knee injury, I didn't have continuity, I didn't gain the coach's confidence to put me on from the start, and with all his reason, he had the criteria," Zico admitted. "It’s knowing what Ancelotti thinks. And he might not take him. From the outside it's easy. We all have our national team."

Beyond the physical limitations, Zico highlighted the mental barrier that develops when a player can no longer trust their body. He warned that Neymar appears to be entering a phase where minor injuries become more frequent as the body tries to compensate for previous damage, a cycle that eventually led to Zico's own retirement from the pitch.

"Many times those of us who go through this are afraid to go for a stronger ball, we are afraid. I stopped playing because of that. I started having muscular problems, calves. I couldn't take it anymore, I couldn't train anymore. I, who loved training, couldn't anymore, I said it was time to stop," Zico concluded.