‘Neymar does what Ronaldinho invented’ - Ex-Brazil international explains how 2002 World Cup winner inspired all-time leading goalscorer following emotional retirement

Following Brazil’s shocking 2-1 defeat to Norway in the 2026 World Cup round of 16, Neymar has officially announced his retirement from international football. The talismanic forward brings down the curtain on a legendary international career as the nation's all-time leading goalscorer, having yielded an incredible 80 goals and 59 assists across 130 caps for the Selecao.

Despite his standing in the national team records, many believe Neymar's legacy does not quite live up to that of 2002 World Cup winner Ronaldinho, with ex-star Juliano Belletti among those.

Former Barcelona and Brazil right-back Belletti quickly weighed in, offering unique insight from sharing dressing rooms with Ronaldinho at both club and international levels. Belletti claimed that Neymar’s entire stylistic identity is a direct evolution of the groundbreaking foundation laid by his predecessor.

“I think Neymar does what Ronaldinho has invented and has created,” Belletti said on DAZN, tracing the roots of Brazil’s modern flair back to his former teammate. “I think he has invented many things – that dribble with the ball so close, the pass off the back, and the overhead flick from behind. Bringing all this together with the magic of a Brazilian, I think Neymar comes from there.”

Belletti aggressively dismantled the persistent, long-standing football myth that Ronaldinho succeeded purely on raw talent without putting in structural effort behind the scenes. The ex-defender insisted that the legendary playmaker approached his daily preparation with immense seriousness, contrary to public perception.

“It doesn’t seem like it, but Ronaldinho trained a lot, I am telling you very seriously,” Belletti revealed, recalling intensive small-sided training sessions under the Catalan sun. “It was a small pitch, tight space, and with the ball he would go one-on-one or two-on-two, and he did it every single day and every week. The power he had to have for that dribble and to keep progressing – he never faked it; he never went to the ground.

“With the quality he had and how he worked, he made it so that players like Neymar had someone to be inspired by, to do exactly what Neymar has gone on to do afterward.”

Neymar bows out after a World Cup campaign that was disappointing for him and the Selecao. Having missed Brazil's opening two group-stage fixtures due to injury, Neymar returned to feature in the final group-stage victory against Scotland. He then started on the bench against Norway, coming on as a substitute to convert a late penalty, which ultimately proved insufficient to save his side from a World Cup exit.