'Sentimental pick'- Ex-Scotland star claims Neymar looked 'sluggish' on Brazil World Cup return

The Selecao superstar made his return to international action under manager Carlo Ancelotti during a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Scotland at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium. Entering the pitch as a substitute after 30 minutes of the second half, the forward ended a gruelling, 981-day absence caused by a serious knee injury sustained in October 2023. Despite the widespread excitement surrounding his milestone appearance, his performance drew sharp criticism from television analysts scrutinising his overall match fitness.

While the technical metrics showed Neymar created three scoring opportunities, his movement failed to convince former midfielder Burley. Speaking on ESPN, he remarked: "You looked at when Neymar came on, there was a lot of excitement in the crowd and I'm sure back in Brazil about this iconic player being in the squad and eventually coming on.

"But boy, I think if you're Joao Pedro or one or two others that didn't make the squad and you're looking at that guy saying this is just a sentimental pick. Because, yeah, I know he's not had much game time, but he just looked so sluggish and off the pace and as if it passed him by.

“So if you have to go to him in the latter stages of the tournament, that's going to be the big question. Can he actually come on and influence the game against better players? Which even struggled when he came on against the Scotland team.

"So that for me, I know [Igor] Thiago's there, I know [Matheus] Cunha can play up front, I know Endrick's there, but these are inexperienced players at that level. And I think the one thing you're going to have to do in this tournament if you're going to go all the way is go to your bench for game changers.

"And it looked to me as if that was nothing more than just a sentimental pick putting him in.”

The immense emotional weight of completing his long rehabilitation journey overflowed after the final whistle, with the forward breaking down in tears on the pitch. The talismanic figure insisted that his emotional response was a necessary physical release after nearly three years away from the national team setup.

Neymar explained: "My heart was racing, very nervous... but happy! Proud, everything went well. I'm very happy to be wearing the national team jersey again after three years. I'm physically well, thank God.

"It was tough being sidelined for those days, but I wasn't completely inactive. I've been training hard for 25 days to be in good shape for the games. So I'm very happy, very pleased. It was a mix of emotions when I came on. It was a long time away from this jersey, away from the national team, but thank God everything worked out and I managed to come back."

Brazil comfortably advanced to the round of 32 as the outright winners of Group C, maintaining high morale across the camp. Ancelotti’s side are scheduled to face a disciplined Japan outfit on Monday, June 29, presenting a significantly sterner tactical challenge than their previous opponents. It remains to be seen whether the veteran manager will continue to integrate his legendary playmaker into the lineup or favour more dynamic, youthful attacking options from the bench.