'By far the best' - Casemiro defends Neymar's 'different lifestyle' as he ranks Brazil co-star as better than Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema & Luka Modric

Neymar has once again been left out of Brazil’s squad, with Ancelotti maintaining that the forward still needs to prove that he is physically ready after a long and troubled recovery period. The Santos star has been pushing for a return to the national team ahead of the next World Cup, but his situation remains uncertain.

The 33-year-old has not featured for the Selecao since suffering a ruptured knee ligament against Uruguay in October 2023, an injury that sidelined him for nearly a year. Although Neymar briefly rejoined Brazil’s setup in early 2025, persistent fitness issues prevented him from making a full comeback and he has remained on the outside ever since. His latest return to club football came in Santos’ 1-1 draw with Fortaleza, where he was eased back in from the bench.

Ancelotti, who has repeatedly stated that Neymar remains an elite talent when fully fit, made it clear that the door is not closed, but insisted that he must first show consistent availability. Speaking during his most recent squad announcement, Ancelotti said he has not held recent conversations with Neymar and will only consider him again once he is playing regularly and performing at a competitive level.

Despite being one of Brazil’s all-time leading goal scorers, Neymar is now facing a race against time to convince both club and country that his body can withstand the demands of top-level football. However, Casemiro remains convinced that Neymar can once again be the difference-maker as he placed him above several of the biggest names he has shared a dressing room with. 

He told Globo: “I had the pleasure of playing with great players. Cristiano [Ronaldo] in his best phase, when everything he touched was a goal. I played with Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Marcelo, [Gareth] Bale, [Karim] Benzema. We’re talking about more than 10 Ballon d’Or winners. And it’s inevitable that you put Neymar on that list. Everyone does what they want on and off the field. My lifestyle is different, more reserved. But we can't dismiss him if he's doing well. If he's physically and mentally fit, he's by far the best. I'm a big fan of him as a player.

"I've known Neymar since I was 12 years old. He played for Santos, I played for Moreira. This guy has always been very, very different. He can decide a game at any moment. It's a privilege to say that I played with Neymar. This guy is incredible. And in my day-to-day life, I know his staff very well, how he works. Everything he's done for football can't be a coincidence; you can't be like that just with talent, you have to have the work, you have to have the dedication."

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The ex-Real Madrid midfielder believes it is necessary for the Selecao to be built around a star like Neymar, urging Ancelotti to take note of Messi's integral role in Argentina's World Cup success in 2022.

"If I have to stretch myself thin on the field so he can make the final pass, score the goal [I'll do it]," he said. "In the 2022 World Cup, people asked: 'Is Neymar the star player of the team?' And I answered like this: 'If there's a penalty in the last minute of the semi-final, who's going to take it?' I think Neymar is irresistible for anyone, but we know he has to be at his best. It's much more up to him to know what to do and what not to do, but I think we need him. With his quality, we need him."

Asked if it is worth stretching the team tactically to suit Neymar would be wise, he replied: "Absolutely. Argentina did that with Messi. I'll say it again: with their three best players in the world [Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar], you can put Neymar in and do that. It's not that Neymar will just stand still while we run. That doesn't exist. But Argentina did that. Julián Alvarez would drop back, and Messi would play as a false nine. They were defending in a low block, and Messi was just standing there up front.

"The quality of these players is undeniable, you can't waste them, they have so much talent. And in football today, the line between winning and losing is very thin. These players are the ones who break that line. Against Croatia [in the quarter-final], for example, Neymar, at one point, scored a goal and that was it: he solved Brazil's problem at that moment. The game was tight, the game was difficult, and at that moment he scored a great goal and that was it, it was 1-0 for us."

The United midfielder also highlighted coach Ancelotti’s influence as a crucial factor in Brazil’s improvement. “He is a guy who manages to unite the group, not just the players, but everyone on the staff,” Casemiro said. “If you analyse player by player... Alisson, Marquinhos, Bruno [Guimaraes], Vinicius, Rodrygo. We have a core group who could play for any national team. So, we are well-served with players.”

Brazil will continue their preparation matches in the coming months, facing Senegal and Tunisia in upcoming friendlies. With Ancelotti expected to refine the tactical shape around his key attackers, Neymar’s physical condition remains a central question, particularly given recent injuries and his ongoing adaptation at Santos.