The Neymar chants began just moments after Hugo Ekitike put France 2-0 up on Brazil at the Gillette Stadium. It was the last thing Carlo Ancelotti would have wanted to hear, but probably the first thing he would have expected in the circumstances. The Italian's decision to leave out the Selecao's all-time leading goal-scorer from his latest squad had dominated the build-up to Thursday's high-profile friendly in Foxborough.

Neymar has detailed the immense emotional burden while toiling for full fitness at Santos. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar says the pressure to perform in his homeland is "crushing" as he eyes a World Cup spot with Brazil. Despite the weight of expectation, the veteran forward took time to laud former team-mate Kylian Mbappe’s elite finishing.

Neymar has stepped up his return to full fitness by starring in a Santos training match, bagging a goal and an assist to remind onlookers of his enduring quality. The legendary forward was a high-profile omission from Carlo Ancelotti’s latest Brazil squad, but this domestic display suggests he is determined to force his way back into the international reckoning.

Out of the friendly against France; since the Italian took over as coach of the Seleção, he has rotated seven strikers who have never scored

The Selecao have been given a wake-up call at the start of the World Cup year. The big talking point afterwards is a player who wasn’t even selected.